A clutch engages and disengages with the flywheel to transmit power from an engine to transmission to make your vehicle (car, truck or motorcycle) moving forward or backward. As time goes by, clutches wear out and need to be replaced in time. Many drivers might have the same question, what are the signs that the clutch of my vehicle needs to be changed? Below, we listed 4 signs that indicating a worn clutch.

1. Abnormal noises

When a clutch is worn out, it becomes thinner than usual, then it can not engage with the flywheel’s mating surface firmly, so unusual chatter noises are produced. When you hear these irregular grinding sounds, please consider replacing your clutch disk to prevent further damages to your flywheel and other parts.

2. Burning smell

Due to normal tear and wear, the clutch disk becomes thinner gradually. If the clutch disk is finally worn out, there is only metal plate left. When engaging with the flywheel, which is also made of metal, a noticeable burning smell is produced. This unpleasant scent is telling you that the clutch disk needs to be replaced.

3. High engine RPMs and slow acceleration

To reach a certain speed, you need to step down the gas pedal much deeper than usual. This is a typical sign of a slipping clutch disk.

Every manual vehicle driver knows how many engine RPMs are needed to hit certain speed in a given gear. But if your clutch disk wears out, slipping happens. This means more RPMs than usual is needed to hit a certain speed and the acceleration becomes slower.

Some even worse scenario is even after you’ve pressed down the gas pedal to the floor, the vehicle doesn’t accelerate much. If this happens, DO CHANGE YOUR CLUTCH DISK STRAIGHTAWAY!

4.Difficulty Changing gears

A properly working clutch disk makes it smooth and effortless when changing gears. But if the clutch begins to slip, it’s a different story, a rougher transition takes place and you find it difficult to shift the gears.

How to extend the life of the clutch disks

1. Do not step on the clutch pedal when not changing gears;

2. Reduce clutch-riding time, change gears in time according to the road condition;

3. When deceleration is required, do not step on the clutch pedal too early, and wait until the vehicle speed drops to a reasonable range before stepping on the clutch pedal to reduce clutch idling;

4. Put gear to neutral and release the clutch pedal when parking to avoid increasing the burden on the cluth;

5. Start off in gear 1 to get maximum torque and reduce clutch overload.

We are Shandong Hangtang Machine Co., Ltd. Our company is located in Ji'nan City, Shandong province, where Sinotruk's headquarter is based. For the past 15 years, we have been exporting trucks and parts for customers from Africa, America, Asia and Europe. We win our customers' trust not only by quality yet moderately-priced products but also our services. 

If you are looking for parts for Howo, FAW, Shacman, Foton, Beiben or Sinotruk, you are in the right place! Please feel free to contact us. We believe you are going to be our next happy customer.