Assemble the clutch (is it that bad?)
“Dude, that trail is awesome,” your friend says with a smile as he drives his new 1969 Porsche 911. You keep staring at the open road until the thought hits you, “There’s not a foot in this car.”
It was rolling in the clutch! Your heart stops. Imagine all the damage it could do!
Fear not, dear reader, because it is not as big as some keyboard warriors claim. Here is a complete description of driving clutch
What’s wrong with the clutch pedal?
A clutch pedal is a lever located to the left of your brake pedal that allows you to smoothly engage and disengage your car’s “clutch” when changing gears. The clutch pedal is only available on cars with a manual transmission, so if the car in question doesn’t have one, you’re in luck!
When you press the clutch pedal, the two plates that connect your engine to its driveshaft in your transmission become disconnected, allowing you to select another gear to start in a higher or lower gear.
Most clutches are friction-based and hold together at different levels of friction. When you release the clutch pedal, these two plates will separate, but they will rub together a little, causing some wear.
What does “roll over the clutch” mean?
When you drive the car, you press the clutch pedal, but you don’t press it down. This means that the clutch plates barely move apart, causing some friction and movement, leading to premature wear of these plates.
Since “shoes” are considered “wear items” by almost everyone in the automotive industry, replacing this item is unlikely to be covered under your new car warranty, so it could be an expensive repair.
This is mainly due to labor, as you will have to take the transmission apart to replace the clutch and then put everything back together with new fluid.
It’s important to know that all is not lost in clutch pedal adjustment! You can definitely adjust the “play” or freedom of your clutch pedal by following this helpful guide we put together.
See also: Is it illegal to drive barefoot?
What happens when you turn the clutch?
When you turn the clutch, you barely press the clutch pedal or when you put your foot on the pedal, you release the clutch plates a little, allowing them to slide and slide against each other.
As we know from high school physics, any form of friction between two surfaces will cause some wear. The same goes for the claws and their interaction with each other.
Now I wanted to mention that you don’t have to go to the side if you’re going on two legs, although some think it’s inevitable. If you are the next King of Drift or King of Tsukuba Time Attack Events, I don’t need to tell you.
The disadvantage of using the clutch is that clutch work is expensive, but the advantage of replacing the clutch is that you can swap for a more “performance-oriented” clutch or one that wears out less quickly.
There are tons of options, but if you’re stuck shopping for auto parts, here’s where you should start: The 19 Best Online Auto Parts Stores
See also: Accidentally driving with the parking brake on? (this is what happens.)
Is it okay to press the clutch in traffic?
No. Try not to use your clutch all the time.
If you find it really difficult not to depress the clutch pedal while putting your foot down, be sure to adjust your driving position so that your feet have a little more freedom on the pedal.
Another option is to wear driving shoes that give you more information about the vehicle itself. This way you can more immediately know how hard the group is pushing as you drive. I’ll add that this hasn’t been tested, it’s just a thought.
Roll Set vs Slipper Clutch
Although the clutch and slipper drive are basically the same wear mechanism, they are different in their application.
When you step on the clutch, constant, relentless friction is applied to the two clutch plates over and over again. This means that they wear out slowly over time and you will eventually need to replace them.
Although it may seem like it, “slipping” the clutch is an essential part of driving a manual transmission car, and I’m not talking about burning out.
When you need to accelerate quickly uphill without your car rolling backward, you will need to quickly release the clutch with the power directed to the transmission to allow the clutch to “slip”, which causes the wheels to sputter a little, but at the same time. Prevent your car from crashing into another car.
This is useful because you don’t want to cause a fender bender and be responsible for all the resulting damage.
How to end this bad driving habit
While there isn’t a “Clutch Riders Anonymous” group (ARC throws anyone?) that I know of, there are some proven ways to break the habit.
First, write it down. Then, try to pay more attention when driving to where your feet are on the ground. If you need to adjust your tuning position, do so.
If you need to put a sticky note on the steering wheel with the reminder “Don’t step on the clutch,” go ahead and do it! In any case, just by reaching the end of this article, you are already doing better than many others, so pay attention!
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