What does it take to improve a racing clutch? Two important developments

By Ben Mozart –

Columbia, SC: If you made an effort to expose the two principal weaknesses in drag racing clutches, you might start with the frictional deficiencies around the clutch finger pivots and the tendency of the six stand bolts to splay outward under centrifugal forces at high engine speeds.

To address the frictional deficiencies, Ram Clutches introduced a copper-alloy bushing placed between the clutch fingers and the clutch pivot pins, eliminating friction and resistance between the two components. Pat Norcia, the firm’s technical director, claims, “These new bushings contribute lubricity to the mechanisms–they make disengagement smoother. They also add longevity to the levers, the pins, and the bushings by eliminating binding and galling.”

The splaying of the stands was first detected in slight bolt-hole elongation in the aluminum flywheels. Ram remedied this affliction by switching the stand adjusting mechanisms from the foot area, near the flywheel, to a position closer to the cover assembly. “The result,” commented Norcia, “has been worthwhile: the bolt holes now remain perfectly round in the flywheel and the cover assemblies slip easily over the bolts each time the clutch is dismantled.”

For further information on these new racing billet clutches

Burton Auxier Comments on Ram Clutches

West Virginia’s remarkable Burton Auxier has competed in NHRA Pro Modified for several years, winning the Get Screened America Pro Mod championship in 2009. In 2010 he captured the ADRL Battle of the Belts title in Pro Nitrous, and in August 2011 recorded the fastest run in Pro Nitrous history at Virginia Motorsports Park. With Ram clutches he recorded 3.746sec over 1/8mile distance at a speed of 199.02mph.

Said Burton, “I’ve tried other clutches over the years but I have always gone back to Ram. They build a super good clutch that just seems to do better for my combination.”

Burton Auxier has been racing since the early nineties, starting in Bracket racing and progressing to Quick Eight, Top Sportsman, and Pro Mod. Since ‘92-’93 he has been running some form of Quick Eight Pro Mod race car-always nitrous assisted.