Receiving Helpdesk

what causes a clutch brake to break

by Dr. Darren Jenkins II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The first reason clutch brakes fail is because the friction material wears out. Eventually, you’ll get metal to metal contact. While it can cause the gears to slow, it can damage the bearing and the cover of the transmission.

Full Answer

What can cause brake and clutch problems?

Environmental and service conditions that can cause trouble for brakes and clutches include exposure to: • Wetness or dampness, like steam. • Gritty dust, like grinding fines. • Oil mist. • Salty air. • Radioactivity. • Chemical fumes. Also, poor ventilation for a brake or clutch can raise its temperature and bring on trouble.

Why do clutches fail so often?

This happens during climbing an incline. We tend to use clutch and accelerator to hold the car on an incline instead of applying brakes. This causes the clutch to quickly overheat and sometimes fail instantly. This also brings down the life of the clutch drastically.

What does the clutch brake do on a truck?

The purpose of the clutch brake is to stop or slow the input shaft from turning. It helps prevent premature wear of the internal transmission parts during those initial shifts. To understand this in more detail, let’s consider what is going on when a heavy truck transmission is shifted from neutral to first or reverse.

How do you brake without damaging the transmission?

To avoid this, you would first need to press the clutch so that the engine is not dependent on the transmission and then start braking. Clutch and brake together are usually used in emergencies as it is the most effective way to brake without damaging the mechanical parts of the car.

What causes a clutch brake to wear out?

Replacing a Clutch Brake A clutch is designed to ensure that the driver can accelerate the vehicle smoothly. The disc within its steel plate undergoes friction similar to a brake. Over time, the pressure that is placed upon it causes the clutch to wear out.

How do you know when a clutch brake is bad?

You are most likely to notice this when putting the car in reverse and first gear.Slipping. This is exactly what it sounds like. ... Burning smell. A burning smell many times goes hand-in-hand with a failing clutch. ... Noises. ... Sticky or stuck pedal.

How does a clutch brake work?

5:186:29How a Clutch Brake works with a Roadranger transmission - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo how we do that is we just lift the clutch pedal slightly. So just as you put your foot on theMoreSo how we do that is we just lift the clutch pedal slightly. So just as you put your foot on the clutch you got to put it in gear the tics like going in just release the clutch slightly.

What happens when clutch and brake?

Using the brake and the clutch at the same time is going to hurt your car. In the process of applying the brake together with the clutch, you'll end up having a worn brake and waste the engine power. If you engage the clutch, the running engine will help you to slow down (engine braking).

How many years does a clutch last?

Most clutches are designed to last approximately 60,000 miles before they need to be replaced. Some may need replacing at 30,000 and some others can keep going well over 100,000 miles, but this is fairly uncommon.

Can a clutch fail suddenly?

Sudden and gradual failure Clutches tend to fail in one of two ways – either suddenly or gradually. With a sudden breakdown, the clutch ceases to work entirely and the car won't move. With gradual failure, you may experience problems such as the car not stopping when you press the pedal.

How long does it take to replace a clutch brake?

Clutch replacement can take as little as 2-3 hours, but on average the total job time sits at around 5 hours. The first part of the process is the removal of the old clutch.

What must be done to engage the clutch brake?

0:573:02Micro Lesson The Clutch Brake - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLet the clutch out push it in a little bit go to second let the clutch out push it in a little bitMoreLet the clutch out push it in a little bit go to second let the clutch out push it in a little bit go to neutral let the clutch out push.

What is clutch brake squeeze?

Get your assistant to depress the clutch pedal to squeeze and hold the feeler gauge. Then get them to slowly let the pedal up. As soon as the feeler gauge can be removed, get them to stop raising the pedal. The pedal should be between 12-25mm from the end of the pedal stroke for proper clutch brake squeeze.

Is it OK to press clutch while braking?

No , you don't use the clutch when braking / slowing down the vehicle . Clutch connects the drivetrain to the engine , pressing the clutch will disconnect the drivetrain from the engine and your wheels will start moving at even more speed thus increasing your stopping distance .

Can you press the clutch and the break at the same time?

You're more likely to stall or have a shaky stop if you're driving slowly below 10mph and press the brake first then clutch. You can also press both the clutch and brake at the same time when you're driving slowly if needed.

What happens if you hold the clutch too long?

Explanation: Holding the clutch down or staying in neutral for too long will cause your vehicle to freewheel. This is known as 'coasting' and it's dangerous, because it reduces your control of the vehicle.

blackw900 The Grandfather of Flatbed

What makes these go bad?...Are they more than likely just needing adjustment?

cadillacdude1975 Road Train Member

not too much to them. about a 25 dollar item with tax. i guess the life of a clutch brake would depend on how much start and stop driving the clutch assembly is subjected to, and do you float the gears or double clutch it to the floor every shift?

Prairie Boy Road Train Member

It is a $25 item, but labor is the costly part. If it is a 1 piece them you have to pull the transmission, tho I have been able to cut the brake out before and install a 2 piece but I only tried it once.

PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

Clutch brakes go bad due to poor parenting and inadequate educational opportunities.

cadillacdude1975 Road Train Member

yeah the labor is high for everything these days. 25 dollar part could be as much 150 to 200 installed these days.

Dino1968 Light Load Member

What will wear a clutch out worse than anything is No1. Taking off in the highest gear possible [pizzes me off when I hear my drivers doing it] No2. When the truck is still moving and you push the clutch all the way to the floor with the transmission in gear. I try to not use the clutch unless it's at a dead stop.

Why do you need to press the brakes and clutch together?

If someone or something comes in front of your car you would have to press the clutch and brake together, this will ensure that you do not accelerate by accident as your gearbox will be disengaged from the wheels. And you will be able to stop with the full braking power of your car.

What happens if you don't use your clutch?

If you want to stop and do not use your clutch, then your car will eventually stall and come to a halt. This will cause damage to your engine, clutch and transmission.

When to use brakes at high speed?

At High Speeds: First brake then clutch. Brake is first used when you are travelling at decent speed and you need to slow down a bit. Now, if you decide to stop or the speed of your car reaches the lowest speed of the gear then you would need to use the brakes so that your car does not stall.

When do you need to use brakes?

You only need to use the brake if you want to slow down or if there is an obstacle in your way and you want to turn slightly away from it. As you are above the lowest speed of the gear, you can just decrease your speed slightly and the continue.

How fast does a car stall when braking?

When you will start braking, your speed will start falling and once it goes below 15kmph, your start will start struggling and eventually stall. To avoid this, you would need to press the clutch once you hit the lower speed of the gear or when you feel the engine is about to struggle.

How does a clutch affect the transmission?

This also brings down the life of the clutch drastically. The clutch transfers enough power to the transmission to keep the car from rolling backwards but at the same time, the clutch is slipping and generating excessive heat causing a huge damage in the process.

What happens when you slip a clutch?

Slipping the clutch causes overheating and heavy damage to the clutch plates while making them unusable much before their expected life. iding the clutch happens when you do not release the clutch pedal completely. It is different from slipping the clutch.

What does it mean when your clutch is depressed?

If the car is already in motion and has gone past the biting point where the clutch input is not needed yet the clutch is slightly depressed is called riding the clutch. During this, the clutch is not fully engaged causing it to slip a bit and abnormal wear happens. Read more about that here .

What is the hardest part of a manual transmission?

The hardest-working component in any vehicle with a manual transmission is the clutch. Every start, every stop and every gear change means the clutch is engaging and disengaging. The friction that is created between the clutch disc, pressure plate and flywheel when the clutch engages generates heat and wear, and the more the driver “rides” ...

Why use a clutch and brake?

The use of clutches and brakes to control motion--be it an assembly line, bottling facility, or an industrial bakery--can result directly from the need to minimize downtime and increase productivity. Standard industrial electric motors cannot provide long life in high cycle rate applications nor can they provide consistent accurate positioning. Adding a clutch/brake to the drive system alleviates the shock of rapid starts and stops. It also extends motor life and efficiency and enables accurate positioning of materials for efficient, productive operations.

What causes a clutch to not work?

A variety of factors adversely affect even properly sized clutch/brakes. Most common among these are improper installation and environmental factors. The most common cause of poor clutch/brake performance is improper mounting. For a clutch/brake to work properly, the friction surfaces must be square and concentric within fairly tight tolerances that vary somewhat by unit size. These tolerances are stated in the installation manuals included with new units. Failure to adhere to these tolerances causes a unit to perform below its ratings. Time spent making sure that a unit is properly installed saves hours of downtime later.

Is a clutch a simple device?

Clutches and brakes are fairly simple devices. Determining the cause of poor performance or failure, therefore, is fairly simple. Problem solving is often quickest when users recognize that the clutch/brake malfunction may be a symptom of a problem rather than the source.

What happens if you break the clutch tangs off a tractor?

I disagree with to much grease affecting the clutch brake, many brakes and clutch plates are made to be used in oil and grease.#N#If as was stated you have broken the brake tangs off, the brake will not work, if the clutch is dragging, then the brake will not stop it. If the pilot bearing is damaged it will effect the clutch brake, cupped ceramic pucks, broken springs, all have an effect.#N#If you are stopped and the clutch is adjusted properly, with just the tractor, brakes released, and the truck in a low gear, clutch pedal down 1/2 way and the truck tries to move or the motor drags, the clutch is junk.#N#If you think the clutch is worn out or the preasure plate is damaged, how I tested the clutch, and the adjustment must be right, with a cold clutch, is with a S60, others take a little bit of clutch work to avoid stalling, put it in 2and gear and with the spring brakes on and motor at idle it will drive away. If it slips it is junk.#N#Just a thought!

What happens if you break the brake tangs off?

If as was stated you have broken the brake tangs off, the brake will not work, if the clutch is dragging, then the brake will not stop it . If the pilot bearing is damaged it will effect the clutch brake, cupped ceramic pucks, broken springs, all have an effect. If you are stopped and the clutch is adjusted properly, with just the tractor, ...

How do vibrations affect a clutch?

Two types of vibration can trouble your clutch or brake. Operating vibrations from uneven loads, poor alignment, or misassembly will obviously destroy a unit if left unchecked. These phenomena are often cumulative, growing larger as they cause wear or loosen mountings. More subtle are environmental vibrations, caused by other adjacent or mobile equipment. Particularly when machinery having clutches or brakes with ball or roller bearings is stored or inactive for a long time, these vibrations and the bearings’ static loads may cause “false brinelling.” Result: Tiny dents in the bearing raceway. They will cause vibration and wear as rolling elements pass over them when the clutch goes back in service. The easy solution: Periodically turn the shafts on which the units mount — maybe once a month. It can improve the health of motor and line-shaft bearings, too.

What happens if you don't align your brakes?

If bearings and shafts are not aligned, extra stresses and vibrations that develop can turn into major problems. Most industrial clutches and brakes are similar in design and have a small air gap between armature and magnet body. The effect of any misalignment is magnified, particularly on clutches, and can cause vibration and torque loss.

What causes false brinelling?

Particularly when machinery having clutches or brakes with ball or roller bearings is stored or inactive for a long time, these vibrations and the bearings’ static loads may cause “false brinelling.”.

How far past the frictionlining surface does the inner pole of a brake extend?

On standard brakes and clutches, inner and outer poles may extend a few thousandths of an inch past the frictionlining surface. This is normal, and the excess material will generally wear down properly after a short period of normal use. However, take care on lowspeed applications.

How much torque can be lost when lubricant is changed?

When lubricant or other material that can change the friction coefficient gets between friction surfaces, up to 75% of torque can be lost. It’s easy to notice large-volume contaminants — big gobs or clumps — but some are more subtle, such as lubricant from a chain drive. Near equipment that gives off contaminants, install a brake or clutch shroud.

How long can a clutch be stored?

Avoid on-shelf vibration. Also, a well sealed and stored clutch or brake can be kept indefinitely. Normal factory packaging should be enough for about three months’ storage in an area without environmental control.

What happens if a clutch is burnished?

If the clutch or brake is not properly burnished, the friction material may not seat properly, and then the unit will never deliver rated torque.

What changes can impact clutch wear?

Other changes that can impact clutch wear include increased tire size, changes in gear ratio, and/or a substantial increase in vehicle weight (from frequent hauling or installing commercial equipment), and towing loads without upgrading to a clutch that can handle the torque capacity.

How long should clutches last?

Even though we'd love to sell everyone a new clutch every 6 months, the reality is that clutches should last a long time. While clutches can wear faster than others due to normal use (for example, if you've got a Ram diesel that's pulling 25k lbs every day, your clutch is going to wear faster than the clutch in gramma's Honda Civic), clutch life should be measured in years.

Do you wear a clutch when you ride in traffic?

This is something people do because they don’t really know what they’re doing, but even experienced drivers do this, especially in traffic. What you need to know is that when the clutch pedal isn’t all the way UP, you’re wearing the clutch. While it’s okay to engage the clutch pedal smoothly (go too fast and no one will want to ride with you), the less time you spend engaging and disengaging the pedal, the longer your clutch is going to last.

Can you increase clutch wear?

This isn't so much a "problem" as it is a side-effect of an upgrade. If you increase the torque output of your engine, you've probably changed the clutch wear rate. Clutches are rated for a specific range of engine torque. When you change that range, you often see clutches wear faster than expected.

Can oil get on clutch disc?

It's not terribly common, but it's not exactly rare either: Clutch contamination occurs when some sort of fluid (usually oil) gets on the clutch disc and shortens the lifespan. A leaky rear main seal is often a culprit, but any number of fluids can contaminate your clutch, including the hydraulic fluid that powers your clutch cylinders. Grease can also get on your clutch surface if the installation isn't done correctly.

Is it bad to shift before the clutch is fully disengaged?

Shifting before the clutch is fully disengaged - or letting the clutch pedal out without being completely in gear - is a clutch killer. Obviously, jamming gears without pressing the clutch down is a horrible way to shift too, but that’s a whole other issue (Note: If you do this sort of thing, we sincerely hope you have a sponsor who helps you pay your repair costs).

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