Okay, I have a three clutches in the garage. An OEM, OEM replacement, and a very expensive Carbotech clutch. What I have noticed is the size of the springs in the clutch plates vary. What exactly does the size of the springs have to do with the durability and operation of the clutch?

 

The springs in the clutch disc are damper springs that lessen the harshness during engagement, so they have more to do with the way the clutch feels under your foot and how smooth you are able to drive your car than anything else.

If you are thinking about swapping discs around, keep in mind that pressure plates are designed to work with specific disc thicknesses and differences of as little as .010" can cause operational problems.

 

Great, thanks I was just wondering more than anything else, my stock clutch only has 30k on it and looks great except for the discoloring from heat so I think I will just reuse it.

I was curious because the aftermarket OEM replacement looks exactly the same as the factory clutch except for the clutch disc, the springs are quite a bit larger on the factory disc. But the pressure plate etc. looks exactly the same, has the same markings, etc.

 

The "bluing" on your factory disc is not from heat during use and it is normal. As for the rest, pay that no never mind and drive the Hell outta yer car...... :lol2;

 

I would recommend at least replacing the disc only, the springs on the OE disc go weak early (I bet they have loose play in them if you check) and I have seen quite a few come apart at the center hub long before the material wore out

 

Thanks for the info, I ordered a new OEM clutch set, I figure it's easy to replace while the engine is out so doing it now will save me the headache later.