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Toasted Clutch, need suggestions on replacement

yoterunner

Member
Joined
March 23, 2008
Messages
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City, State
Omaha, NE
Year, Model & Trim Level
'92 Eddie Bauer
Well, I toasted my clutch in my '92 Ex - 5 speed manual this past weekend while hunting/offroading in the snow. I had smelled hot clutch for a couple of weekends before (used only on weekends for hunting), but no slippage until this past weekend. I have done nothing to upgrade the OEM parts for engine etc. I have 33's on the truck, with suspension lift. I have 3.73 gears.

I had just replaced the clutch last year with the Luk clutch and slave cylinder kit. Also re-surfaced the flywheel at that time, and the person that re-surfaced had commented that it had been re-surfaced once before, and getting close to bottom of spec's. I would like the clutch to last for more than a year!

What are your suggestions/opinions on what to replace (whole kit or just clutch) - does slave need to be replace if 1 year old and seems to be working? And what I could do to make it less hard on the clutch? Need to get going in the next day or two.

thanks

yoterunner (that is coyote hunter, not Toyota!)
 



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Bump - No Opinions??

Replace everything?? What brand, i've seen some say OEM Slave, but I have also heard all the "main" non china brands are made from same company (German design patent?)

Can I do anything to keep from frying my clutch and still offroad hard??
 






No Idea... sorry bro. Heres a bump for good measure case I know that someone out there has good info on this issue!
 






Can I do anything to keep from frying my clutch and still offroad hard??

Use low range, not high?
If you're frying a clutch in a year, it's you as a driver, not the vehicle or the parts.

:dunno:
 






33's with 3.73's just doesn't sound like a low enough gear ratio for crawling. Our 4.10's with 33's and an automatic already doesn't seem like enough..

Steeper gears would help But a doubler would help on the really rough stuff.

~Mark
 






You're right...but

Use low range, not high?
If you're frying a clutch in a year, it's you as a driver, not the vehicle or the parts.

:dunno:

I know you are right about the hard driving, but the way I have to push the truck while driving in sometimes 1-2 feet of snow in and out of fields, I was looking for any advice or infomation on performance clutch etc. Luk had produced their Pro Gold line, but discontinued for the Gen 1 Explorers (not sure about others). I think I will try to go in Low more often, but often times more speed is helpful, and low would not allow. Just wanted to ask before I put the new stuff in just in case there was better options.

Also, I would like to re-gear to lower, 4.56's if I were to do it. How much top end would I expect to loose running 4.56's and 33's?? What is a doubler??
 






You do need more gearing.

I like the Centerforce Dual Friction clutch. Poor gearing and big tires will eventually kill the best clutches, though. I'm on my 3rd Centerforce thanks to 33s, 3.27 gears, and having to slip it more than a "normal" driver should.

I'd recommend the Centerforce. Get a new flywheel. A 1-year-old slave cylinder should be fine. I'd reuse it.

As soon as you're offroad just put it into low range until you regear!

4.56 gears would be just right for 33s, IMO.

A doubler is basically cutting up one transfer case just to have the low range part and then sticking it in front of another transfer case. Unfortunately right now no one is making any kits for the BW 1354. Limited runs have been done, but for now you'd have to fab you're own. I'm working (with long breaks in between) od a BW 1354/Dana 20.
 
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Thanks SV, with your gears and tires, you know exactly what I am doing to go through excessive snow!
 






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