I picked the car up this morning from SPEC Clutch in Birmingham, AL this morning. Upon getting there, Jeremy greeted me and handed me the keys to my X with their brand new Super Twin P-Trim clutch in it. This clutch is rated at 1,100 ft lbs of torque. So let the preliminary review begin!

Upon driving with the new clutch, I initially felt like a manual transmission noob all over again. I stalled the car two times while still in the parking lot. The engagement point of this clutch is much lower than stock. It engages near the bottom of the pedal vs the stock engagement point. Once I got use to the engagement point (and after the embarrassment wore off as my wife was laughing at me since I have been driving a manual for 16 years), I decided to start my drive back home to Atlanta, GA. The clutch takes a little bit to get use to in the beginning, but once you get use to it, this clutch is awesome. The pedal pressure feels about the same, just the engagement point is different. And you know when this thing engages, as it grabs like a fat boy grabbing an ice cream cone. I can’t really say enough of how well it grabs. There is nothing sloppy about it; everything is very precise and instantaneous. The slow response from the factory assembly is replaced by an immediate response. This is how the EVO X should have been from the factory and not that POS clutch that the car came with.

I have about 250 miles on the clutch, and I have not stalled out since the initial drive session while trying to get use to where this clutch engages at. I have not heard any chatter. I have another couple of hundred miles before the clutch is fully broken in so I can take the car to the track. But once it is broken in, it is track time.

I can’t say enough good things about SPEC and this clutch. SPEC has kept me in the loop through the entire development process and Jeremy is very straight forward and wonderful to deal with. I have used their products before in the past and I have always been very pleased with them and their products. But this clutch is just so much better than anything I have used before.

UPDATE (8/15/09 @ 7:00PM EST)

A little bit of noise started to develop today. I can only hear it while in an enclosed space, such as my garage. But there is some noise now. I pressed the clutch pedal in to throw it into reverse, and I started to hear this slight chattering noise. I through the car back into neutral and released the pedal and the noise went away. I then pressed the pedal back in and the noise was clearly there. I can only hear it with the windows down and while in the garage. I took the car for a drive and I could not hear the chatter while while stopped at a light. THIS IS NORMAL ON ALL TWIN DISC CLUTCHES AND NOT AN ISSUE!

That sounds pretty sweet. I might get this when I have to replace my clutch. So no chatter? Isn't that a first on all aftermarket clutches? Also - do you have a stock master cylinder or have you added AMS' MC Ring or the DG Motors fix?

That sounds pretty sweet. I might get this when I have to replace my clutch. So no chatter? Isn't that a first on all aftermarket clutches? Also - do you have a stock master cylinder or have you added AMS' MC Ring or the DG Motors fix?

I haven't heard any chatter. And as of now, I have the AMS ring, but it isn't installed. Planning on doing that this weekend.

You should do a how to write up :)

Hell I didnt know spec was in bham I might have to drive down and have put in maybe someone from spec can chime in to quote me a price.

Darrin, It's great to see that you are getting used to the clutch and more importantly that you are happy with the results. It is my sincere hope that the unit lives up to your expectations and that it provides you with many miles of use.

I wanted to make note that break in mileage should be completed with city driving. Ideally that means that interstate (which generally translates to non-shifting) mileage would not be factored into the break-in miles. I know it may be hard to reign yourself in from taking it to the track immediately, insuring that the unit is seated means that it ill provide you with the best durability and performance.

I also wanted to thank you for allowing us to prototype this unit on your car. It was a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to hearing your continued review of the product. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have and by all means don't forget to to send your friends my way when they need a clutch.

Actually I just got of the phone with jmay and it looks like we have another interested party. If any of your have any questions don't hesistate to call me or drop me an email...it's what I am here for after all!

I wanted to make note that break in mileage should be completed with city driving. Ideally that means that interstate (which generally translates to non-shifting) mileage would not be factored into the break-in miles. I know it may be hard to reign yourself in from taking it to the track immediately, insuring that the unit is seated means that it ill provide you with the best durability and performance.


lol, scratch that then. I then have 75 miles of city driving on the clutch and the rest is interstate.

^I did the same thing Stalled my car twice after the clutch install. Of coarse I didnt spend the big buck like you. Im sure that spec twin is really nice.

^I did the same thing Stalled my car twice after the clutch install. Of coarse I didnt spend the big buck like you. Im sure that spec twin is really nice.

I didn't spend the big buck either. They used my car to develop the clutch.

^^Lucky lol

A little bit of chatter started to develop today. I can only hear it while in an enclosed space, such as my garage. But there is some chatter now. I pressed the clutch pedal in to throw it into reverse, and I started to hear this slight chattering noise. I through the car back into nuetral and released the pedal and the noise went away. I then pressed the pedal back in and the noise was clearly there. I can only hear it with the windows down and while in the garage. I took the car for a drive and I could not hear the chatter while while stopped at a light.

wow sounds like you got a good clutch there. I was going to wait for this but ordered the Spec stage 2+ and it is getting installed as I type this. I may have to upgrade to this in a year

wow sounds like you got a good clutch there. I was going to wait for this but ordered the Spec stage 2+ and it is getting installed as I type this. I may have to upgrade to this in a year
You gotta let me know how that stg2 does.

it is getting installed as I type this. I am picking it up tomorrow and i will give you a initial review and then again once its broken in.

it is getting installed as I type this. I am picking it up tomorrow and i will give you a initial review and then again once its broken in.

Look forward to your review.

Hmmm I'm starting to lean towards a spec twin plate if I can get a killer deal ill def go with spec :D

How does the clutch feel now? More noise? Still has stock pedal pressure?

Has the engagement point moved at all?

Did you blow the master cylinder yet with that powerful SPEC?

No more noise than what I mentioned before and so far the master cylinder has held up fine. The engagement point has moved. It has moved about half way up the peddle now.

the price is cheaper than the Exedy twin, yet the torque capacity is more than doubled. interesting...

Darrin, I wanted to make sure that you and others realized that the noise you are hearing isn't actually chatter. You see, chatter occur as the clutch is released and it is most commonly perceipved as a shudder. Chatter happens when the discs skip across the corresponding friction surfaces of the flywheel.

What you are hearing with the pedal depressed is actually the sound of the floater plate which can vibrate a bit against the legs of the plate which center it. This isn't evidence of an issue and should be expected with any multi-disc clutch assembly. I hope this info helps. Let me know if you guys have any further questions or product needs. Thanks and have a great morning!

I'll have to check their website and see if they make one for my VIII, I'm due soon I think. Nice to know we have some good manufacturers making a good product at a decent price and not trying to screw us just to get JDM.

Scooter, We do offer the Super-Twin for the Evo8/9 as well. Let me know if you have any questions about these parts and I will be happy to assist you. Thanks,

Scooter, We do offer the Super-Twin for the Evo8/9 as well. Let me know if you have any questions about these parts and I will be happy to assist you. Thanks,
:yay:

I knew you had a bunch of stages for singles but didn't know you offered the super twin for the VIII. It might be a bit overkill but lets see what goes.

I'm interested in how this pans out too. I had a spec stage 4 in my old turbocharged focus and it was the only one (in 4 tries with all different manufacturers) that didn't crap out after 5k miles. I also put a stage 2 in my old n/a SVT focus with minor bolt-ons and it died after only 8k miles. So I'm a little suspect on the quality, only becuase I had such polar opposite experiences. I loved the one in my turbo'd focus and am willing to give SPEC another shot. I'm thinking the last clutch was just a fluke thing.

OP, any updates on your clutch? any weird noises? how do you like it so far? how's it with steep hills?

+1 because I am going to pull the trigger on this today

OP, any updates on your clutch? any weird noises? how do you like it so far? how's it with steep hills?

Everything is still working great. No noises besides the normal twin disc noises and the engagement is perfect now.

So I far I love this clutch. The break in period was fun though. Steep hills are fine. In fact I never even thought anything about hills till you just asked about it.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this clutch and its performance.

Great to read about your review. So the pedal feels the same, but does it feel more firm and secure? Sometimes I feel the stock clutch on the GSRs are a bit sloppy... could be a placebo effect on me since I've had very firm and "heavy" clutches.

Also, I noticed on SPEC's website, there are 3 different trims available for the Evo X: P-trim, ST-trim and E-trim. Do these comprise of a combination of pressure plates with more clamping force and disc material? What disc material is the P-trim?

Great to read about your review. So the pedal feels the same, but does it feel more firm and secure? Sometimes I feel the stock clutch on the GSRs are a bit sloppy... could be a placebo effect on me since I've had very firm and "heavy" clutches.

Also, I noticed on SPEC's website, there are 3 different trims available for the Evo X: P-trim, ST-trim and E-trim. Do these comprise of a combination of pressure plates with more clamping force and disc material? What disc material is the P-trim?


:+1:

I called JNZ to ask them about the different trim levels. They told me, but I can't remember so give them a call.

any update on this clutch? Still loving it?

:yeahthat: As I am in the market for a clutch now to go with my Gt3076.

where in ATL do you live?

Curious to see another review since it has been some time now..... I will be in the market for a clutch at some point.

updates?