A Car clutch is a mechanical device that engages and shuts off power transmission, especially from the drive shaft (drive shaft) to the driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (driveshaft or line shaft). In these devices, one shaft is usually connected to a motor and the other to the power unit (driving element), while another shaft (the driven element) provides the power output for work. The movements generally involved are rotary, but linear clutches also exist.
Be it a motorcycle, a car, a van, or a truck, clutches are essential for the operation of vehicles. The clutch is the mechanism within a vehicle that engages the rotating shaft and transfers power from the engine to the wheels.
SOME WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR CAR CLUTCH
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NEVER PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE CAR CLUTCH
Many people have this bad habit of keeping their foot on the clutch pedal. This is a really bad habit because even the slightest effort will cause the pressure plates to shrink. This, in turn, will cause some of the friction plates to come into contact and wear out unnecessarily. So when you are using the clutch, never use it as a footrest. The clutch pedal must always be either fully depressed or fully unclamped. This is arguably the easiest way how to make a car’s clutch last longer.
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NEVER SLOW DOWN BRAKE AND CAR CLUTCH SIMULTANEOUSLY
Again a common bad habit of people is to press the brake and clutch pedal together while applying the brakes. Not only does this lead to unnecessary clutch usage but you are also sacrificing a lot of braking force by taking the load off the engine. So when you intend to slow down, use the clutch only when it is necessary to shift gears. Depressing the clutch as you brake can slow down your rate of deceleration and potentially lead to an accident.
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USE HANDBRAKE ON INCLINE NOT ON CAR CLUTCH
When you come to a dead stop on an incline and want to move on, what do you do? This is a difficult situation but it can be easily overcome. The important thing to remember here is not to use the force of the clutch to keep the car in the correct position. By doing this you will not have enough juice left to move forward without jerking and you are also putting too much load on the clutch. Instead, use the handbrake and take your foot off the brake. Then increase the rpm slightly and slowly release the clutch and handbrake while simultaneously increasing the throttle. This technique sounds complicated but will come naturally to you with some practice.
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RACE LAUNCHES ARE FUN, BUT ALSO HARMFUL
Even if you don’t have a potential career in F1, building up the RPMs and dumping the clutch is just fun. If you have a decent sporty car with above average driving skills and you’re the only person standing at a red light with an empty road ahead of you, the temptation is just excruciating. Sadly, as fun as it is, launching the car puts a lot of pressure on the car clutch.
Firstly, going into the 4000-5000 RPM range with the clutch fully pressed does a lot of damage to the entire clutch system. Then releasing all that force in a flash also damages the pressure plates and the input shaft leading to the gears. Therefore, always keep the RPM as low as possible from the stalling point when running through a signal. Remove your foot from the clutch slowly and not in a hurry. However, if you can afford to replace your clutch frequently, there’s no harm in having some fun.
CONCLUSION
On this page, we learn about what is a car clutch and how to protect yours. If you have any query or wants to discuss or suggest anything about this page, feel free to use our comment section and discuss it with our other readers. Visit our website: Bharat Industry