Competition how would this stack up against the competition

[Sled Puller]

Cool! I will let him know. Worst thing no doubt. He got around me twice last year with an automatic, I don't want him to have any excuses this year, when I give him a good thrashing. .







You went with a solid hub, though? That was one thing you always seemed to hate. We still are not seeing any trouble with them.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Gene: Take off your Rambo bandana... and put down the AK-47... you're starting to scare me.



What an angry man. You need a hug..... :-laf



I agree with you, though. There has been a lot of intellectual property theft going on... . and it is unfortunate that some vendors are making sales based on other people's R&D dollars/timecard.



Matt

 

[South Bend Clutch]

Ya know, we did not necessarily build this clutch for sled pulling. There are a lot of people that are not interested in doing it but are over powering what I can make a single disc hold. The power levels are insane. We are going to have two versions, one for drag racing and massive power and one for sled pulling. I could not find a reliable way to put two dampened discs in (not enough room) and my floating hub thing didn't work either. We figured the only ones that would require this type of clutch are the ones from 550-800 hp. (or pulling a sled) and they are beating their truck up anyway.



As for getting their clutch, that is only business. If someone asked me what makes ours different then theirs, it would sound pretty stupid to say "I don't know" No good business would not know what their competition is offering. I deal with this everyday. You know how many people have bought our clutch and tried to copy it? LUK Pro Gold is one for example and the guy who sells me my parts is the one who bought it for them. DOH! We deal with this in all of our clutches, from passenger cars/ racing to semi's to agricultural.



Sorry about the spelling, I will remember the double L



Peter

 

[HoleshotHolset]

With the HP/TQ people are making... .



It's almost getting to the point where we need a transmission/clutch setup like the topfuel cars use. The fibers/steels get replaced after a few runs... .



Matt

 

[cumminsred]

Peter,

I've held my say for a couple years but not this time. Your arrogant comments have touched a nerve. I purchased a new clutch from you (on the advice of Roger Rodbolt) for my 1999 5 speed with only 275 hp injectors and a FMS. After professional installation I found the clutch to work well empty but if I set the FMS above 25% with my fifth wheel in tow I could slip your clutch at will. I'm past retirement age, do not sled pull or drag race, the clutch just didn't hold. The service manager of a local Dodge dealership (Randy) also purchased the same clutch on Larry's recommendation. He has a warmed over 12 valve dually to pull his race car trailer. His early Centerforce clutch had broken the plastic supported hub on the disc that was the reason for the South Bend purchase. The highly rated SB slipped easily, even with the truck empty. This was Friday night and he needed to tow his racing trailer on Saturday,so he again pulled the transmission and put the Centerforce pressure plate on your SB disc and the clutch held. We both got the same answer from you when asked about warranty: Remove the clutch, send it back and I'll see! Neither of us wanted to go through the labor of removing the clutch and expense of shipping it back on a maybe and maybe we'd get a new clutch that would slip like the ones we had. I've now been told your early clutches were stock pressure plates with a different friction lining on the disc! No additional clamping pressure! They weren't priced accordingly to stock PP's though.



I've bit my tongue every time someone sings your praise, and many times they say what a great guy you are to warranty your clutch that failed to hold as now they need a heavier clutch, flywheel mods etc. , you only charge them the difference. Please do not tear at Mitchell clutch just because you haven't been able to compete. Have you driven a Mitchell? Have you ever owned a CTD and tested your clutches in the real world? Or do you let your customers test them for you? You've also said that dual disc aren't needed and solid hubs are bad? You said at Muncie that you could build a pulling clutch that would hold like Mitchell's, no noise, better flywheel etc. and sell it for ONE HALF the price! My math said that is $850, now it's going to cost MORE then $1700? Lastly, where did you get your prices for pulling clutches, between $1700 - $2500? Mitchell's are $1700 and I'm never seen a $2000 clutch mentioned or advertised much less a $2500 CTD clutch. I'm sure business is great but IMHO your products, testing and warranty are not as touted by you. I would have remained quiet but now you've too far in your propaganda.

 

[South Bend Clutch]

If you have a 5sp you have to purchase the 1 3/8" input shaft. Cost is $800. plus the $1700 equals $2500. As for the freinds clutch that slipped after installation, most all of our clutches slip after install, they need to seat. Our pressure plates are stock when we buy them but we do alter them to increase the clamp load. For yours, sometimes it is important to see the clutch to determine what the problem is so it can be fixed. You will be hard pressed to find someone that we said screw you too. Did you think we would get the clutch back and not return it? Quite often we have found it to be our fault and payed $200 extra towards the labor. We sell many many clutches and yes some of them may have a problem. Some of them may have had a install problem. And lots of times we find that the flywheel was not resurfaced. We are not infailable and will not portray to be. My statement to you about the cost to build the double disc and price was related to what they are using, and yes if I duplicated theirs I could sell it for that much and make money, but I would not be able to warrenty it. I am not saying that they are ripping you off either. You need to get what you need to get, that is how prices are determined.



Sorry you had to bite your tongue for so long, you should have just called me.



Peter

 

[onestackdram]

Breathe Gene, it's ok...



I just had to break the tension...



Russell

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Russell: ... it's not just me who thinks that Gene needs a beer or 10 to relax a bit.



Matt

 

[onestackdram]

Im just not getting into this conv. I just got my clutch and so far like it... we'll see.



Matt I say we go get him and get him REALLY HAMMERED...

 

[HoleshotHolset]

... . Sleddy, TXdieselKid, JRAdkins, Steve St. Laurent and I are going to be spending a LOT of 'quality' time together at TiM '03.



Merrick is not invited... . he drinks all my beer and then complains about it not being cold enough.



Matt

 

[onestackdram]

I'm still up in the air on whether or not I can make TiM for the first time this year. We'll see what happens.

 

[D Factor]

Oh Man

 

[Smokewagon]

WELL BOYS!

All I have to say is a WHOLE bunch! First, let me point out that I am in ABSOLUTELY NO WAY affilliated with SBC. Other than I run Peters Con OFE "Special". I had a problem with my original OFE, notified Peter, followed his suggestions, ran it some more, it still wasn't right, called Peter, told him it hadn't changed, and guess what... ..... HE SENT ME A NEW COMPLETE CLUTCH!!!!!!!!Oo. I can honestly say that what comes around goes around. And..... as far as I am concerned, Peter is a prince of a man. His word is his bond, period!!! He even partially paid for the trouble of having to reinstall the new clutch. If he has a new clutch coming out, I'm sure that for the boys who are making MEGA hp. they will like it, or Peter will make it right till they do. Thanks for being a man of your word Peter! If others in this world kept their word like you do, it would be a better place to live. Keep on Keepin' on!



Dave

 

[South Bend Clutch]

I have seen video of a STOCK powered truck blow yours right out the bell housing.

Gene, why did you say this? You know the facts! It was not a stock powered Ford truck and all he bought from me was a clutch disc. You not only talked to me about this but others as well. This is a good story... . this guy buys just a disc from me and one day I get a call. He tells me that his clutch blew up in the middle of the road pulling a trailer. I am very concerned. The next day he comes to my shop with the pieces in the back of his truck. The only thing that was not broke was the clutch disc. Well, I am not believing that he was just pulling a trailer and confront him on this. He holds his ground. I asked him more then once if he was sled pulling (because that is what looked like what happened) and he keeps saying "no". Reluctantly I replace his flywheel, stock pressure plate and all the goodies to go with it. I then go down to Thunder in Muncie and a group of people show me a video of the very same guy pulling a sled down the track and with a big boom his clutch blows up. Remember, all he bought from me was a clutch disc. The next day I run into the guy... he tries to walk the other way but I catch up with him. All he could say was "everyone told him to say he was just pulling a trailer down the road because know one warranties against sled pulling. I look at him and say "why?". All you had to do was tell me the truth and I would have still taken care of you. All the confusion/doubt was unnecessary. He was young and mislead. I guess we all learn as we go.



I just wanted to point this out and tell the whole story.



Peter

 

[Sled Puller]

I was fired up that that kind of deal went on, not that Peter built a pulling clutch. That is good for everyone involved- we hope.



If you kids could read at all, you would have seen I have him a sale already!!



Diplosleddy... ... .



Smokewagon said,

""If he has a new clutch coming out, I'm sure that for the boys who are making MEGA hp. they will like it, or Peter will make it right till they do. ""



Thank you for the pom-poms, and we all agree, whoever gets one of those, will most asuredly let Peter make it right until it everybody is happy!

 

[Sled Puller]

Originally posted by South Bend Clutch

.



. I have seen guys pull hard with stock clutches and still drive home. I have also seen guys pull with Mitchels clutch and not drive home.

Why did you say that, Peter? Now, is your question answered?

 

[South Bend Clutch]

Yes.



Peter

 

[Sled Puller]

LOL!



Maybe we should all PM our posts to each other beforehand, so we can take out the offending material, before it is live?!?!!?!?

 

[Roger rodbolt]

Originally posted by South Bend Clutch

Not just yet boys!!!



On another note,

What cracks me up about you guys is that you are so sure that he will smoke the clutch if it is a single disc. He is not even trying to get to your level of competition. (power or amount of pulls) NOTHING IS INDESTRUCTIBLE. Please don't try and convince people that it is there last clutch no matter what they do. I would be glad to supply a list of people that have broken their (SOUTH BEND?) clutch but I don't think I need to go there. I am also sure that my double disc will have its fare share of problems, but that is just the nature of the sport of sled pulling/drag racing. I will never advertise it as the end all. Just because someone says "sled pull" dose not mean they have to spend 1700 to 2500 dollars plus labor on a clutch.



Instead, you should be telling him of all the other damage that can ocure when you sled pull. Anyone who dose it knows there is more to it then a clutch and some mods. What about the yoke and drive shaft and the rear end and differential and frame and transmission and whatever. You are pulling a 50,000lb sled down a dirt track until it stops the truck.

Peter

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx





Peter, why do you come at me? You say I should tell him about breaking his yoke, driveshaft, rear end, etc but not his single disc clutch? I don't think SO. At his power level he will not likely break anything... ... ..... except the single disc clutch and yes it will fail. How much sled pulling have you done? Do you own diesel Rams and test your products. Sorry but you've crossed the line trying to tear down Mitchell's clutch, when I doubt that you've ever pulled with one. Larry

 

[B KIRK]

So Gene, what brand transmission are you going to put in that new automatic truck?