Historically, high performance clutches have been a compromise. While improving holding or clamping pressure, manufacturers nearly always increase pedal pressure to an uncomfortable point, especially for stop-and-go traffic.

Besides drivebility concerns, additional pedal pressure can adversely affect stock clutch linkage and cause premature thrust bearing wear, leading to missed shifts, damaged clutch components and even engine destruction.

Today, thanks to Clutch Masters, increased holding pressure does not necessarily mean increased pedal pressure and the problems that can accompany it. By re-engineering the leverage or fulcrum point on the pressure plate through their Hi-Leverage^tm ttechnique, Clutch Masters has increased clamping power, often without changing pedal pressure.

Excessively increased pedal pressure, as found in many of today's traditional high performance clutches, places an unsafe amount of pressure on the delicate crankshaft thrust bearing found in most of today's sport compact automobiles. Placing undue stress on the thrust bearing typically causes the bearing to wear prematurely or fail altogether. This failure can lead to catastrophic internal engine damage.

A clutch, simply put, is a friction device that disengages and engages the engine from the transmission to allow for transition from motionless to movement and for gear changes. For street applications a smooth transition of power is essential while still being able to transfer all the power of the engine to the transmission. As power output of engines increase and demands on clutches become greater - for example high performance street or racing cars - the holding and clamping capacity of a clutch also must increase. This is where Clutch Masters' innovative engineering comes into play.