Paddle Clutches Experiences?

[ben_r1]

Seeing as the standard 197 clutch doesnt cope well with the extra +60bl/ft of the car and how its used on the strip alot, i've gone about ordering a more manly setup.

Very little avaliable for the 197 so had Helix make a custom clutch through a retailer for my needs, only problem is its a 4 paddle cerametallic clutch with uprated pressure plate.

Been doing some reserach and although im obviously expecting some sacrifice in driving comfort/ease i've heard alot of horror stories that the car will be undrivable and destroy the whole experience due to its on/off feel.

Has anybody had any personal experiences with clutches of this sort and road driving? Fact not fiction please. Will it be an utter nightmare around town? Will it kill my engine mounts? And will it destroy my gearbox internals early?

Thanks.

 

[Bluebeard]

I once had a skyline (we're talking 5 years ago + mind you) and that had a paddle clutch.

Honestly, it made me hate the car. In traffic I was s**t scared of launching at mach 10 straight into the car in front. You needed a minimum of 2000 rpm and a flat out start just to get moving. It made getting off the drive interesting. Especially on the gravel....

Awful for road use. Just awful.

 

[Fred@BTM]

bet that cost a fortune, why not just buy the parts from r-sport, probably way cheaper, or just speak to TTV and get one of their off the shelf flywheels that'll take any clutch you like

 

[ben_r1]

I've been told it will be horrid at first but after a few hundred miles bed in and get a small degree of feel to it?

 

[ben_r1]

bet that cost a fortune, why not just buy the parts from r-sport, probably way cheaper, or just speak to TTV and get one of their off the shelf flywheels that'll take any clutch you like

About £500 Fred, Clio cup clutch is the same as the road car and the R3 Clutch is £1200 from R.Sport

 

[Fred@BTM]

who told you that?

 

[ben_r1]

R.Sport themself, Madeno Racing of Holland and another reputable company i cant remeber.

 

[Fred@BTM]

they're telling porkies, its a standard pressure plate with a paddle disc

 

[T.Trophy]

Paddle clutches are truely horrible, when ever I get caught up in slow moving traffic I feel like just pulling over and burning my car out.

There is literally 2mm of pedal travel from fully disengaged to fully engaged, and every single person who drives my car stalls it.

If you can avoid one I would.

 

[172Ben]

Hated mine! Its on off as you say, very difficult/impossible to do a nice hill start, i had to rev and just boot it off.

Worst thing i bought, and was totally unneccessary for my needs.

It sounds cool, "running a paddle clutch" but id rather punch myself in the face.

Mine was an un sprung one as well

 

[Tom@JMS]

Oft!

 

[imprezaworks]

Had one in an evo7. One word- awfull

Dan

 

[mx1_champ]

my friend had one in his evo, said it was dodgy at first but he could soon drive it same as any other kind of clutch.. was his daily driver to. guess people just have different tolerences to it etc

 

[ben_r1]

my friend had one in his evo, said it was dodgy at first but he could soon drive it same as any other kind of clutch.. was his daily driver to. guess people just have different tolerences to it etc

This is what im after, whether after time you can adapt to live with it and before you know dont even think about it?

 

[T.Trophy]

I think i'd be more inclined to take the advice from clio owners who've had a paddle clutch rather than a friend of a friend with an Evo? LoL

Whats the difference between a 197 clutch and a meg 225?

 

[172Ben]

As above, TRUST me, its not nice.

 

[mx1_champ]

This is what im after, whether after time you can adapt to live with it and before you know dont even think about it?

well he seemed to be able to , but there again a few of his cars have had them. i cant comment on the drive as i never drove it but being in the car felt no different to being in any other car setting of wise. although another lad had a play in it and was very jerky took 2-3 attempts to set of but again it was his first time using one.
cant comment on how it treat the drive train etc as he only had the car another few months.
stevieh.
although it wasnt me driving the car he wanted some input and that was my experience

 

[ben_r1]

Absolutely thanks for your input mx1_champ.

the car is only used at the weekend and never for travel just for fun so i can put up with abit of judder. Been in touch with Helix and they've assured me although its far from ideal, that spec clutch can be used on a road car.

 

[mikekean]

Ive just put a helix paddle clutch in my cup racer and its fine, little more grabby buts thats it. Make sure you get one with a sprung hub and you will be fine.

 

[Gt rob]

Paddle clutches are hard work in slow traffic, it will teach you awesome clutch control, great fun when going hard but youl regret it when it snows!

 

[mx1_champ]

Absolutely thanks for your input mx1_champ.

the car is only used at the weekend and never for travel just for fun so i can put up with abit of judder. Been in touch with Helix and they've assured me although its far from ideal, that spec clutch can be used on a road car.

no worries mate, looks like a few others have confirmed what i said to.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

I have a Helix sprung 4 paddle clutch in mine, and it is no problem at all. other people have driven it too and never had any problems either. I had heard of horror stories, but don't believe everything you read.
If you wanna try my clutch, you are welcome to...............

 

[ditz]

mate had one in an rs turbo.. its a bit grabby, but was used to it within 5 minutes....

 

[sideways danny]

I can't stand paddle clutches, and I've time and again proven that for road use a stronger cover plate is the way to go. Only real need for a paddle is under hard use for serious motorsport, and even then it should be with the knowledge that your flywheel and pressure plate will get eaten (that's why they get lighter with use.....they're doing less). I've had a paddle clutch ruin a flywheel in 3k by munching its way into it, leaving me with a 3mm deep groove in my flywheel.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

Sorry Danny but it must have been fitted wrong then, because my paddle has done 10k, and there's not a spot of wear on it anywhere, when i last had to take off to refit my flywheel correctly after it came loose! ( it was fitted by GDI)

 

[Fred@BTM]

^oooft, www.owned.com

danny you're either talking out the wrong hole there, been unlucky or using cheap parts, as daz says, on a helix paddle after 10K we saw 0.11mm wear which is sod all

 

[sideways danny]

clio flywheel seems harder than the 200sx one i'm refering to, but the last helix cover i saw with about 10k on it was pretty munched. There's no need for them anyway, stronger clamping cover will increased torque handling, and with NA you'll never have huge torque. My RPS organic clutch on my 200sx for example was rated to 410lb/ft

and I wouldn't call £170 for the paddle plate alone cheap. I've seen the same results time and again. Paddle plate almost untouched, cover or flywheel ruined. think of the effect race pads have on disks....same thing

 

[Fred@BTM]

f**king jap shite, we're on about proper crap here, made with love and garlic, renault flywheels are manchester with a paddle

 

[sideways danny]

still munches the cover though, and they're over £200 a pop. Pointless waste of parts when a more freindly to use item will do the job just as well and last longer

 

[Fred@BTM]

not on our alcon stuff, 10K we had sod all wear, and i'm not just saying that to piss you off, its atucally true!!

 

[mikekean]

How much are the alcon clutches Fred and where do you get them from? I gave up looking for one after a while and just bought a helix

 

[Fred@BTM]

well they stopped using them as they had a few explode and changed to helix, haven't tried to buy one in a while but you might be able to still get one, i'll send you some details

 

[mikekean]

Yeah i heard that to must of just been a dodgy run of them, Alcon stuff is top notch usually.

 

[Vicky.]

So final opinions is the majority seem to Think it's not ideal in a road car but you cam certainly live with it?

 

[Fred@BTM]

well i hope Helix have got a bit quicker these days, 2 years we waited for them to do a V6 clutch then they decided they couldn't be bothered

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

They're not ideal for stop start driving. Not the end of the world though, depends what you want it for? Just imagine the distance of clutch pedal travel being nearly nothing from engaged to disengaged and that's what it's like. If you're really sensitive with your foot it's no problem, but it will catch you out as soon as you stop thinking about it.

 

[T.Trophy]

stevieh.
although it wasnt me driving the car he wanted some input and that was my experience

Mate I wasnt having a go, and I'll be honest I'm not sure what a evo would be like with a paddle clutch but I can boldly state that a paddle clutch on the road is far from ideal, yes you can still drive it on the road as I've proven with mine over the 18 months that I've had mine fitted. However because of the initial take up being so snatchy you have to do as Ben172 says and use excessive revs and clutch slip to avoid stalling. In slow moving traffic everyone looks at you as though you've just passed your test. LOL. However untill you experience one for your self you wont appreciate how dreadfull they are, I'm fitting a stronger box to mine and the one criteria it had to meet was having a larger fly wheel to accomodate a larger clutch so I can move down to an organic plate.

So final opinions is the majority seem to Think it's not ideal in a road car but you cam certainly live with it?

Bingo

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

So final opinions is the majority seem to Think it's not ideal in a road car but you cam certainly live with it?

IF you can justify the requirement for an uprated clutch, then it is certainly liveable in a roadcar. Bear in mind i was running a standard clutch for 6 months with approx 220 bhp and 170 ftlbs and it was fine until i Santa podded it!

And further to what other people put, no more hill starts sitting on the clutch, you will have to use the handbrake! and as for traffic, i learnt to leave a bigger gap, so i can trundle along in 1st at idle(ish) so as to not use the clutch.

 

[T.Trophy]

I'm certain Paul@RStuning was running an organic clutch in his SC clio, so in my eyes a paddle clutch is OTT for 99.8% of people on here.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

I'm certain Paul@RStuning was running an organic clutch in his SC clio, so in my eyes a paddle clutch is OTT for 99.8% of people on here.

Like i said, the standard clutch is happy, till you start drag racing, and then standard power is enough to pop gearboxes/clutches! lol

at end of the day the clutch is rated to same torque as the gearbox, so guess what will go after the clutch, if you don't look after it!