Unique cars don’t always come from the high-end automobile plants in countries like Germany, the U.S.A., Japan, or China. They’re often skillfully assembled by enthusiastic automotive engineers in downcast mechanic shops tucked away from the city’s limelight. This is where existing models are tweaked for improved performance, artistic paint jobs, intriguing auto bodywork, and other additions not common with mainstream brands.
One way to improve the performance of such custom cars is by installing new clutch kits. The clutch is the system by which the engine gets engaged so that the car drives. In essence, it facilitates power transmission from the engine to the wheels, in combination with the gearbox, driveshafts, and axles.
For this reason, you’d want to know the factors to consider when choosing clutch kits for custom cars, so you don’t compromise on performance. This guide presents five critical considerations:
- Your car’s use
A car used for daily commute to and from the workplace doesn’t need to be as high-performing as the one used for races. Accordingly, your intended use for the custom car determines the design and type of clutch kits you need to install.
Here’s a brief breakdown of clutch kit requirements for different vehicle uses:
- Daily commute to and from the workplace: Your main concerns are the ease of use and maintenance costs for such custom cars. Thus, you aren’t looking for advanced performance modifications. In this sense, you’d want to go for decent but budget-friendly clutch discs, perhaps the single plate clutches. These should be sufficient for your driving needs, bearing in mind that you won’t engage in vigorous stunts.
- Commercial use: If you intend to use your pickup truck to carry loads beyond the design specifications, you’d want to increase the vehicle’s original horsepower and torque ratings. To make this possible, you’ll also need to upgrade your clutch kit with long-life friction materials. You can choose one with higher clamp loads and heavy-duty ceramic buttons, which offer more friction than metallic ones.
- Racing car: Racing cars must be able to travel at the fastest speed possible while maintaining the driver’s safety. In other words, you need to accelerate to a maximum speed as quickly as possible and also slow down quickly when approaching bends or when grinding to a halt. For these reasons, you need multi-disc clutch kits with high torque capacity, extremely low inertia, high heat dissipation capacity, and smooth engagement capabilities.
- Full versus puck-style discs
Some clutch discs are circular, while others are somewhat star-shaped. Each of these two designs has its own pros and cons.
Puck-style discs produce greater torque than full clutch discs. So, they’re appropriate for race cars, which usually require instant clutch engagement. They also have a smaller surface area than the full discs. This implies that they can dissipate heat more efficiently. But on the contrary, their small surface area makes them heat up faster. This can result in quicker wearing out.
The full-face design is usually budget-friendlier, which makes it the perfect go-to option for everyday street use. It’s smooth to operate and undergoes normal wear and tear. Though it has less torque than the puck-style varieties, it suffices for everyday use custom cars.
- Single versus multi discs
Multi-disc clutches have more than one plate in the assembly, meaning they have a bigger surface area. Consequently, they can handle more torque through the significantly higher friction capability. This makes them an excellent choice for custom racing cars and vehicles modified to pull more weight. But take note that they’re noisier than single disc clutches because they have more moving parts.
Even so, single disc clutches are still usable for ordinary custom vehicles, say, those used for light trips around the neighborhood.
- Disc materials
The material used on the clutch plates determines the amount of friction produced and the wearing characteristics. The most popular clutch in the market today is the organic one. These are typically made of steel and woven fibers. They engage smoothly and are considerably durable.
A more high-end variety is the ceramic clutch. It’s exceptionally durable, produces more torque than the organic counterpart, and enables instantaneous engagement. You’d go for this if you want a high-performance custom car.
Conclusion
Not all clutch kits are made the same. So, you must know the exact features you’re after when shopping for clutch kits for your custom cars. While the science behind clutches is sophisticated, the discussion above is insightful enough to help you choose the best one for your vehicle.
When shopping, make sure to base your purchase decision on quality rather than price. A high-quality clutch can last you a lifetime without any need to replace them.
