PRESSURE IN THE BALANCE
Holding everything together is of course the pressure plate,
diaphragm, and clutch cover. The mighty fingers of the clutch
diaphragm apply pressure when the go pedal is let out and
if all goes well keeps the engine power from going up in clutch
or tire smoke. Here is another area where RPS can custom-tailor
any setup to suit power and torque requirements. A patented
process keeps clamping force where is needed but won't end
up making your left leg bigger than your right. The dual diaphragm
pressure plate technology allows RPS to set the clamp force
to any desired pressure in 100lb increments.
As a finishing touch RPS balances their pressure plates,
flywheels and even complete assemblies on a specially converted
crank-balancing machine. Assuming that billet aluminum, ring
gears, and the like are in the balance is a bad assumption.
Since a ring gear is on the outermost point of the rotating
mass of the clutch assembly even the smallest amount of imbalance
can cause problems. RPS has also found that even billet aluminum
has minute density variances that even though small, can cause
balance issues. A bit more density at 3-o'clock than at 6-o'clock
on a flywheel and imbalance is in the race program.
By taking into account every aspect of clutch operation and
applying innovative and patented technology to clutch manufacture
RPS can custom tailor a clutch to suit your needs. From a
street-strip special to a twin-turbo modified tarmac terror
RPS can help you to get a grip on the competition.
When a one-piece heat shield warps,
the hot spots can become so severe that the heat travels
beyond the shield and can even warp the aluminum flywheel.
This is the backside of an overheated shield. Bad news.
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RPS exclusive dual diaphragm Max
series pressure plates are available with sprung single
or six-puck clutch discs and offer street-able behavior
along with race performance. Unsprung puck-type discs
are not at all acceptable on the street. |
The segmented steel pucks mount
to machined perfectly flat surfaces and can expand and
contract without adversely affecting each other. Things
stay flatter and cooler longer, which helps clutch performance
and durability.
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For serious horsepower management,
RPS offers single and multi-plate carbon series clutches,
into which they have incorporated their replaceable segmented
technology. |
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