[jbsnake]

So the TOB is shot, and the tranny is comin out, so with 79K miles I'm definitely doing the clutch too.
I don't want to spend a whole lot, but I want something a little better than stock. What have you guys gone with, where did you get it, and how much?
THANKS!

 

[Mustang RacR94]

I run a SPEC Stage 2+ with no complaints, just use a factory TOB

 

[baine21225]

centerforce

 

[wraitherx]

+1 on spec and using factory TOB. you can get the FRPP one for about 35 on Mustang Parts, Chevy Truck Parts & Dodge Challenger Parts at Latemodel Restoration Supply

I would look into the vendors on here to see if they can do anything for you. Just PM them of give them a call and they will give you a code. Whatever you do dont give it out to anyone and dont ask other members for it. just ask the vendors and keep it to yourself.

 

[Lefty]

I'm going with a Factory 03/04 Cobra clutch.

 

[jbsnake]

I run a SPEC Stage 2+ with no complaints, just use a factory TOB

Why use the stock TOB instead of the one that comes with the kit? And I was lookin at the stage 1 for $100 cheaper, looks like it could still handle way more than my car puts out.
I know- what's a hundred bucks for some extra performance? but I'm on a really tight budget right now and have some other repairs to make this month..

 

[bitemark46]

I copied/pasted this from my reply to a guy who asked the same question on page 4.

"Every company are going to have good and bad stores about them. You shouldn't buy a clutch based on the company but rather on the type of clutch and its specs. A lot of them get their parts from the same manufactor. You need to find out why type of material the disk is made of and if its a sprung hub or non sprung hub and if you want a full face or puck style. Next you need to find out the clamping force of the PP. Typically all diaphram clutches have about the same unless you go with an adjustable one like a the ones mcleod offer. I always tell people this and give them a list of disk types to make the decision easier and help them avoid buying a clutch they don't like.

Disks

Organic- OEM material. Engages like a stocker. Many factory clutches come with this.
Kevlar- More agressive than stock. May have slight chatter. Will hold more than organic
Semi-metallic- More agressive than Kevlar. More resistant to heat. Higher chance of chatter.
Carbon- More aggressive than semi-metallic. Abrupt engagement. Will chatter if you try and slip it. Should hold a lot of power
Sintered Iron- Way more aggressive than carbon. As it heats up it grips harder. On/off type of engagement. Likes to eat flywheels. lol. Very rough of drivetrain. This is basically a race only disk.

So those are the basic material types of disks. Some companies now mix and match the flywheel side with say a kevlar disk and a organic material on the PP side. This thinking was to get an agressive hold on the FW side but smooth engagement on the PP side. I'm not a fan of this. As you increase your chances of the PP slipping on the disk.

Then you have the shape of the disk. They have 2 options. Full face and puck style. Full face allows a smoother engagement and disapates the heat over the whole face of the FW. A puck style is geared more towards racing. More of an abrupt engagement (more lbs per sq inch theory). With an agressive disk material a puck disk has been known to twist or snap input shafts on hard launches.

Also there are disk that come with a sprung hub (springs in the center of the disk) and a non sprung hub. Sprung hubs allow a smoother engagement of the clutch. Non sprung hubs are more for race type setups. Again not really fun on the street. Non sprung hubs are also more stressful on parts.

Pressure Plate
Lastly, you have the pp. There are basically 2 designs as well. Diaphram or individual arms (Borg&Beck or Long). Diagrams are typically used in street cars and the individual arms are used in race cars (oval track, drag, auto xing). The B&B or long are adjustable so the faster it spins the more clamping force it gives. The B&B/Long are also much more expensive than a diagphram clutch. I gotta hand it to McCleod. Their website is very detailed and explains the differences between pp and disks. Very informative site.

So there you have it. A crash course in clutches. I wont get into the twin disk clutches as many people don't want to fork over 1200$ for one or 2000$ for a softlok type clutch. I did my research on clutches after I my stocker went. What I have found out is that the harder you are on a clutch the shorter the life span (duh, obviously). But the ratings some companies state are not true. There is no one clutch you can put in and forget about it. They won't last as long as you want them to.

I'll give you a little history on my clutches that I've gone through.

Stocker - Lasted maybe 25k miles (no sticky tires though). very few track passes.
Centerforce DF- Lasted around 9k miles. Slipped on its maiden voyage on DR's
Spec stage 3- Lasted 10k miles and about 50 passes before I managed to end its life (another story...my fault)
Spec stage 3- Lasted about 5k miles and about 25 passes before it started to slip. At this point my input shaft was twisted causing the clutch to slip. Not really the clutch's fault. Too much abuse over time.
Spec stage 3+- Current clutch in the car. Only have about 800 miles on it. Feels good so far. Will be testing its limits this winter.

Hope this helps. Sorry for the long post."

 

[Cricket]

I run a SPEC Stage 2+ with no complaints, just use a factory TOB

+1