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How long has your performance clutch like sachs lasted?

Bigsmallguy

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Car(s)
GTI mk7
I just tuned my 17’ GTI stage 1 apr high torque and put on a sachs performance clutch with iabed RMS. I spoke to a mechanic friend and he said performance clutches don’t last very long. He made an analogy like performance tires, they’re made for performance and can wear out quick, whereas the factory oem clutches are meant to be durable enough to last through the warranty period. Obviously factory clutches aren’t meant to handle power tunes though .

If you’ve had a performance clutch like sachs, how long has it lasted while you were tuned?
 

MSchott

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Michigan
I have the stock clutch so no direct experience (flawless at 120000 miles). But it seems like a high performance clutch with strong springs and tough friction material would last a long time. I suppose it depends on how hard it’s used.
 

Cuzoe

Autocross Champion
Location
Los Angeles
I'm not sure how well that analogy works. If you drive your car like a race car (or just generally do clutch unfriendly things), even if you have a clutch that can hold whatever power your car makes, your clutch life will be reflective of that.

Performance tires on the other hand are often a softer compound, with lower tread wear rating. Driven exactly the same the performance tire with the lower tread wear rating won't last as long... by design.

All else being equal the performance clutch should last longer than the stock clutch. It's more durable by design. Where as performance tires sometimes sacrifice durability for increased performance

Baby the stock clutch and it can last the "life" of the car. Baby the upgraded clutch in a 400 horsepower GTI and it should last the "life" of the car as well.
 

Bigsmallguy

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Car(s)
GTI mk7
I'm not sure how well that analogy works. If you drive your car like a race car (or just generally do clutch unfriendly things), even if you have a clutch that can hold whatever power your car makes, your clutch life will be reflective of that.

Performance tires on the other hand are often a softer compound, with lower tread wear rating. Driven exactly the same the performance tire with the lower tread wear rating won't last as long... by design.

All else being equal the performance clutch should last longer than the stock clutch. It's more durable by design. Where as performance tires sometimes sacrifice durability for increased performance

Baby the stock clutch and it can last the "life" of the car. Baby the upgraded clutch in a 400 horsepower GTI and it should last the "life" of the car as well.
Nice gotcha. Ya I feel like these performance clutches are meant to last a good while while handling power. I just got a basic sacks performance clutch nothing crazy so I feel confident in its durability
 

Bigsmallguy

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Car(s)
GTI mk7
Race/performance clutches can last just as long even while tracked hard. It's about the driver. Avoid launching the car and riding the clutch and it'll be fine. Rev match when down shifting too
Okay when rev matching, I just give it a little gas as I’m releasing the clutch to engage the downshifting gear. That way when the clutch is released and engaging the gear, revs are slightly higher. Or I’m not sure if rev matching is when you’re supposed to put clutch in -give gas but don’t shift (gas in neautral) - release the clutch -then restart another clutch engagement to then downshift into the lower gear. Is my first method correct, where there’s only one clutch action and slightly revving gas during the same shift? Or is it 2 separate clutch actions, one clutch action to gas in neutral raising revs, then release the clutch and start another clutch depression to downshift? If that makes sense lol
 

Cuzoe

Autocross Champion
Location
Los Angeles
Your first description is rev matching. The goal being to have the engine rpm close to where it's going to be when you engage the clutch (release the pedal)

Your second description is double clutching. Your choice to do it or not do it. But you should still rev match on the second pedal release (when engaging the clutch).
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
I just tuned my 17’ GTI stage 1 apr high torque and put on a sachs performance clutch with iabed RMS. I spoke to a mechanic friend and he said performance clutches don’t last very long. He made an analogy like performance tires, they’re made for performance and can wear out quick, whereas the factory oem clutches are meant to be durable enough to last through the warranty period. Obviously factory clutches aren’t meant to handle power tunes though .

If you’ve had a performance clutch like sachs, how long has it lasted while you were tuned?

Performance clutches normally have stronger clamping plates and harder clutch materials. These two properties make clutches last longer. Of course if you drive the car hard, it's gonna wear faster. Clutch plate material will also make a difference. I put 30k miles on a Sachs 4 puck in NYC traffic and also did mountain runs on it. The clutch itself looked almost new when I took it out. I now have the less aggressive full face Sachs in there and it's been holding up for at least 20k.
 

jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
Your first description is rev matching. The goal being to have the engine rpm close to where it's going to be when you engage the clutch (release the pedal)

Your second description is double clutching. Your choice to do it or not do it. But you should still rev match on the second pedal release (when engaging the clutch).
This is correct. You don't need to double clutch, we have synchros
 

StealthGTI

Autocross Champion
Location
Newport News, VA
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport
I upgraded to a RSR clutch by HS Tuning about 15,000 miles after tuning to APR Stage 1. Total mileage on the car was 34k at the time. My factory clutch slipped only under certain conditions in the cold, but I upgraded early anyway. The RSR clutch is said to hold 380 lb-ft. I went to APR Stage 2 later the same year (2018). I upgraded to an IS38 and appropriate APR tune at 128,000 miles in July 2021. I'm right at the limit of the clutch. It slips just a hair at lower RPMs in cool weather... and I mean a hair. I was going to switch to a Stage 2 Endurance by SBC, but the RSR clutch holds fine 99% of the time. The car has 172,000 miles now. I'll consider another clutch upgrade if the slipping gets worse.

I don't track or race the car, but it does have over 30,000 miles of trailer towing under its serpentine belt:





I'd say having 138,000 miles on a clutch upgrade says a few things to their potential for longevity! :cool:
 

Kdubya

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Florida
Car(s)
2017 GTI
That’s my 2023 goal.. RSR Hybrid clutch, new flywheel and rear main. Once that is done I’ll be set since i don’t plan on going further performance wise.
 
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