Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Valair or Southbend

[SeanM]

I'm looking at the valair 550hp and the southbend 550hp clutches. Which is the better clutch and is the southbend really worth the extra $360. They seem to be about the same to me. Both have 16 fingers on the pressure plate. The southbend disk has 4 torsion springs on the disk and the valair has 7. Both have feramic linings. It seems the valair is better but I want to see what your opinions are.

 

[johncameron]

I don't know anything about the Valair cluteches but I'd go straight to the top and get Southbend.

Southbend is extremely highly regarded here on TDR.

John

 

[BigPapa]

I'll guarantee you this, you will get the absolute BEST in customer support and customer service from Peter and the gang at SBC. Whether that's worth more money for the clutch is going to be your call.



As for my opinion (and I have NO experience with Valair), I cannot believe you would get a better product from Valair than SBC.



Scott

 

[Sixpack]

South Bend without a doubt!

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

I'll ditto on Southbend - the product AND the people!

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Cummins724]

Another vote for Southbend, I wouldn't consider another. Peter is the man!

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

SBC!!!



JoeLee

 

[Diesel Dummie]

Well when you guys need a clutch go ahead and give Valair a try then you can give an honest opinion, i have had there single and there DD and the product and the customer service is just as good as SB!!!!! Just because its cheaper doesn't mean that it is an inferior product by no means!!!!!


DD

 

[Cummins724]

Well when you guys need a clutch go ahead and give Valair a try then you can give an honest opinion, i have had there single and there DD and the product and the customer service is just as good as SB!!!!! Just because its cheaper doesn't mean that it is an inferior product by no means!!!!!





DD

You've tried Southbend?

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Diesel Dummie,

Nowhere above do I see that anyone posted anything negative about Valair. All the above posts simply said positive things about SBC. Personally I have no experience whatsoever with Valair. But I do have considerable experience with SBC products in my own truck and in customer's trucks and that experience tells me SBC has great products and great people who back up their products, just as you say the same about Valair. From my experiences SBC would be extremely tough to beat in products, people, or warranty. Another company could possibly match them in those areas but to excel beyond SBC would be extremely difficult.

None of us said Valair was inferior. We did say that the likelihood of a SBC customer being pleased is very high.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[CrewCabDiesel]

I bought 3 clutches from SBC, 2 of them for the same truck. I got 110,000 miles out of it before I replaced it when I upgraded to a larger input shaft and rebuilt transmission(3rd gear fell apart:{ ). The clutch disk had only 30 thousands wear and I could have driven it another 40,000 miles!(its hanging on the wall of my garage for all to see) As for Peter, well its already been said, best there is PERIOD!

Kyle Hoover

Abbeville SC

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

South Bend's Feramic material is proprietary, meaning that other companies may offer something nominally similar, but not the same. South Bend's Feramic has an excellent coefficient of friction, fantastic wear prooperties on both it and on the surfaces it mates to (pressure plate and flywheel).

 

[rmcintosh]

With mass production whether it is edge, quad, sb or valair you are bound to have a lemon here and there. How they deal with those lemons is the difference. South Bends customer service is some of the best I've seen. They took care of me no questions asked. Mine wasn't a lemon but didn't live up to my expectations when shifting. If you would like more details pm me. I haven't tried a valair and probably won't unless they give me one for FREE. Good luck deciding

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

SeanM,

I am not sure one of your original q's was answered. As for the number of springs on the disk with Valair having more, you need to call Peter at SBC and ask why he builds it that way. If it is similar to my new style ofe clutch then I can tell you it is much stronger than the old style disks SBC used to buy from another manufacturer. What Peter found was the newer boxes make power down low in the rpm band and the hub could not handle it so they designed and now build their own disk which may be the difference in springs you are seeing. The center hub broke out of my original ofe because I had too much power for the heavy load and strong headwind I was driving into the day it broke. Peter sent me a complete new style clutch that had just come out. I did not ask for warranty because it was not the fault of the clutch but Peter offered fulled warranty.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[BDaugherty]

I haven't even heard of Valair, so I couldn't tell you anything about them. However, I have had my SB OFE for 7 months now. It's not as smooth as the stock when starting off, but I learned how to drive it... sort of. My understanding is that feathering the clutch on takeoff is just a tradeoff of any performance style clutch. What I can say is that my OFE holds where the stock slipped. I have since recommended SB to several friends and they are all happy with the finished product.

See my post in the 3rd gen forum for more reasons why I'm a loyal SBC customer.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...30-south-bend-clutch-vendors.html#post1986809

 

[SeanM]

thanks for your input I am defiantly going with SB

 

[johncameron]

You can't go wrong with SBC

 

[Bob Cochran]

I am lucky have not had to replace the clutch yet with 140,000 +. However reading all the post up to now leads me to believe I would go with SBC when the day comes.

 

[Kissfan113]

Peter and the SBC crew have their ducks in a row, excellent customer service, great clutches, and a good personality, everything I've ever dealt with them over has been handled quickly.

Kevin

 

[KWG]

my 2007 has a 500hp clutch from valair and we just put they same clutch in my brothers 2002 and we vave not had haven't even with his edge comp turned up or my smarty. call kevin with valair at 1-888-682-5247 or 1-940-327-0682