Sssooo here I am with a dilemma.

Bought my car new. Two years later and after 8k miles on GMS1, my clutch is slipping worse and worse every week under load. The car will barely break the tires loose in 2nd gear. Not enough to kick in the traction control like it used to. Since I've driven cars with a manual trans (Cobalts at that) every day since 2005... I doubt its my doing.

On to the point! I'm researching replacement clutches as they're obviously not covered by warranty at all. I'd like to steer away from SPEC considering the reviews and KY clutch seems excessive.

I'd like to stick to an organic or kevlar clutch as anything more would be overkill for my needs. My drives usually consist of short trips, in city with quick runs up to highway speeds and highway cruising. I don't plan on doing much past GM Stage 1... maybe a couple bolt-ons. Upper CP, DP, and intercooler will probably be the limit.

Soooo... I've kind of zeroed in on Clutch Master's stage 3... I'd go for the organic if I didn't think I'd melt it down in short order....

Thoughts and input would be much appriciated.

 

What do you mean ky seems excessive? I test these clutches and also prices are great. And also include a warranty. I've yet to blow any ky clutches up. I've blown several specs and clutchmaster.

 

Why would you not want to go above and beyond your power rating? That way you will never wreck it

 

^^ This. It's always a better policy to go a bit on the overkill side rather than having a clutch that is barely adequate to your power level needs. This way you know for sure you have some wiggle room with possible future mods without having to worry about getting another clutch.

 

You're a technician, Mala. Why are you asking this? Put a new stocker in and be done. You can probably work out some kind of warranty deal at 15K. You got the hook up.

 

How do you people wreck clutches. I'm at 50,500 miles and been tuned since 16,000 and my car has been raced like crazy on track and street and stock clutch has zero slippage

 

I drive perfect, and my car had no problems till it was tuned, and after 300 miles of having a tune, the clutch just went down, so it just happens....

 

It happens because driver error meaning romping on it at low rpms or a to quick boost ramp

 

I'm over 34,000 with aggressive tunes and boltons and clutch is still fine. Idk what I'm doing so right. James you right. I learned quick don't hit the gas below 3k hard and all that good stuff while I was stock.

 

The stock clutch is perfect if you're just road racing and NLS from 3 to 4 to 5. Mine had no issues doing that. I put hundreds of NLS on it (I get about 100 NLS a day on track). However, one little drag race against a turbo Miata, and it's been slipping ever since. No change in tune, just glazed it a little.

 

^^THIS^^ I hate when people say: "I have a Gazillion miles on my car and my clutch still holds fine". Dude, Good for you, Every car is different and driven differently, My clutch was fine(Stock) then I modded my SS Moderatley and it went down hill from there, It just happens like he said.

 

Actually I can't get it warrantied or I wouldn't be asking this question in the first place. The fact that a technician can't get a clutch warrantied at a dealership he works for should say something about how tough warranting anything wear related actually is. They also won't do anything for my horrific brake squeal that's been happening since month one.

I say the KY clutch is overkill because I'm not going to be modding much, if at all past what I currently have. That and I think a puck style ceramic clutch may be too harsh for my tastes. That and diouble the clamping force with better materials should be more than enough to hold GMS1.

Another thing that probably isn't helping is my low ass elevation of 1,000 ft. The tune basically uncorks the LNF so an LNF at sea level will make more power vs one at 10k feet. That and I compared the pedal feel to an '09 SS I worked on... that one was MUCH stiffer... so my car was probably abused during the dealertrade and test driving.

 

It's not over kill, a tuned lnf will make more Tq then the stockers.can handle.. (in time) so if you replace the clutch with a rated tq of say 350 and u have 350 that clutch will fail soon since you have breached the limits.

 

Replace with the stock one and modify your driving style.

 

Ding Ding!

Plus why not, We offer a great price on the KY kits, and they will hold the power you throw at it, stock or not...

 

I have 6x,xxxK on my stock clutch and it hasn't slipped yet, learned to drive manual on it. U mad bro .

 

I thought you'd have some friends that could help you out. You could always go with a stage 3 ZZP for 575.

 

Spec gets a bad rap since people match a Spec clutch to the stock flywheel which is a NO-NO! Get the Spec flywheel and have no issues.

 

Except the normal daily-driving issues with a lightweight flywheel.

 

x2

 

Is this really all you did to break your clutch on GMS1? Unless you drag race a lot, I'd say it's operator error. Look at my sig, I got ~25K on mine with very regular brutal road track use, and my clutch is still perfect. Like Wangspeed suggests, drag is murder on your clutch. It's not easy to break it in normal driving or even racing.