Clutch disc carnage...

[Zeus33rd]

So my bud and I went out to the local spot to wheel around a bit today. I was coming down a suuuper steep hill in double low, just idleing. I got to about the last 20 feet of the hill and figured I'd just push the clutch in and zoom to the bottom of the hill. It had a nice gradual approach, figured it'd be kinda fun. At the bottom, the clutch pedal went totally limp with a loud crunch sound and the clutch engaged itself. So we loaded it up on the trailer, took it home and tore into it. Dropped the tranny/t-cases, unbolted the clutch from the flywheel and the friction disc came out in about 6 pieces....ALL of the friction material on the side against the pressure plate ripped right off the disc. Sheared the rivets off and wedged it all on one side between the flywheel and pressure plate. I got lucky that neither the flywheel or the pressure plate were damaged. Just a $40 clutch disc and I'm back on the road. Frickin wierd failure though. Anyone ever heard of this happening?

 

[74 chev]

ive done the same thing to my truck while wheeling except i was climbing a hill. i completley shattered the clutch disc but everything else was okay. but i decided that the stock one that broke must not have been very Beef and sprung for a Centerforce one and theyre HD throw out bearing.
havent had a problem yet and ive had it apart a couple of times since then and everything looked great.

 

[Zeus33rd]

The disc itself is still intact. Just the fricion material was ripped off one side. I've heard of/seen entire discs that have blown apart, but never heard of or seen just the friction material getting ripped off. I have the pieces, and I'd take picture, but my camera is in my truck on the other side of town. I'll post them up tommorrow.

BTW, this was a Centerforce II clutch.

 

[74 chev]

huh that is weird mine was a weak ass stock one and it came all apart on me the only thing left was the splines and a pile of broken disc in the bellhousing.

 

[Zeus33rd]

Pictures-

Some interesting ideas in this thread on pirate-
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4385223#post4385223

 

[Zeus33rd]

 

[89GMCSuburban]

I've seen that happen. Cummins Dodge, a chick was driving and she doesn't really know how to drive a manual...

It's just from ragging on it hard

 

[Robert79K5]

I think the dudes theory on Pirate was right. You were in super double extreme low, coasting down that hill with the clutch in allowed it to spin at some crazy RPM that it wasnt designed for and it fragged.

 

[Zeus33rd]

I think the dudes theory on Pirate was right. You were in super double extreme low, coasting down that hill with the clutch in allowed it to spin at some crazy RPM that it wasnt designed for and it fragged.

I'm starting to believe thats correct too.

 

[diesel4me]

sounds possible...

I guess a clutch could destruct like that if you spin it too fast!..I watched a flywheel test in a outboard motor factory when we took a feild trip in school ---they spun the flywheel at ever increasing speeds in a lead lined test chamber,until centrifical force caused it to implode!--it hit 18,500 +rpms before it disintegrated!..and shrapnel was buried 1-1/2" into the lead lining of the drum test chamber! --Its strange your disc only lost ONE side of the lining though..

 

[rcamacho]

clutch disc failures

I've had a few disc material failures due to heat fracture of the friction material or oil contamination. I'd suggest looking at McLeod or Ram for a disc with HD material or ante up for bronze if you are willing to live with a little chatter.

 

[MTMike]

I'm starting to believe thats correct too.

I agree too. In double-low at even 15-20 mph the input shaft on the tranny would have been spinning at an insane RPM and that in turn caused the scatter. I bet because it was on 1 side, it may have been contacting the pressure plate slightly as it was spinning at 10,000rpms+ - were there any hot spots or warpage on the pressure plate?

Good thing it's a cheap fix though

 

[Zeus33rd]

It's all fixed and back together now. Ready for Fordyce this weekend.