Dougs951S

I have a spec stage 2 clutch with a spec aluminum flywheel and PP in my car right now and a solid trans mount and I love it! At first it was a grabby, chattery bitch but after breaking in for about 5k miles, its chatter free as long as I drive it well; and at the same time grabs great and shifts crisply and cleanly. Right now I'm making ~350 rwtq on low boost. I know I am right at the limits of how much torque this clutch can handle. I'm not getting any noticeable slip, but I have not beat on it in higher gears much. The reason I went with the kevlar disk vs a semi metallic 6 puck was because I do NOT want a grabby **** of a clutch. I still DD this car in traffic. I know my next planned round of mods is going to push this clutch over it's limit and I expect to be replacing it soon. Is there a full faced clutch, or a more gentle pucked/segmented clutch available for ours cars that will hold 400+ RWTQ? As far as I know, my options are basically a spec stage 3, the FRF ferramic, a 930 disc, or having southbend resurface my spec disk. What about a KEP pressure plate/clutch disc, how would my spec stage 2 disc or a 930 disc hold with a KEP stage 1? Any other options I'm not aware of? I'm looking for the smoothest engaging clutch I can get that will hold my power and anything I might reasonably make in the future, and I don't mind a stiff pedal. I know it will be a compromise, but I don't want to have to wear a mouth piece to drive the car, especially since I just went coilover with stiff springs. Seems this car is becoming more and more a track only machine, and less a DD every passing day. Thanks RL collective!

Tom M'Guinn

I treid spec (thought they all differ) and the southbend feramic with increased pressure pressure plate, and now the KEP1 with 951 Cup disk. The spec probably held the most power but was aweful on the street. The southbend felt pretty darn good, but had just a hint of shudder off the line after it broke in. The KEP1/Cup disk is by far my favorite. Engages exactly like a stock clutch, except the pedal is stiffer. After driving it around the block a few times, the extra stiffness seems normal. I'm running 18-19psi on my 3 liter (so well north of 400hp/trq at the wheels) with the KEP1/Cup disk, and it has not slipped a bit.

Dougs951S

Yeah, since my spec disk is so new and I like the way it drives, I may just ditch the aluminum spec pressure plate and opt to install the KEP1 over it. I've heard nothing but good things about the kep1, except that it cant be used with the 930 disc. I'll have to check if it is compatible with the spec disc, but I suspect it wouldn't be an issue. That ought to hold me for awhile, as the spec 2 disc is stouter than the cup disc I believe. Thanks Tom.

Edit: Any issues with your clutch fork to date running the high clamp PP?

Tom M'Guinn

No issues with fork -- It was new about 18k miles ago, and has been used with increase pressure pressure plates from Gomes, Southbend and now KEP1. Gomes and Southbend felt about the same -- both slightly stiffer than stock. The KEP1 is even stiffer than the Gomes and Southbend versions, and is pretty stiff, but still daily driveable. I have not tried the KEP2, but it is stiffer still, and the one that usually creates fork problems. KEP1 is still daily driveable, but not sure I'd want it much stiffer...

Dougs951S

Thanks for your personal anecdotes, its nice to hear from someone who has run all the major options. I confirmed that the KEP1 will work with my spec disk, my only concern is that it will be too aggressive with the higher clamping force. What do you think? I'm pretty intend on keeping my clutch disc, so what are some other pressure plate options? I know southbend and gomes can rebuild a stock PP into a higher clamp force unit, but can they do the same for an aftermarket PP? Did the cup cars use a stock PP or was there a cup specific PP in addition to the cup disc? Paragon lists a racing pressure plate for the 951 and claims 37% increased clamping force.

Edit: I think the racing pressure plate paragon sells is actually the KEP1. Can anybody confirm this?

arthropraxis

The marcel spring in the clutch disc will help make it easier to drive on the street. The Spec clutch I have has no spring in the disk which makes it grabby and chatters if it is slipped like when driving in traffic.

Paulyy

I have a Spec stage 3+ in mine it's a full face one. i've probably done 1000 miles on mine and the chatter is slowly going away, not sure how much will stay but it's not the same engagement as stock. the pedel feels stock.

It should hold ~500 - 600 rwhp. its grippy. and there's not much engagement play for feathering but you get use to it and it's not to bad after a while.

Dougs951S

Anybody know anything about clutchnet? They make a range of frictions discs and pressure plates that are color coded. The Red pressure plate is the highest clamping one and they claim it will hold 600 ft-lbs, but they dont say with what disc. Its priced around 650, I'm guessing its comparable to the KEP1. They don't list torque capacities for their clutches, as I guess it would depend on the pressure plate. They offer a full faced kevlar clutch I'm guessing is similar to the spec 2, and they also offer a full face carbon composite clutch that is similar to the spec 2+. Prices are very reasonable for the discs.

blown 944

I would personally have a 930 disk done with feramic material. Id use a 930 bc of the better center design.

Southbend could do it. I'm not sure if Dave N with FRF can get this done or not as well.

Dougs951S

What pressure plate would you recommend with the feramic disc Sid? If I reused my spec PP it would obviously hold more than what I've got now, but at what cost to drivability? I know the KEP and lots of other high clamp pressure plates don't work with the thicker 930 and 951 cup discs. Whats the engagement like on a full face feramic clutch vs the stage 2?

dizzyj

Interested in clutchnet too. $150 for a race disk is prety good price

Paulyy

what spec pressure plate do you have. i have a semi aluminium one which is basically a Saches one with aluminium surroundings.

pole position

First of all, the Spec stg 2 will hold way more than 350wtq.....many years ago a stage 2 with a 3600 pound Audi S4 and roughly 420-450 Wtq never slipped at many,many 1/4 runs.

The Spec has similar clamping force to a Kep, as a matter of fact it is a reworked Sachs race cover.

Most people get completely over sold on clutches and their cars will never make close what those clutches are rated for and stay away from pucks, they drive like **** in traffic.

Don't upgrade a clutch until it actually slips..............and IF they need occurs, the next step is a stage 2 + disc or a full face feramic, I am not trying to sell you on Spec but if that what you already have you might as well stick with it.

On caution with the Feramic and a Alu flywheel, if you drag the car and practise excessive slipping it will fuse itself to the flywheel.

Dougs951S

I have the semi aluminum pressure plate as well, its 13 lbs I think vs 9 for the billet aluminum and I think 15 for the standard steel. I think the clamp force is the same on all spec pressure plates except for the super clamp one. As far as I know spec clutches, and most others are rated at the flywheel, so according to spec on the 951 application the spec stage 2 is rated at 400 crank ft-lbs, or ~350 rwtq.

blown 944

I use a 6 puck and it obviously chatters. However, a full face would be much more civilized.

When I said use the 930 disc, I was meaning the center section relined. Iirc it's a 2mm difference in thickness.

I'd stay with the spec pp. it's a good part.