Anyone have luck with ACT clutches?

Looking to install a 6 puck clutch and have heard pretty good things about ACT but also some bad, you guys have any input on this? I had a very bad experience with Spec customer service so I'm not going with them
TIA

 

Do you need a puck clutch?
Or do you just want a puck clutch?

Most puck kits have a heavy pressure plate and "bite" hard.
Depending on your diving style and intended use, they can actually make your driving experience worse.

Not trying to say, "Don't do it".
But make sure you pick the right setup.

I've owned 2 cars with puck systems.
One was no fun to drive in traffic. It had a light weight flywheel and a full puck clutch.
It bit HARD, and had a heavy pressure plate. Slow stop and go traffic was no fun.

The other was a Dual-Friction. Full face on one side, puck on the other.
It was much nicer as a Daily Driver.

@Torspd would be a good guy to ask. As I have NOT had a puck kit on a Tacoma.

 

Sprung or unsprung puck clutch? It will go from grabby to jerky

 

I'm leaning towards needing the puck due to previous owner having a segmented friction disk (not sure of brand it might be a South bend or competition) and it didn't hold up, started slipping doing hard pulls. It's going on a 4.0L super charged, undersized pulley, water meth, 7th injector kit, idk what kind of power it puts out but it shoots flames. As for the one I'm looking at I'll post a link to it, it's a spring 6 puck. Added a pic of my flywheel for enjoyment

https://www.tdotperformance.ca/products/act-ta3-hdg6-hd-race-sprung-6-pad.html

 

Wow. This is defiantly one for Torspd. He's making big power. That's why I tagged him.
He can probably help you. As I'm sure he's had to try a few different setups with the power he is making.

 

I ran ACT clutches many years ago and had good and bad results. I know they have improved significantly over the years, but as previously stated, the puck will bite hard and have a heavy pedal. I would be more inclined to go with a Kevlar-based disc and a tungsten-coated pressure plate with a regular or slightly higher feel. Driving on the street is an absolute nightmare if it's too stiff. The reason for the coating is from direct correspondence with ACT. The friction material of the clutch ate the pressure plate. The flywheel was fine.

 

Is machining a bigger step in the flywheel still something people are doing? I remember it being a thing when I was in highschool with the off road guys who wanted to increase the pressure plate clamp load further

 

A puck clutch in a Tacoma
Lol

you have 1000hp or what

mines URD stage 2
not puck
Off road means slipping especially with crappy factory 2.57:1

 

I think it's similar to the muscle car guys of the '60s running smaller discs to achieve a higher psi. But by doing so, you're also reducing surface area, so you'll lose clutch material faster. I would talk to whatever clutch manufacturer you decide to go with and see what they suggest. If you're putting that much pressure on it, it's better to start messing with compounds or more discs than pressure. It will be more drivable. Everything from karting to drag racing to sports cars starts adding discs rather than pressure. You move the point of diminishing returns further down the line that way.

 

I'd bet there's alot of slippage with 2.57 gears aha.

 

What does the pressure plate cover look like? As well as the friction surface?

 

Oof...

Previous owner wasn't fond of pulling out. Lol.

At least it already has the ARP bolts. Hopefully the flywheel is serviceable.

 

I already had the flywheel machined and the hot spots are soaked through, can still feel and see them, it looks like they installed the URD light weight flywheel but it's out of stock. Going to go with the competition flywheel so any input on what clutch you'd recommend would be appreciated, don't feel like doing this job again for awhile

 

Good deal on the flywheel.

That all depends on how much torque your engine makes, and how much daily driving you do?

 

I had great success with Spec Stage 2+ in a few other people's vehicles. And myself with the Spec Stage 3+. My Stage 3+ held more torque than it was rated for. I know you said that you aren't a fan of them, for whatever your reasons are. So that leaves us with the ACT.

Out of their puck options, only the sprung hub. I have know them, the brand, to last a decent time. That is subjective to the driver though.

 

I don't do much like 10-15,00KM a year, basically a grocery getter but want it to take abuse when I want with some off roading, towing, etc, I also have a bike that I use in the summer. Would it cause a weird wear pattern where some pucks stick out farther than the other on the friction disk?

As for not wanting to deal with spec long story short I spent $2300 CAD plus what ever I spent in duty fees getting their 3+ with aluminum flywheel, when installing pressure plate it pulled threads, when taking the pressure plate back off it broke all 6 ARP bolts in the flywheel, 2 months later and another $130 to ship the flywheel back truck is still in pieces

 

That sounds like quite the hassle.

Here is another great brand. However, the torque rating is lower than the ACT.

https://www.exedyusa.com/products/16957A

As for the uneven wear, it should only be caused by unequal clamping load. Which I have seen before due to the pressure plate not being seated evenly. The reason in this story was that the powder coating in the alignemnt dowel holes, on the pressure plate, were filled with powder coat.

The fit became an interference fit. The pressure plate couldn't install flush against the flywheel, as intended. Caused odd wear and strange engagement.

Cleaned out the powder coating to wear the pressure plate slid straight over the dowels. Problems sloved.

 

I second that Exedy is decent, I just installed one in my Camry and I believe my 99 Maxima had one.

I also had a similar issue of the pressure plate not seating over the dowels on my protege.. I was in high school and didn't know better yet so I just drove it down by alternating between tightening the bolts a turn then hitting near the dowels with a punch