Shane369

iTrader: (4)

I'm still trying to learn everything I can and I've came across something I don't know. Right now I run the d8 with the impulse clutch shoes, just got a new engine and thought that I'd give the m2cracing shoes a try as well. According to the site, you get the springs based on amount of stall you want and the shoes hardness goes with how much slip you want. To be honest with you I'm totally lost! Can someone please explain this? Most of the tracks I run on don't offer the best traction and are usually packed pretty hard.

crotty777

iTrader: (1)

The clutch spring adjust your stall meaning the stiffer the spring the higher the rpm of your engine must be to engage your clutch shoes, and the softer the spring means less rpm to engage the clutch.

The softer the clutch shoe the less it will slip and the harder the shoe the more it will slip.

if your running on a slick track you'll probably want to go with a softer spring or a harder shoe to keep the tires from spinning so easy.

howtowakeakar

iTrader: (4)

Expanding on what crotty said - stiffer spring = more stall, softer = less stall, harder shoe = less bite (more slippage), softer shoe = more bite (less slippage).

jpalessi

iTrader: (55)

try a m2c medium lite shoe with the 1.0 springs supplied. lemme know what you think. The lite shoes require less stall.

Shane369

iTrader: (4)

Thanks! Ima 100% with you on the springs and the stall, still not quite understanding the slip.

howtowakeakar

iTrader: (4)

Think of slip as rubbing a rubber eraser and a block of aluminum on a car body.

Which "grips" more? The eraser.
Which wears less? The aluminum.

Shane369

iTrader: (4)

So, if I'm understanding the analogy right less slip grips the clutch bell better but wears faster and more slip would be vice versa??

howtowakeakar

iTrader: (4)

Yup, you trade grip for wear.

SteveP

I don't like the confusing terms like "stall" because it requires explanation. Here's my best effort to simplify the discussion.

Stronger clutch springs cause the clutch to engage at a higher rpm - weaker springs make the clutch engage at a lower rpm. The reason this matters is because the engine makes much more power at higher rpm. So, a clutch with heavy springs will engage more strongly and one with lighter springs will engage more smoothly. Heavier springs are good for tracks where there is a lot of traction, and the lighter springs are better for less traction. If you've even driven a car with a manual transmission or a dirt bike, you know that if you dump the clutch when the engine is at low rpm, the engine will either stall or leave very slowly. Conversely, if you have high revs when you dump the clutch, you get lots of wheel spin or take off like crazy. It's the same thing with our clutches - you just have to pick the best one for the conditions.

As for the clutch shoes, there isn't as simple an explanation. There are harder and softer aluminum shoes, which tend to follow the advice you've already seen - harder sloes slip a little more and have less wear, while the softer shoes grab more forcefully and wear more quickly. But, carbon shoes for example, are very soft, but they slip more than the aluminum, and wear about as quickly as aluminum shoes. So softer or harder clutch shoes don't always mean the same thing.

The amount of slip is also relevant. A clutch that slips more improves traction but has slightly slower acceleration, which is good for low-traction conditions. A clutch that grabs quickly is more aggressive for strong acceleration, but it can be a handful on a slippery track - it's best for high traction conditions.

I hope all this make sense.

Shane369

iTrader: (4)

SteveP, the last paragraph in your post cleared it all up for me. Thanks for everyones help! Now I'm just gonna order me a different mix of springs and shoes!