im debating wether to go with a spec or a centerforce dual friction clutch...i know you guys here and on stangnet swear by spec but i have several friends who have the centerforce and love it...even local CHP goes with centerforce and they also dislike spec for some reason.... i want a clutch that will hold for 400-500hp for now....what do you guys suggest??
spec or centerforce
- Thread starter 96darkhorse
- Start date
FastFord
Founding Member
I originally went with Centerforce, however after 14 months or less I had to replace it. I went with SPEC and have had no problems since, 12 months now. BUT... I think that the clutch quad and firewall adj. sent the Centerforce to premature failure. I have also replaced them with UPR and have not looked back!! Hope this helps some. 
no offense but why do you need a clutch that can handle 500hp when you only have 225? even with new h/c/i, you'll only really see around 300. the more power it can handle the stiffer the pedal is going to be. you don't really need anything to heavy duty for what you have right now.
if and when mine goes, i'm going with a spec.
if and when mine goes, i'm going with a spec.
FastFord
Founding Member
96darkhorse said:
The combo (SPEC) I have now is much more like stock, even according to my wife. I also readjusted the clutch pedal height so that it wasn't so tall.
I would go again with SPEC.
If you want a clutch that will handle alot of power then go w/ a SPEC III. According to your sig your no where close to that power level now though. I have a friend that put down 502/567 on the dyno and on a previous dyno run his clutch would not hold and that was a Centerforce dual friction. He put in a SPEC III and has had no issues since then.
I guess once again I'll be the lonely voice that says STAY AWAY FROM SPEC. I feel like i have made this post at least 10 times in the last 2 months, but in a nutshell the spec stage 3 (which is what everyone is going to tell you to run with the HP you are looking for) is a clutch I'd stay way away from. To many its known as a "parts breaker" and this is due to the fact that it lacks a marsels spring between the center of the disc and the friction material. This spring acts a bit of a cushion when the clutch is being let out, doing without it SHOCKS the drivetrain pretty bad and thus MANY have broken input shafts, driveshafts, and axles. I have seen it myself. Also, DRIVE a car with a spec stage 3 once and see if you like the fact that its like an on and off switch with little to no middle ground. I garantee you'll stall the car the first few times. It just can't be slipped. My very good friend Mike has a spec stage 2 in his NA convertible. He asked me to make a pass in the car at the track once and I absolutely HATED that clutch as well. It too exhibited some of the same characteristics of the stage 3 but it wasn't as bad. In the limited amount of time I had I could NOT slip the clutch when trying to pull through the staging lanes and when I went to launch the car, what was supposed to be a "slip" launch ended up being a dump because the clutch was so grabby. Also, I've had a LOT of problems over the years with my driveline stuff and I have spoken with all of the driveline guru's so to speak in the mustang scene. Both Bob Hanlon, D&D, and Walt at pro motion (and obviously CHP from the statement above) all suggest to stay away from the spec stuff for the reasons I have mentioned. No one will agrue that the spec stage 3 will hold the power, but in doing so you give up a good bit of streetability (and I know the spec stage 3 guys will say that its perfectly streetable, but like I said go from driving your car and step into a car with a stage 3 and I know you'll dislike it), and its VERY hard on driveline components. I was set on buying a spec clutch for my car when I replaced it this summer, but after doing some research and driving cars with them, I said NO THANKS! There are two very good clutches with great street manners that will hold all sorts of power. The first is the mccleod dual friction (which I do NOT have any personal experience with, but from the research I did this seemed like a great street/strip clutch), and I ended up going with a Pro Motion Kustom Clutch from Walt. Walt does a lot of the driveline stuff for the heads up drag racing classes. He runs the clutch I have in his REAL STREET customers cars, so its holding up to 700+hp, yet the thing is so nice on the street. I can still slip it out of the hole when I launch on DR's, and this one (unlike my old FMS HD clutch) will hold on a dump from ET streets. Also, on the street its easily slipped when pulling out, so it doesn't make you look like you don't know how to drive a stock as the spec stage 3 does. 
Also its priced the same as the spec stuff too. I don't have Walt's number handy, but if you want it just do a search under my name as I've put it up a lot lately. Seems a lot of people are in the market for a new clutch lately.
Also its priced the same as the spec stuff too. I don't have Walt's number handy, but if you want it just do a search under my name as I've put it up a lot lately. Seems a lot of people are in the market for a new clutch lately.Killercanary.........
your basing your whole post on the fact that somene is going to be hitting the track every weekend and w/ a SPEC III there eventually going to break something. What about my friends case who has 502/567 but the car is a weekend/show car dosent see any tack time ( yet, maybe one pass) but still has fun on the street w/ it and has no driveability issues.
your basing your whole post on the fact that somene is going to be hitting the track every weekend and w/ a SPEC III there eventually going to break something. What about my friends case who has 502/567 but the car is a weekend/show car dosent see any tack time ( yet, maybe one pass) but still has fun on the street w/ it and has no driveability issues.
zenboy99
Founding Member
Striped5.0 said:
My friend makes 540rwhp in his Fox and had the exact opposite experience. He got 2 SPEC III clutches in 2 months from SPEC, both went out and were under warranty. He finally told SPEC to keep the clutch and he went with the Centerforce dual friction wich is much more streetable and has held up better.
Striped: In that case you definitely don't want a spec stage 3 IMO. Really the only time I think a spec stage 3 should be concidered would be in a DRAG ONLY car with the driveline stuff that can hold the world. I find it very surprising that he has no driveability issues. I mean, maybe he just got used to dealing with it, but if he were to drive a stock car or one without something like the spec I think he'd remember very quickly how much more streetable it is and what he has to deal with with his spec stage 3. We all get used to the little quirks and stuff our cars develope with new parts which is what many stage 3 owners probably have done, but given a trip back through time and a chance to sample and feel both types I tuely feel their decision may have been different. Spec got the reputation it has in the mustang world because they came out with a stock size replacement clutch that can hold all kinds of power, and in the minds of many stang owners that's all they thought they wanted. I know I almost fell into this trap this summer when I needed a new clutch because my old FMS HD couldn't hold on my launch. All I wanted was a clutch that could handle everything I through at it, BUT luckily I called around, drove a few cars, etc and made a decision based on more than "what would hold the power." Man am I glad I did.
Have you driven your friends car? If not, I suggest you ask him just to take a spin around the block and FEEL what that clutch is like and then come back and let me know your thoughts. You'll know in the first 20 seconds what I'm talking about. Hey, everyone likes something different so maybe you will, but I don't think most, if given a choice, would pick that clutch over the feel of a stocker or one like it. I know because I drove them and my mind was made up quickly that it wasn't for me. EVeryone's different, but I think the spec stuff gets recommended too much on the boards without people looking into it further. It might not have been the clutch they hoped it would have been once they owned it.
Have you driven your friends car? If not, I suggest you ask him just to take a spin around the block and FEEL what that clutch is like and then come back and let me know your thoughts. You'll know in the first 20 seconds what I'm talking about. Hey, everyone likes something different so maybe you will, but I don't think most, if given a choice, would pick that clutch over the feel of a stocker or one like it. I know because I drove them and my mind was made up quickly that it wasn't for me. EVeryone's different, but I think the spec stuff gets recommended too much on the boards without people looking into it further. It might not have been the clutch they hoped it would have been once they owned it.
Killercanary said:
naaa he hasent let me drive it yet but he says the pressure to push in engage the clutch was less then his Centerforce Dual Friction and his pedel pressure is less on his III then it is on my II from when I have sat in the car and tried it out. Werid I know guess some people just get lucky.
I will definitely admit that the pedal effort is nice in the spec stuff. I ran the FMS HD (one of the heaviest pedal efforts of all avail clutches) so long that I do often forget about that. But see, like I said, its a quirk I've dealt with long enough now that it doesn't bother me and I almost prefer it. I feel it gives me more control than a very light pedal. My current clutch is slightly easier to push in than my old FMS setup, but its not bad IMO. I'll have to let my wife try it and see what she says as she couldn't deal with the old one!
stangboy
Founding Member
I'm in the market for a clutch too. I've driven 2 cars with Spec clutches. 1st one was a 00 GT w/ a stage 2. The pedal feel is nice and easy but it is kinda grabby but not rediculous. The other car was an 04 Cobra w/ a stage 3 now that clutch takes some getting used to, but I expexted that because it can handle so much power. Killer is right, it either on or off. I've driven the car about 3 or 4 times since its had the stage 3 in it and I always stall on the first try but I just chalk that up to me being used to my car. I've been saying that I was gonna get a Spec stage 2 for my next clutch but more and more people are trying to get me to get a Centerforce DF. If the Centerforce has a decent pedal feel I'll get it because my car is a DD so I'm not trying to have my left leg bigger than my right leg.
Killer- do you remember how much you paid for that custom clutch you have? Was it more than what a Centerforce would cost? I want a clutch I can slip off the line too because I don't plan on putting slicks on the car until I beef-up my rearend....Hell, I snapped an axle last year around this time on DRs. I've notice King Cobra clutches don't respond well to slipping under heavy throttle...especially after its a year old.
Killer- do you remember how much you paid for that custom clutch you have? Was it more than what a Centerforce would cost? I want a clutch I can slip off the line too because I don't plan on putting slicks on the car until I beef-up my rearend....Hell, I snapped an axle last year around this time on DRs. I've notice King Cobra clutches don't respond well to slipping under heavy throttle...especially after its a year old.
Run a Spec you wont be dissapointed. My Stage 2 was great..never failed with 2.5 yrs of 500rw going thru it..and plenty of 1.6 (and a 1.5) 60 fts. It grabbed like a mofo and had almost stock pedal feel after i adjusted my cable just right. My T-5 went before the clutch ever showed a hint of wear...I now run a Tko and a Specd Stage 3..I stayed with them due to the sucess I've had with this clutch..I went Stage 3 beacause I am making more power now.
Just my real-world exp.
Good luck
Chris
Just my real-world exp.
Good luck
Chris
Black95GTS
Active Member
McLeod dual friction. My Uncle's '01 GT has one, and after driving my FMS HD (which I don't think is that bad you pansies) I almost put the pedal through the floor. Granted its also a juice clutch, but you get the point.
It's also interesting to note that Shelby Motorsports recommends and carries McLeod clutches.
It's also interesting to note that Shelby Motorsports recommends and carries McLeod clutches.
UPDATE: I stated above I had no experience with the McCleod dual friction, well I was wrong. My dad has been running this clutch for 3yrs. When my dad ordered his TKO he also got the clutch from D&D and he never knew which clutch he got... well it let go on him and he called D&D to see exactly which clutch it was, and it was the dual friction. It has a slightly lighter pedal feel than mine, but its also slightly more grabby. All in all its a great clutch and it has survived 3 HARD years of abuse with hundreds of passes. It gave no signs of letting go as he ran his best ever with a 11.8 at 117mph NA and then on the next pass it was toast. I'd definitely run that clutch in my car as well, the only reason I didn't is because I wanted to try something different, I wanted something that was garanteed to work and do what I wanted it to, and Walt offered far better knowledge and support than D&D ever did.
