Clutch damage?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by TruckerNate, Mar 21, 2012.

  1. TruckerNate

    TruckerNate Light Load Member

    68
    10
    Dec 5, 2010
    Grand Forks, North Dakota
    0
    Can I damage the clutch if I let off on it without using the accelerator along with the clutch? Seems like if I try that in reverse I take off to quickly, maybe if I had 90k on me verses 46k it would be different.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

    19,726
    18,731
    Apr 18, 2010
    Tennessee
    0
    Make sure you are in low reverse first. I would feather the clutch to a point it's fully engaged. Don't just let go of the pedal. The ECM will attempt to keep at idle by adjusting the fuel on it's own. But in low gear, forward or reverse, you can move without accelerating and not hurt the clutch. The truck jarring is a tell tale you are hard on the clutch. That you want to avoid.
     
    Bill104 and TruckerNate Thank this.
  4. freedhardwoods

    freedhardwoods Light Load Member

    244
    127
    Feb 4, 2011
    SW IN
    0
    Revving the engine while engaging the clutch is what wears it out really fast. I never touch the throttle until the clutch is fully engaged except in very rare cases. I put over a million miles on the clutch I installed in the KW I used to own and it still had over half the adjustment left.

    I had to change it soon after I bought the truck because rookies at the company I bought it from burned it up in 350,000 miles.

    To me, feathering means slipping. Maybe you meant something else. I get the clutch engaged as fast as possible without letting the rpm's drop more than about 200 below idle.
     
    CondoCruiser and TruckerNate Thank this.
  5. TruckerNate

    TruckerNate Light Load Member

    68
    10
    Dec 5, 2010
    Grand Forks, North Dakota
    0
    I might start using the low gears then and fully engaging the clutch before using the accelerator, might not be a bad idea. You'd have to give your self plenty of room to get going in traffic though, holy. What's a clutches normal life span with average use?
     
  6. king Q

    king Q Road Train Member

    2,868
    3,031
    Jul 26, 2010
    Johannesburg sa
    0
    You should only start pushing on the fuel peddle once the clutch is fully released.
    If this means you have to slip the clutch for more then a split second or there is sharp jerky take off you are in to higher gear.
    Go to a lower gear for take off.
    If you are in the lowest gear you have , then your truck is not ideally specked or the clutch is not adjusted correctly.
     
    freedhardwoods and TruckerNate Thank this.
  7. MNoutkast

    MNoutkast Medium Load Member

    441
    151
    Feb 24, 2012
    Elk River, MN
    0
    Its not just a good idea its the proper way to do it in a heavy duty truck. Shouldn't really take you any more room to use the lower gears than to slip the clutch. You normally short shift the first few gears to get going anyway.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.