Clutch failure, Round 2

[Flannelman]

this is the second clutch to fail i have installed. has taken a while (70,000km) but they have failed due to the same thing.
In the center of the clutch disc (the one thats got the friction material on it) usually has springs around the center spline to take the initial bite and aid in smooth transition in gearchanges. those with puck clutches and solid centers have instant bite and can be quite jerky. (not the sole reason to why they are mind you)

to remidy the cause im looking at going to a solid center clutch disc.
before i do, id better ask if anyone elce has experinced the same failure?
if so how was it fixed?

[Flannelman]

idiot, forgot to say what happend!
one of the springs has gotten free and has jammed the clutch in pemenant engaugement.

is this common? or is it just my driving (read meat axe that just savages cars)...

[Bling]

if you give the car death often, 70,000km probably isn't too bad for its life

[rollaholic]

yeah, sprung centers tend to bit the dust pretty fast with savage launches etc.

are you using standard plates? if you are in auckland, ring up autoclutch - they have some great experience and advice freely given. they might have something for you... i've never driven a solid center clutched car, but have heard some fairly unflattering comments in regards to general street driving.

[Dell'Orto]

Probably not the best for a street driven 2WD car, but they're very good in 4WD's

[samlloyd]

Probably not the best for a street driven 2WD car, but they're very good in 4WD's

Were you talking about a sprung or solid?

[groupagt4]

if you go solid centre i reackon the next thing to break will be your gear box

[Dell'Orto]

Probably not the best for a street driven 2WD car, but they're very good in 4WD's

Were you talking about a sprung or solid?

Solid.

[RS13]

I've done this countless times, best effort was a brand new clutch lasting just under 2 weeks! Too many skids, hard launches, clutch dumps.. I would recommend changing your driving style, its' no fault of the clutch. You could uprate your clutch, but then you'd start blowing gearboxes or driveshafts instead.

[fxgt race]

My clutch did the same thing,it was a 4 puck with spring centre.All the rivets that hold the plate on that holds the spings in all loosened off and that plate broke in two places and got stuck in the pressure plate leavers.If ya can undersand that drible.That clutch only did 10 to 20,000 kms

[matt dunn]

Probably not the best for a street driven 2WD car, but they're very good in 4WD's

Were you talking about a sprung or solid?

Solid.

Not from my experience,

solid centre clutches in 4WD evo's cause driveline chatter under deceleration.

Did in mine and a few other I knew at the time that had done the same.

To the point where I had to remove it and replace it with a standard clutch because of the noise and I was trying to sell it.

My race car has a solid centre clutch and I wouldn't say that it is any more harsh than a sprung puk clutch.

[samlloyd]

(not the original thread starter)

I decided to go for an autoclutch 5puck sprung with matching 4000lbs pressure plate, and getting a custom flywheel from them aswell for the RB30det

[JasonZE]

I ran a sprung centre for 60,000km in my old levin gtz and took it out when i sold it the buttons are worn but the centre is mint and i drag raced a few times and generally drove it hard.
When we built the clutch we used the stock centre from the original clutch which had 40,000km on it but the stock gtz centre has rubber type dampers not steel springs which i have seen fail a few times on friends cars and some on standard clutches.

[Mr Revhead]

so, after 70k your clutchs die.....

i'v seen the way you drive that car.....

i'd be making sure you get the same brand clutch if its lasting that long!

[Heylin]

I managed to squeeze 218,000 kms out of my orginal factory clutch, mechanic reckoned it had another 8 months left to go.

It only started slipping in 1st and 2nd at 5000 rpm since my intercooler upgrade and bumping the boost up anothe couple of PSI.

Now thats a testament to Toyota quality (made by Daiken actually).

I dont thrash the car constantly but do like to accelerate fast and go for it on trips over the Kaimai's.