Clutch Market

While the automatic transmission continues to increase its dominance among car buyers, there are still groups of holdout drivers who prefer to go manual.

Whether it’s sports car enthusiasts who want more involvement and better performance, off-roaders who want the control that a manual transmission offers, or professionals who need their trucks to work hard, a dependable clutch system is crucial.

Although the basic concept behind clutch technology hasn’t changed much over the last 20 years, it is still one of the most overworked parts on the car, next to the suspension and brakes. Excessive friction exerted on the pressure plate can eventually lead to total disintegration, damaged splines, or other failures, while unwanted rotation between the flywheel and the clutch can cause excessive finger wear, bent drive straps, or even a bent or broken disc.

A skilled technician can detect the source of a problem with little more than a visual inspection, and by listening closely for any odd or unwarranted noise. Yet many of the headaches associated with post-repair comebacks are the result of human error. Improper installation and handling, misaligned parts, or the use of an incorrect component can result in a loss of productivity and wasted effort through all channels of distribution.

Clutches have become a declining market in recent years, for a number of reasons, but manual transmissions remain the option of choice with light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks, competition vehicles, as well as those drivers who, for personal reasons, still prefer to drive a stick.

While many car models are still available with manual transmissions, they are no longer as popular as they used to be in North America, as many modern consumers prefer the convenience of choosing automatic as an option for a small additional cost.

The percentage of vehicles being produced with manual transmissions is about a third of what it was in 1985, down from 22% to 7% in 2003, according to Ward’s Communications.

However, this is largely a North American phenomenon. In Europe and Asia (with the exception of Japan), most cars

are sold with manual transmissions. According to a study conducted by CSM Worldwide, 75.2% of light vehicles produced in Western Europe in 2008 contained manual transmissions. However, according to CSM, those numbers are expected to drop to 68.3% by 2014.

“From an OE standpoint, manual transmissions are a declining market,” says Doug Crites, product services manager for Luk Aftermarket Services Inc. “Luk has largely migrated from a clutch market to a torque converter market. We see the writing on the wall as the numbers of Chevy and Ford Trucks [being built], for example, continue to decline.”

This statement reflects, in part, recent slumping auto sales worldwide. While the Ford F-Series has remained the number-one pickup for the better part of a decade, what we’re seeing is fewer vehicles being purchased across all markets.

This has produced a trickle-down effect of sorts as more consumers opt to drive automatics; manual transmissions are quickly turning into a niche market, although they remain a necessary one.

Clutches Today

As the economy continues to contract, we’re seeing a change in consumer behaviour in the vehicle market: more and more people are holding onto their vehicles longer or buying used as opposed to leasing or purchasing new vehicles.

This presents a particular challenge for the aftermarket, due to the nature of the clutch itself. Generally speaking, the interior clutch mechanism is composed of several components: the release bearing, the pilot bearing, the clutch disc, and the pressure plate cover. However, replacing a single component is not always that simple.

“With clutches, it’s very much a one-to-one relationship,” says Joe Fee, product marketing manager for Valeo in Michigan. “You can’t have one part from a different manufacturer replace the clutch system of another. You can’t have the same disc go into a different point of reference.”

Manufacturers simply offer clutch kits to deal with the problem rather than a single replacement part. The amount of time and money expended for a counterperson to send a single replacement part, only for a technician to discover it doesn’t work once replaced, is not worth the effort; a matched set is the way to go.

“In the long run,” says Fee, “clutch kits work better.” As a result, a lot of experienced jobbers do not sell remanufactured clutches back into the aftermarket.

“We don’t promote a clutch,” says David McIntyre, a jobber from NAPA Auto Parts in Okotoks, Alta. “We prefer to advertise in markets where every type of car can participate. If we did have a problem with a clutch we could only sell a new one. We don’t sell remanufactured clutches except for tractors.”

Comebacks & Other Issues

Technicians are expected to deal with every problem that comes before them when it comes to auto repair and maintenance. And no matter how seasoned a tech may be, it is well-nigh impossible to expertly diagnose clutch problems on every make and model every time– such as what to do when a 1994 Mustang growls when the clutch is operated, or why it’s more challenging to diagnose a clutch system problem on a Ford F-Series with a 7.3L diesel and dual mass flywheel.

What makes clutches particularly vulnerable to comebacks is, in part, due to the delicate nature of clutch discs. A drop of lubricant on the friction plate, or even a fingerprint from a mechanic’s hand, can cause chatter and slippage.

Usually when this happens, the clutch supplier takes the heat, and usually unfairly, says Luk’s Crites. “If a clutch came from a main OE supplier, it is rarely a manufacturer defect,” he says. “Problems with the clutch are typically the result of installation issues or abuse. A driver with his toe constantly on the clutch will wear the part quicker over time. This is especially true with young drivers or drivers who don’t have experience driving a manual vehicle.”

While manual-transmission vehicles are likely to be serviced for problems involving the clutch system at least once within their lifetime, SAC (self-adjusting clutch) technology has allowed less wear and a delayed failure when compared to older systems.

However, many comebacks can be the result of an improper diagnosis on the technician’s part, especially for those whose first priority is to ensure a high turnover of customers. Their first instinct might be to send a component back to the manufacturer without a second thought in order to ensure quicker service.

With maintaining goodwill with customers a priority, the clutch may be deemed defective when it is in fact perfectly fine once tested by the manufacturer.

Still, counterpeople should be on the lookout for cases where a technician has repeated comebacks; perhaps more training is needed. In any case, you would be wise to consider installation issues as a possible cause, before immediately blaming the part.

Even though the overall market may be on the wane, the popularity of clutches in certain applications promises to keep them a part of the aftermarket for some time.