Which replacement clutch and driveshaft?

[Calif boss302]

So after nearly 7 months of owning my 2013 Boss, I'm giving some serious thought to upgrading the Clutch. Driveshaft and new MGW Race Spec (trans mount) shifter.
My current setup is stock clutch, stock clutch line, stock driveshaft, and Gen II MGW with Blowfish.

My engine is bone stock and I'm planning to keep it stock so I don't need anything super heavy duty. My goals would be to find a replacement clutch that would help with smoother no lockout shifts while maintaining a easy to depress and streetable driving experience. I've heard of "Clutch Chatter" from some replacement clutches more suited for higher horsepower. While I have the clutch being done I would upgrade the clutch line to SS as well.

Since the car will go into the shop for the clutch, I thought I'd upgrade to a Aluminum one piece driveshaft. I think a 3" is plenty but what are the best options.

Any and all feedback would be helpful, as I was hoping not to overbuy and end up with something not as friendly to drive around town.

Thanks in advance . . .

 

[TMSBOSS]

Nice list of mods.

I have the first gen MGW which I upgraded to gen II, also with the MGW bracket. I see no need to upgrade there. Good drivability.

Drive shaft, I went with the DSS aluminum 3.5. Removed slop and clunk. Noticeably smoother and spins up a bit easier.

Clutch. I have a RST sitting in the shop and will swap in May. No advise there.

Good luck with your mods.

 

[TymeSlayer]

All the same mods as I - DSS, MGW - Goodridge SS Clutchline - except the clutch itself. Still thinking about the SPEC 2+ or the RST Car drives great.

I did have an issue with my DSS 3.5 DS but that may have been install related. One thing I will say is DSS still helped even though I was over a year out of warranty. She runs great now and helped drop nearly 19 pounds off the car.

I'm been looking for some feeedback on the SPEC v. McLeod RST issue but not much coming back. I've been leaning towards the SPEC not just because it's less expensive but for my street/road course action, it should be just fine. I assume you're replacing your flywheel too?

 

[F.D. Sako]

With Rev Auto's recommendation and a few fellow mustang owners, I went with RST clutch, McLeod steel flywheel, Dynotech driveshaft, and JPC SS clutch line (and Rev Autos trans. rebuild). In addition, I'm also running MGW with BF bracket.

Really like the setup and don't really have any complaints.

 

[Calif boss302]

All the same mods as I - DSS, MGW - Goodridge SS Clutchline - except the clutch itself. Still thinking about the SPEC 2+ or the RST Car drives great.

I did have an issue with my DSS 3.5 DS but that may have been install related. One thing I will say is DSS still helped even though I was over a year out of warranty. She runs great now and helped drop nearly 19 pounds off the car.

I'm been looking for some feeedback on the SPEC v. McLeod RST issue but not much coming back. I've been leaning towards the SPEC not just because it's less expensive but for my street/road course action, it should be just fine. I assume you're replacing your flywheel too?

Yes TymeSlayer I would replace Flywheel at time of clutch. I too am leaning towards Spec but probably a Stage 1 or 2. I think the McLeod RST might be an overkill for a stock Boss and I'm really concerned with pedal feel as my "Clutch Leg" has many issues ;-)

Here is what is on CJPony's webpage for each.
Spec Stage 1:

This SPEC clutch kit is for bolt on naturally aspirated and mildly modified forced induction engines. The Stage 1 kit will provide you with stock-like daily drivability and very good wear characteristics. This clutch is best suited to Mustangs that see daily driver duty and occasional track use, since it offers the friendliest pedal feel. Spec Stage 1 Clutch Kits feature an integrally molded carbon Kevlar-based, high performance organic lining that offers smooth engagement and excellent life. This lining has an integrally bonded steel backing for strength under high clamp loads and temperatures. The double sprung hub features a spring cover relief for flexibility and uses heat treated components for strength and durability

Here is Stage 2:

This SPEC clutch kit is for all mild to moderately modified naturally aspirated and power adder engines. Also good for stock power levels and spirited driving when good daily drivability and extremely long life are the goal. The Stage 2 kit will provide you with stock-like daily drivability and very good wear characteristics. Features segmented or full faced pure Kevlar disc with steel backing. This lining features excellent drivability like the stage 1, but offers slightly longer life and higher torque capacity. The hub comes in either Sprung or Rigid and is application dependent. The double sprung hub features spring cover relieves for flexibility and both hubs use heat treated components for strength and durability. Best for street, drag, pulling and autocross.

Here is Stage 2 Plus:

The SPEC Stage 2-Plus clutch kit features a multi-friction disc in a full faced configuration with carbon semi-metallic on one side and Kevlar on the other. The Stage 2+ clutch kit is perfect for street, drag, autocross, road racing, pulling, rally and drift. Bridging the gap between stage 2 and stage 3, the 2+ offers drivability and engagement quality characteristic of the stage 2, but with a 15-20% higher torque capacity. The hub comes in either Sprung or Rigid and is application dependent. The double sprung hub features spring cover relieves for flexibility and both hubs use heat treated components for strength and durability.

 

[Calif boss302]

How does the RST compare to stock with regards to force to depress and or hold?
For me I'm not so concerned with cost, but I'm very concerned with force to depress and hold. I have a left leg that has been through 4 knee surgeries :'(

With Rev Auto's recommendation and a few fellow mustang owners, I went with RST clutch, McLeod steel flywheel, Dynotech driveshaft, and JPC SS clutch line (and Rev Autos trans. rebuild). In addition, I'm also running MGW with BF bracket.

Really like the setup and don't really have any complaints.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

The RST will be much lighter than stock if you retain the clutch assist spring in the stock pedal assembly.

I just ordered a Dynotech driveshaft from Blowfish Racing, so that's my vote!

 

[Calif boss302]

I like that it would be lighter!

The RST will be much lighter than stock if you retain the clutch assist spring in the stock pedal assembly.

I just ordered a Dynotech driveshaft from Blowfish Racing, so that's my vote!

 

[F.D. Sako]

I drove the RST with the clutch pedal spring in for a couple of days and the pedal effort was very light. One thing that bothered me was that the engagement point was right where the spring rotated and changed direction. It made it hard for me to modulate and slip the clutch to get smooth starts. So, I took the spring off and pedal effort went similar to stock. Not sure if it would've been different had I left the spring in and waited for the clutch to be broken-in.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I drove the RST with the clutch pedal spring in for a couple of days and the pedal effort was very light. One thing that bothered me was that the engagement point was right where the spring rotated and changed direction. It made it hard for me to modulate and slip the clutch to get smooth starts. So, I took the spring off and pedal effort went similar to stock. Not sure if it would've been different had I left the spring in and waited for the clutch to be broken-in.

I had a very similar experience with my RXT. No issues now other than it being grabbier than stock. Worth the price of admission for no more clutch/trans/shifting issues. ;D

 

[Cherno134]

I swapped out my clutch this past December. It was a preventative maintenance project as I had yet to experience any problems with it....but I knew I was on borrowed time based on the experience of other BMO members. For a few weeks I was comparing the Spec Stage 1 and the Mcleod RST. In the end I chose the RST over the Spec because of durabilityconcerns. After searching online I found several examples of Spec clutch discs losing their damping springs - one of the problems that has been experienced with the OEM Boss clutch by BMO who track their cars frequently. I couldn't find any examples of problems with Mcleod clutches so that pushed me towards buying the RST over the Spec Stage 1.

Engagement feel of the RST is similar to that of the stock clutch except that the pedal is a little lighter. Starting from a standing start is just as smooth as OEM. I have not taken out the clutch pedal helper but have noticed it is harder to modulate the clutch at the engagement point when accelerating briskly. I haven't noticed any issues with clutch modulation just driving around town. However, I have to say my driving time has been limited this winter due to snow and ice and my experience may change with more time. I plan on removing the helper spring this weekend.

When the clutch was new I did noticed chatter in the 1700-2000 RPM band if I was in a higher gear when I mashed the gas pedal. In normal driving I have not noticed any chatter. The volume of the chatter has seemed to diminish as the clutch is broken in.

I went with the aluminum flywheel because less mass accelerates/decelerates faster, less mass is easier on the transmission synchronizers and because I haven't had any problems with aluminum flywheels in my other cars. I taught my son how to drive a stick in a '98 Mustang Cobra with an aluminum flywheel. He learned how to modulate the clutch and move the car from a dead stop without touching the gas pedal. So I don't buy the argument that a aluminum flywheel is bad news if you drive your car primarily on the street. YMMV

While the transmission was out I changed the driveshaft to an aluminum DSS 3.5". My rear lower control arms have spherical bearing ends as do all the links on the CorteX Racing watts link. With the stock driveshaft I had no differential gear noise at any time in the cabin. After changing to the one piece aluminum DSS driveshaft I sometimes hear gear noise depending on engine RPM and engine load.

The RST has a clutch disc diameter of 9 5/8 inches. The stock clutch disc is 11 inches. Similarly the RST pressure plate housing is a smaller diameter than the OEM.

The OEM clutch & pressure plate together with the steel flywheel weighs 44 lbs
The OEM steel flywheel weighs 19 1/2 lbs
Subtracting the two numbers, the OEM clutch & pressure plate weigh about 24 1/2 lbs

The Mcleod RST clutch & pressure plate together with the Mcleod Aluminum Flywheel weigh 33 lbs
The Mcleod aluminum flywheel weighs 10 lbs
Subtracting the two numbers, the Mcleod RST clutch & pressure plate weigh about 23 lbs

So, the OEM clutch/pressure plate weigh about 1 1/2 lbs more than the RST, but the RST has a smaller diameter. The smaller diameter results in a smaller amount of rotational inertia, which also contributes to faster acceleration/deceleration of the drive train.