Clutches are normally found in anything that has two rotating shafts. For vehicle purposes, a clutch is needed because the engine is constantly rotating and the car’s wheels are not. For a car to stop, without ruining the engine, the wheels cannot be connected directly to the engine. A clutch allows a spinning engine to smoothly transition to a non-spinning transmission by controlling the flow between the engine and wheels.
Friction also plays an important factor in the process. Two pieces known as the flywheel and clutch plate are the reason a clutch works. Inside the clutch the flywheel is placed on the engine and the clutch plate is attached to the transmission. Any time you are not accelerating, springs are pushing the pressure plate against the clutch plate, which in turn presses against the flywheel. This allows the transmission input shaft to lock to the engine forcing them to rotate at the same time.
On the counter side, when you accelerate a cable or hydraulic piston pushes on the release fork, which presses the throw-out bearing against the middle of the diaphragm spring. The middle of the diaphragm spring is pushed in a series of pins near the outside of the spring causing the spring to pull the pressure plate away from the clutch disc. This releases the clutch from the spinning engine.
After a while the wear and tear from the friction material on the disc wears out. When most of the friction material is gone the clutch will start to slip, and eventually it won’t transmit any power from the engine to the wheels. The clutch only wears while the disc and flywheel are spinning at different speeds.
Your local DFW City Garage mechanics are able to provide the maintenance required for your clutch. Stop by your DFW City Garage auto repair location and let an ASE Certified Technician replace the necessary parts for your vehicle’s clutch. You can easily schedule an a clutch replacement by calling us or by filling out the online appointment form. All locations offer Free WiFi to make your visit an enjoyable experience. Alternatively, you can drop your vehicle off and one of our DFW mechanics will bring it to your home or office when your clutch replacement is complete.