The anatomy of a car is curated delicately, and it needs to be handled with care if you want the vehicle to last.
Imagine you buy a car once, and after that, it’s a smooth ride. Now come back to the land of the living.
Certain parts of your car would inevitably wear down over time. However, the speed of deterioration may depend on many factors such as usage, maintenance, any accidents, etc.
All the intricate details can be daunting for someone new to this world. So, keep reading this article to simplify it a bit.
What is a clutch kit?
A clutch kit is a group of manual parts. You can either purchase it as a set or have different parts individually. You have to keep in mind that not every part wears down at the same rate; however, you must change them together.
A kit includes several parts:
- A pressure plate
- Clutch disc
- A release bearing
- Pilot bearing
- Some alignment tools
The main goal of the kit is to equip you with all the necessary tools to repair a faulty clutch. You can replace all the parts together, as it could be difficult to put them in the first place. Along with that, you also save a ton of money by doing the same.
Choose your kit depending on the stage
Choosing a kit can be way more complex than what it seems on the surface. You first need to begin making a list of your needs and what suits your car the best. If you know the model of your vehicle, the amount of power used and the usage.
Then there is a slight possibility that you can save yourself from getting scammed out of your hard-earned money by the seller.
Now, some people deal with clutch replacement based on stages:
● Stage 1
You can consider this stage if your car is somewhere around 50whp overstock. It simply translates to a rise in the torque up to 25-50%. This comes with organic discs that can give you the feel of a stock pedal. The presence of fiberglass in the organic disc gives you higher mileage.
● Stage 2
The clamp load on the pressure plate remains more or less the same throughout the stages. So what sets it apart from the first stage? It’s the type of disc that makes all the difference. In this stage, people usually use a carbon-kevlar disc, which is considered an upgraded version. It gives 50-75% increased torque and is more durable than others.
● Stage 3
The discs used in this stage are made of kevlar. This material can give you 75-125% torque compared to carbon-kevlar. It can be installed into supercharged whips that go to 350whp. However, it needs a particular break-in time to make the best out of its potential.
● Stage 4
The top shelf stuff includes stages four and five. The stage four setup is all about 6-punk cerametallic sprung/unsprung discs. At the same time, 4-punk cerametallic unsprung/sprung discs can be found in the fifth stage. Only go for it with the turbocharged cars that give the horsepower of 400-500whp. It provides sharper engagement. However, if it’s slipped too often, it will damage the pressure plate faster than usual.
● Flywheels
The basic version of flywheels is generally heavy because that’s how they were intended to be. This was done for an easy and consistent driving feel. You can increase the performance of your whip by adding a light rotating mass. You can choose between lightweight and ultra-lightweight flywheels. However, it can be problematic in the slow and moving traffic. The lightness of the flywheel can also cause clutch chatter in your car.
● Twin and triple-disc clutch
These are specifically made for cars with high horsepower engines. The racetrack cars require something to hold them down so that they can keep the power grounded. They have their personalized flywheels, too, as the pressure plate design changes. The cerametallic discs are employed for the same. This type of clutch setup is generally not recommended for daily use cars.
Choose your kit depending on the usage
Another way to select the right kit for you depends on how you plan to use the given vehicle, as you can’t simply put any kind of clutch in any car. The car needs to be able to adapt to the new inputs to give the best output. You can only upgrade your car to a certain limit. Going beyond that could prove fatal for the vehicle.
It can be determined in the following ways:
● Personal use
If the car is being used for daily purposes or long travels, you might want to consider the most basic version as it would not be too overwhelming for your car or your pockets. Don’t forget to ask for a warranty or something. Use cheaper kits if you’re planning to sell the car.
● Work-related
The point of focus would be trucks used to carry more weight than the designated amount. Then you would require something with long-life friction material. You can go for stage two or three for the basic model. If you have modifications to your engine, you can go up to stage four or five. It generally depends on the intensity of the modifications.
● Street performance
Cars under these categories can be highly modified. From modifying the chips to adding a nitrous system, anything can be done to push the limits of your vehicle. The direction for choosing the clutch kit would be the same as that for the trucks. Mentioned above. However, you’re better off with the stock version flywheel.
● Race track
Before stepping into racing, gain knowledge about your car. Deal only with people you can trust. As winning is the final goal, you might have to spend a hefty amount on your vehicle to get it in proper shape. This has to be done after every race. So, make sure that you use the best products for your car.
