South Bend Clutch "Cryo and Inlay"

[J.R. Adkins]

Over the past few years I have been working with Peter @ SBC on the development of his double disk clutches. Let me just say Peter is commited to building the BEST double disk on the market. South Bend Clutch is now from this point on Cryo treating ALL double disk centerplates and putting inserts in the billet flywheels. What does this mean to the end user? The BEST avaliable and longest lasting and most relable clutch on the market period.



J. R.



www.SouthBendClutch.com 1. 800. 988. 4345

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Without knowing a whole lot about the competition's offerings how does one begin to compare 'em? Peter's customer service is second to none, though... and that goes a LONG way.



I'd always thought that the clutch I'm going to buy for my '98 is going to rattle... and then this happens... Up until now... the rattling clutches were the only ones you could reliably make MANY hooks per summer AND drive it easily on the street - despite the sorta heavy pedal pressure.



Not to hijack the thread - but how are them 3+ disk clutches working out?



Matt

 

[supersonic]

4 disc Crower is working fine.

 

[JDailey]

What kind of "inserts" in the flywheels?? "The BEST available and longest lasting and most reliable clutch on the market period. " For what?? I know you aren't talking about pulling!!

 

[Sled Puller]

Yes, JR, explain to us the details on how you determined this?



Was it a scientific study, or ????

 

[Sled Puller]

ALL double disk centerplates and putting inserts in the billet flywheels. What does this mean to the end user? The BEST avaliable and longest lasting and most ""relable"" clutch on the market period.



J. R.



www.SouthBendClutch.com 1. 800. 988. 4345

I'm sorry, I can't help myself.



Did you mean RE-LABLE, or was that a typo for something else? :-laf :-laf

 

[J.R. Adkins]

Face the facts fellas!!!! South Bend Clutch Is the industry leader in Dodge cummins clutches!! Period!!



J. R.

 

[JDailey]

What facts?? Are you talking about clutches in street driven trucks?? How many hooks have you gotten out of your SB?? I know of a couple of people running these clutches... and they are far from reliable! And like I asked you earlier, What kind of "inserts" in the flywheels??

 

[Sled Puller]

JR,

Now why do you draw a line in the sand like that?



I will give Peter, he is an excellent clutch MARKETER, and TDR sales leader.



But McDonalds is the leader in hamburger sales, with their soyburgers!!

 

[JoshPeters]

I'm wondering why Cyro'ing anything on a clutch would benifit it? Last I heard When you Cyro metal it brings the carbon to the surface.



Josh

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

I was recently told that the rattley clutches are all being cryo'ed now too. I can't confirm it at this point but it was a reliable source that told me.

 

[How'dHeDoThat]

I helped remove a SBC Con FE just yesterday..... 35K miles!!!

It had a rivet missing from the center section and a broken ring around the spline... The warrantee 1/2 price replacement????



This was a defect in my opinion...

The truck has 476 Hp and most of the clutch life was at 440hp.



He also had called SB and told them about some springs that had broke in the clutch(this was about a month ago). Told it was normal and that they would stand behind it.



Anyone that knows JB HALE knows he drives fast but is a granny on his drivetrain and doesn't pull trailers.



I for one am disappointed... Others will probably see this as excellent Customer Service.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

We drive torque monsters - we're bound to eat driveline parts... period.

There's no such thing as a bulletproof clutch.



With that in mind - all we can do is look at who's allegedly running what and how 'product X, Y or Z' has been holding up. Granted - a lot of failures happen and nobody ever hears about them on these online forums (and probably never will). I've heard about (and personally seen) failures with just about every product out there. But there aren't too many people running SBC's clutch in comparison to other clutches.



Peter may stand behind his product and that's worth a lot, IMHO - but if you have to swap the thing out 5 times... how is that a good thing?



If you claim to have a better mousetrap - you gotta spill some of the beans and tell us why it's better... otherwise, nobody will buy it.



No flames intended, your mileage may vary, batteries not included, etc.



Matt

 

[J.R. Adkins]

Seems like there are some rules to posting here?? Eh Gene??



If you boys dont like my product of choice then you can just whine all ya want. :{



Who won the pull you were at last week end Gene? What clutch were they running? And where did you place?



Clutches tear up. Thats part of it. They are a wear item. But I have never heard of a SBC DD clutch exploding and threatning anyones safty. SBC and HMR are the only clutch mfgs. to have a billet flywheel as standard equipment with any pulling clutch. Ask the "other" clutch maker how much a billet upgrade is for their clutch.



All tech questions should be directed to www.SouthBendClutch.com or 1. 800. 988. 4345



JDaily,MDM,Bullballs who ever you are this week you seem to watch me pretty close you should know how many hooks I have.



Here is a picture of the insert in the billet flywheel.



#ad

 

[JDailey]

I'm sorry JR, let me rephrase my question. How many hooks do have on your SB past 75'?? Is that better?? Or how many hooks this year??



Looks like a bronze inlay. Or are you going out on a limb and gonna try brass??



Seriously, how many of these clutches are out there in trucks making big power??

 

[Sled Puller]

Shawn Hodges's truck won that pull, with an SBC dual disc. His chief mechanic, Ryan, was driving. Excellent rookie pull!



My truck had a lousy hook,and did not place, due to poor coaching, and a cracked exhaust manifold. My Dad was driving.

 

[J.R. Adkins]

I'm sorry JR, let me rephrase my question. How many hooks do have on your SB past 75'??

Here ya go JDaily. I have more where this on came from.



#ad

 

[SMorneau]

I'm wondering why Cyro'ing anything on a clutch would benifit it? Last I heard When you Cyro metal it brings the carbon to the surface.



Josh

Josh, What I really said was that cryo precipitated carbides to the surface so surfaces wear better and I thought thats why it would be used on sliding surfaces. It's possible it acts to case harden some parts making them less prone to failing in certain modes. Cryo also does a good job of stress relieving a part prior to final machining. I looked into cryo for tooling at work and while there are many documented benefits there are also a lot of wild claims.



Actually, I'm really amazed you heard me say anything at all with all that noise being put out by the gassers at the truck pull :-laf

 

[csevers]

Jr

Why are some worried about flywheels? They have not been the problem. I have looked at two of the clutchs and here is what I have seen both have STAMPED steel cover plates, 4 finger straight spring pressure plate assemblys, the discs look to be the same steel with different puck material, the floaters are both cryoed steel, one thicker,one thinner but both can warp. The thing I also noticed is that the pressure plate its self appears to be CAST on both clutchs? And the flywheel apears to have much less "meat" with the much thicker floater plate do to all the machining to accomodate the thicker floater plate. Please give me your professional opinion on this. Sorry if I have over looked some thing.



Thanks

Craig



P. S. ALL sled pullers should have bell housing blankets regardless witch of the three clutchs they are running.

 

[J.R. Adkins]

Craig,



I am most definately not a clutch expert! I just tell it like I see it.



The pressure plate on the "other" clutch is or was using cast iron. Good for heat and "bite" but not so good for reliability. Cast Iron is poris and has a tendancy to explode. SBC's DD is NOT using cast iron they are using ductile iron. And last I had heard about the other clutch is that the stock cast iron flywheel is cut back. Is this good for strength? SBC's is custom built from billet and specifally made for a DD clutch. Now with a insert so it can also have "bite".



The flywheel is something to be concerned about. I personally do not want to wait for a failure on a cast iron flywheel to say "well we should have". Billet is the ONLY way IMO for street pullers all the way up to "open" pullers. Ten or so years ago there used to be truck and tractor pull at my state fair until a tractor running a cast iron flywheel had that unit explode and lodge into a mans chest therefor killing him instantly. Last year if my memory serves me correctly a person was killed by a cast iron flywheel from a diesel tractor in KY. I agree about the belhousing blanket..... lets all be more safety conscious.



J. R.