Does A Heavy Duty Cltuch = Heavier Clutch Pedal?

[r32woohoo]

Hi all, just got a new clutch put in.

Its supposed to be a heavy duty kit so i guess that would mean a higher clamp load

But the pedal is lighter then it was with the stock clutch

So now i'm confused because i'm under the impression that heavier clamp means heavier pedal

I have a suspicion that im wrong so can anyone confirm that i am?

[r32woohoo]

just after a quick answer

anyone?

[Scottydoo]

No a heavy duty clutch just means there's more 'meat' to wear off. You pressure plate is what changes the clamping power of the clutch and therefore pressure of the pedal. The pedal will still feel the same

Correct me if i'm wrong anyone

[r32woohoo]

right....so i've effectively gone backwards?

i was looking for a clutch to hold more power but all i've done is get one that will last a bit longer

[Al]

No a heavy duty clutch just means there's more 'meat' to wear off. You pressure plate is what changes the clamping power of the clutch and therefore pressure of the pedal. The pedal will still feel the same

Correct me if i'm wrong anyone

100% wrong mate.

A heavy duty clutch can mean various things

- more aggressive clutch material

- high clamp load

- etc

But due to new technologies, H/D clutches no longer mean heavy clutch pedal. If fact you have to specially order a clutch if you want that heavy clutch pedal feeling, from most good brands anyway.

Is the clutch more "bitey" than the std clutch you had?

Are you able to "ride" it as much?

[Scottydoo]

100% wrong mate.

A heavy duty clutch can mean various things

- more aggressive clutch material

- high clamp load

- etc

But due to new technologies, H/D clutches no longer mean heavy clutch pedal. If fact you have to specially order a clutch if you want that heavy clutch pedal feeling, from most good brands anyway.

Is the clutch more "bitey" than the std clutch you had?

Are you able to "ride" it as much?

Ok sweet thanks for the info, I've never looked it up or had it explained to me. That was just my understanding and was obviously wrong. Was just going off my experience, in my old rx7 i put a heavy duty clutch in cause my stocker was slipping but the new one felt exactly the same and still slipped anyway....brass button after that!...even that was pretty light under foot, but never, ever slipped

[Gtrgodzilla67]

100% wrong mate.

A heavy duty clutch can mean various things

- more aggressive clutch material

- high clamp load

- etc

But due to new technologies, H/D clutches no longer mean heavy clutch pedal. If fact you have to specially order a clutch if you want that heavy clutch pedal feeling, from most good brands anyway.

Is the clutch more "bitey" than the std clutch you had?

Are you able to "ride" it as much?

good call but i got some to add

Also the pivot points on the fingers of the pressure plate can also make it lighter . well actually this infact sets how heavy the clutch will be. less pivot on the fingers (pivot ring toward inner on pressure plate fingers will make it heavy,) a heavy duty clutch will have more clamping force but your thrust bearing might have been low on grease etc adding to the heavy clutch,

i have a heavy duty clutch holdin 340 rwkw and its as light as a feather but in saying that i had it alterd, and i added a bigger slave,

cheers.

[r32woohoo]

100% wrong mate.

A heavy duty clutch can mean various things

- more aggressive clutch material

- high clamp load

- etc

But due to new technologies, H/D clutches no longer mean heavy clutch pedal. If fact you have to specially order a clutch if you want that heavy clutch pedal feeling, from most good brands anyway.

Is the clutch more "bitey" than the std clutch you had?

Are you able to "ride" it as much?

The new clutch definitely has more bite in it, but my old one was down to nearly bare metal so yeh.

I can ride it just like the std one i suppose, haven't really tried coz i'm still wearing it in

The take up is closer to the floor now and its alot easier to take off since i got a lightweight flywheel put in as well

Basically let the clutch out and throttle at the same time and off you go

I guess i won't know if it will hold the power until i give it a bit of abuse, i'm just trying to get my head around the softer pedal

[dori34]

it depends on your clamp load on the pressure plate..

my HD feels so much light to another HD in another car..

so yeh

[Al]

good call but i got some to add

Also the pivot points on the fingers of the pressure plate can also make it lighter . well actually this infact sets how heavy the clutch will be. less pivot on the fingers (pivot ring toward inner on pressure plate fingers will make it heavy,) a heavy duty clutch will have more clamping force but your thrust bearing might have been low on grease etc adding to the heavy clutch,

i have a heavy duty clutch holdin 340 rwkw and its as light as a feather but in saying that i had it alterd, and i added a bigger slave,

cheers.

GREAT POINT!! Spot on.

Not sure how i forgot that.

I had a twin plate Exedy clutch, that had a very light pedal feel but was way too bitey and overkill for my stockish set-up. After a year or so i got fed up with all the stalling and sold it to a mate that was making more power, at the time. When installed in my car, my mechanic fitted a smaller "pivot ring" to match the clutch. When i sold the clutch to my mate, i did not know this or had the pivot ring and he just fitted the std size ring, this made the clutch pedal at least 2.5 heavier. Luckily for me a friend drove my car with the same clutch and then drove his and commented how damn heavy the clutch felt in his car.

A smaller pivot ring pushes the pressure plate fingers closer towards the middle, closer to the edge of the fingers.

[r32woohoo]

Well thats good to know for next time I change the clutch.

I don't think my mechanic would have changed something like that without mentioning it to me so I guess it has no bearing on my situation

So all i can really do is give it some grief and see if it holds?

[Al]

it depends on your clamp load on the pressure plate..

my HD feels so much light to another HD in another car..

so yeh

But clamp load only effects pedal feel slightly, the pivot point is really the main factor. But there has also been great developments in making heavy duty clutches have a lighter pedal feel, yet have a larger clamp load.

PS: A lighter flywheel actually makes it harder to take off. After my Excedy twin i purchased an Xtreme single H/D and a light weight flywheel, another mate also bought the same clutch after driving mine, but kept the std flywheel; his was easier to drive.

My Xtreme H/D held 275rwkw without slip; after 1.5yrs use (weekend car), 1 drag day (6,300rpm launches on drag slicks), a few motorkhanas, dyno days and club cruises it only wore 0.4mm from new (7.8mm). I have only recently upgraded to a Nismo twin plate as i have just built a well spec'ed rb30det and plan to do alot more motorsport. The Nismo Super Coppermix is an awesome clutch, the most comfortable one i have driven to date and is the most strongest (HP rating) one i have owned.

[r32woohoo]

I know in theory a lightweight flywheel is supposed to make it harder to take off but for some reason mine is just as easy to take off with, if not easier then with the standard gear.

I never felt the flywheel before it was put in though so it might not be a super light one

Edited June 10, 2008 by r32woohoo