Performance Clutches

The world of performance clutches is a tricky one. This is one area of upgrading where the buyer must use extreme caution when approaching. Most "manufacturers" of high performance clutches are actually remanufactured. This means they purchase stock clutches from major manufactures, replace a few parts, and then paint the remanufactured item a whimsical color to hide the original manufactures logo. The result is temporary improvement that can quickly decline as the clutch ages.

Buyer Beware

When you install a new clutch, the torque capacity and clamp load will gradually increase. That is, until the clutch reaches mid-life, at which time capacity and load will begin to decrease until the clutch wears out and has to be replaced. Most remanufacturers will produce new clutch disks that provide the minimum, not the maximum torque requirements. After the remanufactured clutch is painted, the producer will then charge three to four times the price of a regular clutch. This deceitful practice will lead to the consumer replacing clutches unnecessarily, which can become very expensive.

Modifying a quality clutch to achieve a higher torque capacity will drastically shorten the life of the clutch. The remanufacturer may replace the disk, make two disks out of one, may replace the hub, or work the pressure plate; but the result is inevitably a remanufactured clutch achieving torque capacities it wasn't designed for. This will definitely shorten the lifespan of any quality clutch.

As far as my research has shown, the only actual manufacturer of original high performance clutches is Exedy. This makes Exedy, in essence, the only choice for the enthusiast who doesn't wish to replace poor quality remanufactured clutches again and again. Taking the time to check out Exedy clutches will save the enthusiast a lot of heartache and money.