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Company History
Clutch Masters
Simply the Best
High Technology Makes the Difference
Historically, high performance clutches have been a compromise.
While improving holding or clamping pressure, manufacturers nearly
always increase pedal pressure to an uncomfortable point, especially
for stop-and-go traffic.
Besides drivability concerns, additional pedal pressure can
adversely affect stock clutch linkage and cause premature thrust
bearing wear, leading to missed shifts, damaged clutch components and
even engine destruction.
Today, thanks to Clutch Masters, increased holding pressure does not
necessarily mean increased pedal pressure and the problems that can
accompany it. By re-engineering the leverage or fulcrum point on the
pressure plate through their Hi-Leveragetm ttechnique, Clutch Masters has
increased clamping power, often without changing pedal pressure.
Excessively increased pedal pressure, as found in many of today's
traditional high performance clutches, places an unsafe amount of
pressure on the delicate crankshaft thrust bearing found in most of
today's sport compact automobiles. Placing undue stress on the thrust
bearing typically causes the bearing to wear prematurely or fail
altogether. This failure can lead to catastrophic internal engine
damage.
A clutch, simply put, is a friction device that disengages and
engages the engine from the transmission to allow for transition from
motionless to movement and for gear changes. For street applications a
smooth transition of power is essential while still being able to
transfer all the power of the engine to the transmission. As power
output of engines increase and demands on clutches become greater - for
example high performance street or racing cars - the holding and
clamping capacity of a clutch also must increase. This is where Clutch
Masters' innovative engineering comes into play.
Clamping Force vs. Pedal Pressure
Designing heavy duty and high performance clutches with a very high
clamp load and incredible coefficient of friction is a fairly simple
engineering task. To do so without increasing pedal pressure has not
been so easy. Even the education process of changing opinions that an
increase in pedal pressure must accompany a high performance clutch
with increased clamping force has been difficult.
Clutch Masters, after 28 years as a premier manufacturer of fine
quality clutches, has taken this experience and a clean sheet of paper
to re-engineer their line of performance clutches to address these
problems. The proof of this success is now available from Clutch
Masters as a complete line of clutch systems for high performance
street and racing use. It is the first major breakthrough in
performance clutches in over two decades.
Following are ways of increasing clamp load. The methods vary in sophistication and effectiveness:
Heat Treating
The diaphragm, or spring, is heat treated to increase spring tension
for 10-40% more clamping force. This typically makes the diaphragm more
brittle and more subject to premature failure. Many high performance
clutch manufacturers use this procedure. Clutch Masters has perfected a
more precise method of heat-treating its diaphragms to maintain
consistent clamping force without compromising structural integrity.
Double Diaphragm.
The double diaphragm is a method of increasing clamping force by
stacking two diaphragms on top of each other. This will typically
achieve the desired clamping force but will also increase the pedal
pressure to a very high rate. For FX 500 and Multiple Disc set-ups,
Clutch Masters uses two separate heat treating processes - one for each
diaphragm - to ensure perfect compatibility between the two diaphragms.
Additionally, there is a special friction-reducing material between the
diaphragms to provide optimum clamping force while maintaining an ultra
smooth operation.
Thicker Diaphragm
A thicker (than stock) diaphragm allows extra clamping force but is
considered to be an on or off style clutch. Smooth engagement is
severely compromised with the thick diaphragm due to the reduced
elasticity of the thicker material. Clutch Masters does not use this
technique.
Hi-Leveragetm Pressure Plate
By re-engineering the pressure plate leverage ring (moving it closer to
the pivot point), Clutch Masters solves the clamping vs. pedal pressure
problem in a unique way. By moving the pressure ring, Clutch Masters
Hi-Leveragetm Pressure Plates take mechanical advantage of the leverage
principle. By moving the leverage ring closer to the pivot point, the
pressure applied to the plate is increased significantly without
unnecessarily increasing pedal pressure, as is typically the case in
other clutches. This Hi-Leveragetm feature is unique to the
high-performance clutch industry.
****By combining these various methods of increasing clamping
pressure with their re-engineered discs, Clutch Masters has developed a
unique way of substantially increasing clutch performance without any
of the negative side affects usually found in the typical high
performance clutch.****
The Difference:
Clutch Masters clutches are true High Performance Clutch Systems and
are technologically superior to anything currently on the market
To develop a clutch with all the desired performance characteristics
for intended applications is the challenge of a high performance clutch
company. The Clutch Masters clutch system is unique in the industry. We
use Hi-Leveragetm technology (refer to the Pressure Plate section) in
our pressure plates, which significantly increases clamping force with
no unnecessary increase in pedal pressure. Discs are designed either
with reduced Marcel or a solid hub design to take advantage of our
Hi-Leveragetm pressure plate. The combination of these cutting edge
technologies creates the finest clutch system on the market.
Additionally, Clutch Masters, with over 28 years in the industry,
has researched hundreds of friction materials and uses only the best
materials available for each intended application. By combining the
optimum clamping force with the finest friction materials - each with
their own unique coefficient of friction - Clutch Masters has developed
a line of clutches that provide ultimate performance in virtually any
severe environment.
Specific Purposes
All Clutch Masters clutches are specifically designed for varying
stages of high performance and/or racing uses. From the street
performance enthusiast who requires more grab than a stock unit while
retaining everyday drivability, to the racer who needs a clutch to
survive under the grueling conditions of competition, Clutch Masters
offers complete clutch systems.
When the Class 30 Grey Iron material of a typical pressure plate is
not suitable, Clutch Masters uses doubly strong Ductile Iron, which is
the case with most CM clutches.
The friction material found on all OE discs and many high
performance discs is simply riveted to the disc center section. Under
severe use and/or high RPM applications, the disc material can fragment
and break apart, becoming dislodged from the disc center section. Once
this occurs, the clutch has failed completely and is rendered
inoperable. Clutch Masters has solved this common problem on their
street and street/strip discs by bonding a special steel backing plate
(see disc technology and figure X) to the friction material. This
unique feature provides significantly increased heat dissipation
properties - heat is the #1 enemy of the clutch - and very high
structural integrity to keep the disc intact under severe applications.
Racing Only discs use solid center sections to give all the
reliability and performance they need on the track. Warning: These
solid hub discs are not meant for street applications as they transfer
very high shock loads to the transmission, causing premature
transmission failure, and will chatter upon starting from a stop.
The Weakest Link
In the battle of Man vs. Machine, whenever possible, engineers build
into any given mechanical system a point of failure, or weak point,
which is designed to wear or fail, therefore preventing damaging major
components or even catastrophic failure of the entire system.
In the battle of Engine vs. Transmission, the clutch is designed to
be that weak link. It is ultimately less expensive to replace a clutch
than an engine or transmission. The challenge in building a high
performance clutch is to build the unit for different intended heavy
duty or severe applications which will hold the power; not break the
transmission or internal engine components and retain an overall smooth
operation of the entire system (whenever possible). This is the
balancing act that Clutch Masters has perfected.
CLUTCH MASTERS PRESSURE PLATE DESCRIPTIONS
Features of the Clutch Masters Pressure Plates
Power Plus Itm pressure plates
Hi-Leverage pressure plate design
- Precision Heat Treated single diaphragm*
- Re-arched diaphragm for superior disengagement*
- Ductile Iron pressure plate*
- Heavy-duty straps
- Very high clamping force
- No unnecessary increase in pedal pressure
Power Plus IItm pressure plates
Hi-Leverage plate design
- Precision Heat-Treated multiple diaphragms
- Special friction-reducing material between the diaphragms to eliminate diaphragm binding
- Made from Ductile Iron when called for
Heavy-duty straps
- Exceptionally high clamping force
- Heavy pedal pressure
*Not available for a limited number of applications.
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