4 years ago I bought a Carbonetic twin disc clutch for my car when I built my motor. It's on it's 4th season now and has started slipping intermittently when shifting into 4th or 5th gear @ WOT. It will slip on one pull and then magically hold perfectly on the next pull. Or sometimes the other way around. I've tried getting a good amount of heat into it to get it to hold and that doesn't seem to help.

This has been a great street clutch as it has a decently smooth engagement makes the shifts buttery smooth. It has not been a great drag strip clutch since it has such a quick engagement which makes it very hard to launch.

Right now it looks like I'll be going a different route this winter and I haven't really paid attention to the clutch options since the last time I bought one was early 2007.

What clutches are FI guys with 500-600whp running these days? I'm really need a streetable clutch since this car spends most of it's life on the street, and sometimes in traffic. I'd like to avoid spending $2K+ on a clutch again though.

Any ideas?

 

good luck on cheap. its still the same players
OS triple, Carbonetics triple, ATS triple.

Tom runs a southbend (or clutch masters) thats a 6 puck (yuck) but its cheap.

I've had good luck with my Spec Twin Disc after i replaced my slave cylinder, but they arent highly regarded on here

 

Bri,
Like Rich said I run the Southbend Stage 5 extreeme clutch (whatever all that means right)....

Its a 6puck, single disc, rated to 850tq. It doesn't feel like a 6puck at all (thank you hydraulic clutch systems).....
And its nice and cheap compared to the multi-disk setups.

Since we're near each other, lets meet up and you can take it for a spin....

Tom

 

ooooooh, whats hydraulic clutch systems?

 

Ya know these new-fangled master-cylinder, slave-cylinder with fluid setups!!!!

Pretty smooth engagement. I was surprised, and its not a heavy clutch at all.

Tom

 

Sounds like a plan. What flywheel are you running with that? If I go a different route, I'll have to replace the flywheel too since it's integrated into the Carbonetics twin setup.

 

I also used the Southbend Stage 5 but I'm using a full disc clutch (Ferramic material) with a ACT Streetlite Flywheel

 

the fact that it engages quickly is what makes it a good drag clutch - the car just needs the traction and the driver to make it all happen (easier said than done on a Z). That being said, they really are not well suited for the street IMHO because they get so grabby when stuck in traffic. Something with an organic/metal mix disk would be much more consistant for street use.

 

I am running Southbend's billet flywheel. Some other folks are running the JWT flywheel as well without issue.

I was worried about the same thing. But it isn't the case at all. Clutch was actually grabby'er (is that a word), when I was running the full face version. This disc is a semi-ceramic I guess, not the feramic...but it has the same PP as the feramic.

Maybe Dave or someone can chime in with the exact materials.

Tom

 

Not when it grabs so quick that it makes my car bog when I launch @ 6000rpms. I have plenty of traction (28in M/T DRs), and I pulled better 60's (high 1.5s) with my JWT clutch on my stock motor than I can with a lot more power and the Carbonetic clutch (best 60' with current setup in sig).

The solution would be a two-step, which I am in the process of installing soon, but as far as it sits right now, it's a total biotch to launch.

 

Thom they list the Stage 5 as FE series which stands for Ferramic whether it's full face or 6 puck

http://www.conceptzperformance.com/c...2205.145.16.20

When I ordered my clutch I spoke with them (Southbend) about the material and my flywheel selection. The person I spoke to also said he had a APS TT 350Z.

 

actually according to the supra guys, you could also be bogging bc your tire is too big. dont read about it much on here, but the supra forums has lots of threads about tires too tall. supra guys wont even touch a 28" tire unless they are 700++whp. Sorta makes sense bc you dont have enough torque to turn that tall tire off the line, hence the bog.

 

At the risk of being critical (I'm not), you're the one bogging the car, not the clutch. You're reacting much too slow to the clutch engaging, and with that much torque on hand, the rear suspension leaves alot to be desired IMHO

and what Tom said about the tire I think has alot of merit - a 28 inch tire on a car of that weight is way overkill IMHO

 

I bogged with my 26" M/T ET street too, and that was the same tire that I could come out of the hole really hard on with my JWT clutch (with it slipping a little). It's not the tire. When I launch, I hold the car @ 6000rpms and floor the gas a split second before I let out the clutch. The clutch grabs instantly and completely and pulls the revs down to about 2000rpms before the car really has a chance to get moving. The only possible solution to this that I can see is a two step which would allow me to build boost at the line to possibly overpower the grabbiness of the clutch.

Guys, I know you're just trying to help, but I've been drag racing for a long time and I think my times speak for themselves. I know how to launch this car. Hell, I've pulled 1.5s with it on a different clutch.

 

That looks perfect. If I like Tom's clutch, I'll definitely be going with one of those. With that and a flywheel I'll spend less than half of what I would on another multi-disc clutch.

 

WTF @ Z1 and str8dum....Brian is one of the best drag racers on these forums. What are your best 60ft and 1/4 times in your 350Z's, and with how much power?

Who cares if Supra guys dont use 28" tires until 700whp? The traction difference between a 26, 27, 28" is not HUGE, people adjust more for gearing purposes if the widths are all the same.

I dont have as much drag experience on my carbon clutch as Brian, but I understand his point about the clutches being finicky on the launch (certainly more than typical materials), as I have also experienced. Although on my 3rd launch ever on the triple I nailed a 1.67 Doable, but tougher no doubt.

 

yawn Alberto. Noone questioned Bri's drag skills so you can get off his dick.

I've gone 1.69 with a 3000rpm launch with my supercharger. So its nothing special.

Plus tire height has to do with trq multiplication not traction. He obviously doesn't have enough trq at his launch to keep from bogging (which is why he is sugggesting going to a 2-step)

 

yawn at a guy bringing Supra "info" over to these boards and speaking from his drag experience as shown from the VQ drag list....another day on the Z forums.

 

I think most of your 60 foots are dependent on flywheel/clutch weight. With the twin you have lost all you momentum off the line and probably why it is bogging down.
Let me know if I can help in your clutch selection, There are plenty of options with the DXD kits.

 

Does anyone ever run with a stock flywheel with a 6-puck or other single disk? I feel like my 13 lb flywheel is robbing a$$loads of TQ off the line.