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Time for a new clutch, any recommendations?

dla4567

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I am going to replace the stock flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. 1970 Super Bee, 11” clutch and bellhousing, 18 spline, 500 HP, 3:55 gears. Looking for recommendations, all street use with street tires, but it will be beaten and abused regularly.
 
I use the centerforce Dual friction in my cars. The Charger is pushing 575HP roughly and doesn't slip one bit, and that is on a 10.5" clutch. Have it in my power wagon and Runner as well and all of them are fine. I would buy one again. Only modification is removing the over center spring because it is a diaphragm style clutch, but that was it and pretty easy to do. And trust me I don't drive my cars softly. I also run them all quite a bit so they don't just sit and look pretty. I do about 2000mi/yr each on all them.
 
Agree centerforce is way to go used many times no prob. Also expect a smoother shift and can bang it with no gear snick
 
X4.
Consider a hydraulic bearing.
I don't have one, yet, but will eventually.
 
I really like the CenterForce DF 10.5" in my Duster. So when I needed one for my 18 spline 11" that was in my Charger I went with the CenterForce again. Hated it. It was so abrupt when engaging that my wife couldn't even drive the car. I ended up pulling it out and sending back to the factory. They checked it out and said everything was normal, but gave me a different clutch disc which they said should help the problem. It didn't. I ended up selling the car, but would have thrown that clutch away if I had kept it. On my current Bee project with a 18 spline, both Brewers and Passon recommended a McLeod twin disc set up. So that's what I bought, but won't know what it is like till next summer.....
 
I went with the Mcleod RST twin disc.
it works well enough,overcenter spring removed, but when I swapped my trans, after one year it is probably 40% used up, and there was a heat check on the inner pressure plate surface. I called tech and they said the RST is not suitable for racing. I asked how is it rated for 800 HP and not rated for racing, he said it is just too soft.
 
I went with the Mcleod RST twin disc.
it works well enough,overcenter spring removed, but when I swapped my trans, after one year it is probably 40% used up, and there was a heat check on the inner pressure plate surface. I called tech and they said the RST is not suitable for racing. I asked how is it rated for 800 HP and not rated for racing, he said it is just too soft.
So they get over $700. for the clutch and pp, but they are short lived? I hope mine lasts longer than yours.
 
So they get over $700. for the clutch and pp, but they are short lived? I hope mine lasts longer than yours.
Yea but for the sake of fairness, my car was at 4200 lbs race weight with 3.54 gears. It hasn't had an easy life.

It doesnt slip at all, the heat check is what was most bothersome.
The mark is like a melted spot on the small pressure plate, tried to turn in with brake lathe, but it was too hard.
 
I've read that dual friction clutches are grabbing on the street comments?

I have a McLeod street pro with dual friction after McLeod talked me into it on my 66 427 Vette. I had a street pro with organic disc before. This is not a 50 year old worn out car - every component in it right down to even the clutch pedal in the pedal box has been replaced. In general driving it seems OK - smooth. At a green light, raise the engine speed a bit, ease the clutch out steady and reasonably quick and it moves away smoothly without a hiccup. But I've noticed when I'm maneuvering the car such as parking, pulling in the garage and feather the clutch with minimal throttle that drags down the engine, I get a strange irregular engagement feel like its lightly slipping/grabbing repeatedly but not typical clutch chatter or shudder. Kind of a strange, hard to describe sensation. Now it could just be the big cam in the motor or something like that but I don't remember it with the organic disc. My impression was McLeod was really pushing the dual friction discs. But my old organic disc held up just fine and was smooth, hooked up fine. If I have reason to do another replacement in the future I will probably go back to straight organic but it's not anywhere near enough of an issue to cause me to do so now. My experience and perceptions may be an outlier.

FWIW - I use Mcleod clutches.
 
My Centerforce dual friction is the best street/strip clutch I've ever used. 100 drag strip passes with slicks, 10,000 miles of street use. It has never chattered or slipped. Car is a mid 12 second Challenger.
Doug
 
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