I've been wanting to make a post about this now is a good time.
Centerforce reccomended that I use their Centerforce I clutch in my modified '93 which has 33's and 4:56 gears. They told me that the Centerforce Dual Friction was made for 35's and larger and that it wouldn't work well for me.
So I had the Centerforce I installed along with a new flywheel, new slave/throwout bearing and a new master cylinder. EVERYTHING was replaced at once as my truck had 130,000 hard miles on it.
I drove the truck for one week on the street letting it break in easy as they reccomended.
After about 500 miles I ran a fairly tough trail where I needed to do some climbing. To make a long story shorter, I smoked the clutch 2 or 3 times that day. The last time the thing could barely hold the truck, the engine was revving more than the truck was moving even though the clutch was completely engaged (foot off the pedal).
I called Centerforce the next day and told them what happened, they told me to pull the clutch and send it in to them, I needed to be at Truckhaven only 4 days later so I told them I needed a clutch that was going to work
immediately. Centerforce told me that they would custom build a Centerforce Dual Friction with a bit extra holding power built into the pressure plate. Since I liv only 90miles from their factory I drove to them with the old clutch and picked up the new unit.
They told me that they would have to test the old clutch before they could warranty it.
I had the Dual Friction installed, went to Truckhaven and it worked great. I have been wheeling with it 2 or 3 more times since then with no trouble.
What ever happened to that old clutch?? I kept getting the run around, we'll know tomorrow, we'll know next week, the boss isn't around etc....
Finally he called and said Mr. Horwitz we can't warranty the clutch because you didn't cut the flywheel when it was installed. I said "THAT'S BECAUSE IT WAS A BRAND NEW CLUTCH!" he said oh, let me get right back to you.
A few minutes later he called back and said that they would indeed warranty the clutch, I asked him when he would fax FLY-N-HI so that they could back the charge off my credit card. He said it would be done the same day.
A week later, nothing. I called back ans they told me that they only do return orders a couple times a month and mine will be done next week. It's been nearly 2 months since this started. Needless to say customer service is not their strong point.
Now back to clutchs... My first stock Ford clutch lasted about 90,000 miles my next lasted about 45,000 miles(it was a Ford factory rebuild not a "new" unit). My first Centerforce lasted 500 miles my second....only time will tell.
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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com
www.4x4central.com
