Anybody Use this Clutch ?

[krs]

Another member posted a link to this store in another thread and looking around in there I found this interesting clutch:



http://www.truckperformance.com/pro...es&sf1=DODGE&sf2=2001&sf3=RAM&sf4=5.9L+DIESEL



Good price and they make claims of smoothness and power handling. Has anyone used one?



Is it a choice worth consideration?

 

[RHARVEY]

I had a long talk with the folks at Centerforce before I got my South Bend Clutch. One of the questions that I ask them. . can I hook to my 5er right after the install and go on a trip? The answer that I got was... OH NO. . you will slip the clutch and once the clutch starts to slip. . it wont stop. With that answer I told him thank you for the information and hung up.

I have had my SBC in for 10k miles and it works great. Since I do pull and use an exhaust brake I went with the 13" upgrade for the add'd meat in the middle of the disk. And yes they cost more than the average clutch... but I can tell you first hand this is not an average clutch.



Rick

 

[Chipstien]

Originally posted by KRS



Is it a choice worth consideration?

I would say definately. I am sure Peter's clutches would hold considerably more HP but for those mildly bombed folks I would bet this clutch would work just fine. Centerforce has been making perfomance clutches for a long time and the price is very reasonable.



This being said I would get one of Peter's DD clutches..... very trick.

 

[Got Smoke?]

no personal experience but I have a friend with a 94 2500 4x4 5spd that has a #10 TST plate 330/750 and 300 marine injectors and he hasn't had his Centerforce dual friction for a year and its fried! Slip-on-demand!

 

[HVAC]

Centerforce

Be aware that Centerforce products haven't worked well in our trucks historically. Maybe they have improved their product since. It seems that the low rpm our engines are working at fail to allow the clamping force to develop.

 

[RHARVEY]

I never thought about the design of the Centerforce until Nowel brought it up. The higher the rpms the tighter the Centerforce locks up. . lower rpms. . it does not have the clamping force that it would need to hold the torque that our trucks produce. .



Thanks Nowel. . I just learned something...



Rick

 

[HVAC]

Your Welcome

Obviously you understand exactly what I'm talking about Rick.



For the rest:



Don't think anyone covered this but the C'force pressure plate has weights on it that apply increasing force on the disc via a lever effect as RPM increase. This process is based on centrifigul force.



At low RPM there is less centrifigul force and consequently the Centerforce product isn't going to bite on that disc as hard as it would in a gasser at twice to three times the RPM.



My experience is that the clutch slips at the point of peak torque. What RPM does peak torque occur? That's right, it's quite low at about 1600 rpm.



I have a number of friends who made short work of the C'force product. I sincerely hope they have made progress with their product for our trucks.



I've run a number of clutches and the best design I've used is the dual disc. It is more expensive of course, but it's cheaper then multiple single disc replacements.

 

[Sled Puller]

Wasn't SBC using one of Centerforce's pressure plates on their high end 13" single disc clutch?

Or have they abandoned that design?

 

[favord]

I've had the dual friction Centerforce clutch for over 40K miles now. For all but the last 2000 or so miles I had ran an EZ and Bully Dog II's and dynoed at 760 torque. Now I've been running a TST 3 with quite bit more power. Most of my miles are accumulated pulling a 22' living quarters horse trailer. No problems at all with the clutch - knock on wood. I did follow the manufacturers recommended break in of 500 miles of easy stop/go in town driving before putting the power to it.



My truck is in the trans. shop now getting 5th gear fix (again) and I mentioned how pleased I am with the clutch. I mentioned that I'd read this clutch was not supposed to work well in my application and the owner of the shop told me the story of a local hotshotter with a rig configured similar to mine that has been running alot of miles without problems on the same clutch. The owner also runs the same clutch in his tow vehicle (as well as the core from my old NV4500!) and has had no problems.



I wouldn't be afraid to try this clutch again.



Doug Favor

 

[pwknapp]

Had one and it was terrible. Hard shifting into 2nd and reverse and just plumb disintegrated at 70k. No comparison to SBC in the 13". JMHO

 

[mfelix]

hey i got one 4 years ago and 45000 + miles no problems. i tow 36 foot goose neck Haulmark car trailer 2 times a week to the track. so far i like it. stock clutch went out tow times the first year i drove to the track. IT WORK'S FOR ME