Many of you have read of my South Bend clutch woes (http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257098) - 2 single disc SBC clutches that each went about 30,000 miles before starting to slip.

After that experience, I decided I wanted to ride a different horse, and I bought a Valeo kit from the now-defunct Eaton Clutch Supply. I had Eaton reline the disc with Kevlar before taking delivery.

Well, here's how the clutch looks after 27,000 miles - and at least 20,000 of those miles were towing trailers ranging from 1500 to 10,000lbs:

http://www.aswracing.com/truck/DSCF3657.JPG
This is perhaps the most telling picture. There's so little wear on the disc that the printed numbers on it are still readable!

http://www.aswracing.com/truck/DSCF3659.JPG
The pressure plate and flywheel both look like brand new. Not a heat mark on either one of them, anywhere.

This clutch has never, ever, given even a hint of wanting to slip (well, except during the break-in period). When I tow, I almost always have my Edge box on level 1. Sometimes I turn it down to zero if I see the EGT's getting high.

I tow in 6th gear so long as the motor can pull it. On bigger hills and with bigger trailers, I sometimes have to drop down to 5th. But the majority of the time I run down the road in 6th going 70 to 75mph. I took a lot of heat in the other thread from SBC and their cronies for this, and I was even accused of not knowing how to drive a 6-speed, but the above clutch was run EXACTLY the same way.

So why is this clutch out of the truck right now?

Well, despite holding great, and not showing any signs of wear, it failed anyway:

http://www.aswracing.com/truck/DSCF3660.JPG
The hub literally came apart from the rest of the disc.

Sigh. I finally found a clutch that doesn't slip and wears like iron, and it falls apart on me.

I have no idea what caused this failure. I don't hot-rod or anything like that. Mostly I just tow. I was towing when this happened, had gone about 300 miles non-stop, and this happened on the off-ramp as I was slowing down and trying to downshift. Near as I can tell, the diesel vibration just shook it to pieces. My truck doesn't feel like it vibrates to me, but I imagine there's a lot of vibration going on at the crankshaft.

I sure wish someone made a decent, reasonably priced, durable clutch for these things. Swapping these things every 30K miles is getting old.

I do...towing in sixth gear. If the clutch doesn't slip under the load the load has to go somewhere and that would be the springs in the clutch disc. The funny thing is, my dodge automatic truck has a little tow button on the dash, when I push it quess what it does...locks me out of overdrive. Wonder why? Maybe to save my torque converter?

Peter

Haha!! First off I abuse mine and I always tow in 6th and my SBC DD's just take it in stride. First one had 97K towing up to 30K lbs regularly,second one was used when I bought it so IDK how many miles it had on it when it slipped but it slipped sledpulling and my DDD won't slip at all :D. I've broke a couple input shafts from heat issues but I don't have clutch issues ;).

My suggestion to the OP is that he sell me his ZF and buy a new D-Max because I need another ZF truck :D.

I do...towing in sixth gear. If the clutch doesn't slip under the load the load has to go somewhere and that would be the springs in the clutch disc. The funny thing is, my dodge automatic truck has a little tow button on the dash, when I push it quess what it does...locks me out of overdrive. Wonder why? Maybe to save my torque converter?

Peter

Is that why your clutches slip? To protect the hub?

Peter, we know from the pictures I posted in the other thread that your clutch, after 30K miles in my truck, showed almost no wear at all. That really blows holes in your accusation that I damaged it by towing in 6th gear. You've never come forth with another explanation of why it started slipping on me.

I really don't want this thread to be about that clutch or you, though. But if you insist on posting in it with more accusations, I'll respond. Your choice.

Anyway, back to my point, the truck I had before this Duramax was a Ford 7.3 with a Banks kit. It was not quite as strong as this Duramax. But it also had a manual transmission (a 5 speed) and I towed all over Hades and back with it with even more load (usually had a camper in the bed plus pulling 6-7K of trailer) and when I sold the truck at just over 100,000 miles, it still had the original clutch and it was still working fine. And I drove it exactly the same way, I towed down the highway in top gear at 70-75mph.That's my expectation of what a clutch should do, let me tow at speed and last 100,000 miles. The stock Ford clutch handled it just fine.

So why does nobody make a similarly durable clutch for the Duramax? It's like the aftermarket isn't interested in making a quality single disc clutch for it. They all use a stock pressure plate, put it on a single mass flywheel, with a sprung hub disc, and call it a heavy duty clutch. It's total BS.

I suspect the pressure plate just doesn't provide enough clamp load. I mean, why else would an almost unworn clutch start to slip? So why hasn't anyone come out with a heavier pressure plate? Is it because of the self adjusting setup? Is it patented or something?

Sorry to see another clutch failure for you. I know I am looking for a good durable and long lasting clutch and keep seeing all these reviews. Not sure what I am going to do!

Get a SBC DD. Read the reviews and do the math on the number of satisfyed people vs dis-satisfyed people ;).

Sorry to see another clutch failure for you. I know I am looking for a good durable and long lasting clutch and keep seeing all these reviews. Not sure what I am going to do!

ZFMax: if you ever want to sell your truck to avoid clutch trouble I'd love to buy an 01/02 crew cab long bed ZF.

ZFMax: if you ever want to sell your truck to avoid clutch trouble I'd love to buy an 01/02 crew cab long bed ZF.

I'm seriously considering a new Dodge, maybe this spring. Now that Dodge makes a crew cab/long bed, and they're still offering a manual, they'll get my business.

What color is yours? How many miles?
My buddy in CO Springs has has 6 2011 Dodges this year and really likes them. He's been trying to get me to buy a new 5500 4x4 with a 6spd but I'm not ready to switch sides.

I'm seriously considering a new Dodge, maybe this spring. Now that Dodge makes a crew cab/long bed, and they're still offering a manual, they'll get my business.

What color is yours? How many miles?
My buddy in CO Springs has has 6 2011 Dodges this year and really likes them. He's been trying to get me to buy a new 5500 4x4 with a 6spd but I'm not ready to switch sides.

I've got a good friend with a 2011 Dodge 1 ton CTD/auto Megacab short bed. It's a sweet truck. Very, very quiet and rides nice. Makes my Chevy feel like a noisy clunker, 'course there is 9 years of difference so it's not a fair comparison.

One nice thing about the Dodges, at least currently, they don't need the exhaust fluid. Plus, like I said, they still have manual tranny's, at least for the moment. Probably need to buy one before those things change. I never really considered one in the past just because I need a crew cab long bed.

By the way, when the above clutch disintegrated, I was about 700 miles into an 1100 mile trip, pulling an empty flatbed that weighs 1500lbs. The bed was empty, too. In other words, not a hell of a lot of load. I was driving right around 75mph continuous.

IDK what to tell you man,I've put 200K plus on my 3 SBC's and had great success and I'm kinda hard on mine. 33' tandem dually flatbed with pickups running 450-500hp and one at 590hp. My issue has been 3 input shafts :(.

I've got a good friend with a 2011 Dodge 1 ton CTD/auto Megacab short bed. It's a sweet truck. Very, very quiet and rides nice. Makes my Chevy feel like a noisy clunker, 'course there is 9 years of difference so it's not a fair comparison.

One nice thing about the Dodges, at least currently, they don't need the exhaust fluid. Plus, like I said, they still have manual tranny's, at least for the moment. Probably need to buy one before those things change. I never really considered one in the past just because I need a crew cab long bed.

By the way, when the above clutch disintegrated, I was about 700 miles into an 1100 mile trip, pulling an empty flatbed that weighs 1500lbs. The bed was empty, too. In other words, not a hell of a lot of load. I was driving right around 75mph continuous.

IDK what to tell you man,I've put 200K plus on my 3 SBC's and had great success and I'm kinda hard on mine. 33' tandem dually flatbed with pickups running 450-500hp and one at 590hp. My issue has been 3 input shafts :(.

Well, I'm not nearly so hard on mine. But I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that there's no single disc clutch out there that'll hold up to normal use.

I could have told you that a long time ago.For some reason it never came to me that that's all you had,even though you posted pic's :(. IMO singles are ment for stock power and maybe not even towing.

Well, I'm not nearly so hard on mine. But I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that there's no single disc clutch out there that'll hold up to normal use.

Why not a dd? Its not that bad.

I could have told you that a long time ago.For some reason it never came to me that that's all you had,even though you posted pic's :(. IMO singles are ment for stock power and maybe not even towing.

Yup, you are right.

Why not a dd? Its not that bad.

Well, I don't really want to open that whole can of worms again, but let's just say that I'd buy one if I knew of an honest supplier of a quality product.

I'm seriously considering a new Dodge, maybe this spring. Now that Dodge makes a crew cab/long bed, and they're still offering a manual, they'll get my business.

I could be wrong, but isn't Dodge using a DMF behind the cummins now, to combat NVH issues? If so, prob in the same boat, though they do spin a larger flywheel, not sure if that would help or not.