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question

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:15 pm
by DJTEMA
question...what is slipping/dumping the clutch?

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:50 am
by spiffyguido
DJTEMA,

Slipping the clutch (also called feathering) is when you alternately apply and release the clutch to achieve some movement of the car. It's called 'slipping' because quite literally the clutch plate will be slipping against the flywheel surface. This is hard on the clutch and is usually something you shouldn't do too much during normal driving.

People often 'slip the clutch' when they are trying to stay stationary on a hill in traffic. They'll release the clutch to climb a bit, then apply to roll back, then release again, etc. so that the car stays in about the same place. Obviously it is better to just put the car in neutral and put your foot on the brake as you wait on a hill.

'Slipping the clutch' is also done when launching a car, usually in a drag race. Some contend that slipping the clutch is the best way to launch a front wheel drive car as it prevents 'wheelhop' that some many FWD cars experience when too much power is put to the front wheel.

Where Preludes are concerned, I would argue that slipping the clutch is the best way to launch, but that's just my opinion. It's a lot like 'threshold braking', only done to the clutch. You put as much power down as the chassis/tires will support. If you put too much down and cause wheel hop or spin, you back the power off a bit and then reapply.


Dumping the clutch is very rapidly releasing the clutch to launch the car hard. People will often do this simply by just taking their foot straight off a depressed clutch pedal; the clutch pedal pops up, and the clutch plate slams into the flywheel and all the force of the motor is 'dumped' into the driveline. In a FWD car, this will almost always result in either stalling the car or getting a bunch of wheel spin or wheel hop. For a rear wheel drive car, it works a lot better.

Hope that helps.

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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:02 pm
by DJTEMA
spiffyguido wrote:DJTEMA,

Slipping the clutch (also called feathering) is when you alternately apply and release the clutch to achieve some movement of the car. It's called 'slipping' because quite literally the clutch plate will be slipping against the flywheel surface. This is hard on the clutch and is usually something you shouldn't do too much during normal driving.

People often 'slip the clutch' when they are trying to stay stationary on a hill in traffic. They'll release the clutch to climb a bit, then apply to roll back, then release again, etc. so that the car stays in about the same place. Obviously it is better to just put the car in neutral and put your foot on the brake as you wait on a hill.

'Slipping the clutch' is also done when launching a car, usually in a drag race. Some contend that slipping the clutch is the best way to launch a front wheel drive car as it prevents 'wheelhop' that some many FWD cars experience when too much power is put to the front wheel.

Where Preludes are concerned, I would argue that slipping the clutch is the best way to launch, but that's just my opinion. It's a lot like 'threshold braking', only done to the clutch. You put as much power down as the chassis/tires will support. If you put too much down and cause wheel hop or spin, you back the power off a bit and then reapply.


Dumping the clutch is very rapidly releasing the clutch to launch the car hard. People will often do this simply by just taking their foot straight off a depressed clutch pedal; the clutch pedal pops up, and the clutch plate slams into the flywheel and all the force of the motor is 'dumped' into the driveline. In a FWD car, this will almost always result in either stalling the car or getting a bunch of wheel spin or wheel hop. For a rear wheel drive car, it works a lot better.

Hope that helps.
helps alot thanks