Science friction
Mark Todd of Diesel Technic takes a closer look at CV clutches, and offers his take on why a complete clutch kit replacement is a practical and cost-effective solution
For friction parts, like clutches, service life is highly dependent on the quality, professional fitting and the vehicle’s application.
It’s one of the components in the drive assembly that is subject to major stress and strain in every operation it makes, due to the effect of vibration, pressure and centrifugal forces, and the friction heat created. No matter how heavy-duty the components or high grade the materials, wear and tear of the clutch is inevitable.
Forming the interface between the engine and transmission, the clutch’s main tasks are: enabling comfortable gear changes; transferring the engine torque to the drive components; absorbing vibration noises; regulating the flow of forces during gear changes; and protecting the drive assembly against overload.
The clutch kit is the set of elements that transmit torque from the engine to the transmission. The kit essentially includes the following:
The clutch disc is the central connection element in the clutch. Together with the clutch cover, the clutch disc deals with separating and connecting the engine and drive assembly. In addition, it enables the vehicle to be started gently and jolt-free thanks to complex torsion absorbers. For example, our DT Spare Parts brand clutch lining is made of yarn, copper or brass wire embedded in a mixture of resin, rubber and filling material. Produced in an environmentally friendly manner, it does not contain any heavy metals and is completely free of asbestos. They are distinguished by good friction properties, high strength, low weight and high resistance to wear and tear. The lining even withstands temperatures of up to 400 °C for short periods.
2. The clutch cover forms a friction system, together with the flywheel and clutch disc, which is fixed to the flywheel with a housing screw connection. The clutch cover deals with transferring the motor torque to the gear shaft using the clutch disc. DT Spare Parts brand membrane spring clutch covers are available in pressed version, drawn version, twin-disc membrane and coil spring clutch.
3. The transfer link between the clutch and control system is the clutch release bearing. It is usually centrally guided, equipped with an automatic centering mechanism and has a snap connection to the membrane spring. When the clutch rotates, the ball bearing found in the head of the clutch release bearing runs permanently, whereby a preload produced by the control system ensures that the membrane spring tongue and ring guide in the clutch release bearing run at the same speed.
Changing individual parts within the clutch assembly can be false economy. Product selection is easier with a single part number for a complete assembly so there’s no chance of selecting an incorrect part, fitting costs are similar for a complete assembly so a complete replacement means only one fitting cost. The key is to fit a good quality product, it will be better in service and outlast cheaper alternatives.
Fitting a high quality clutch kit that delivers high resistance to wear and tear and smooth operation for the driver will keep your commercial vehicle running more efficiently and making your business more cost effective.
DT Spare Parts brand offers a complete range with more than 40,000 different spare parts for trucks, trailers and buses, including all standard clutch kits. In total, more than 300 DT Spare Parts brand clutch kits are available.
