Awesome GTI Clutch - £625 and worth every penny!
- Thread starter CupraTim
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There's a difference to having a discussion, and being a ' i know-it-all-or-atleast-think-I-do ****' though.
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Hi Tim,
You said that you found the Awesome GTI clutch was "the best and cheapest single mass performance clutch on the market." That's what I picked up on, as I know that Southbends are better, and was wondering why you didn't mention your research to do with them in your original post,
I would like to change your statement slightly, to:
"Awesome GTI clutches are the best cheapest single mass performance clutch on the market", in that out of the cheap single mass clutches that are available on the market, the Awesome GTI adaptation seems to be the best.
However, this has not been proven over time, and if they're selling them for £625 then imagine how much they're buying them for, and therefore they must be made in a cheap factory in China, as are the Technoclutch clutches, which look very similar and are sold on eBay as cheap single mass performance clutches.
The Southbend clutches are available from a good UK distributor, so there's no need to import one, and a Southbend truly is the best single mass performance clutch on the market.
That's my point in case, and now I will indeed move on
Ok, on what basis do you go on Southend being "the best" or is it just hear say? I haven't seen any data from awesome about they're friction co-efficiency of they're clutch or any data about clamping force. So making comments like that without any SOLID evidence is quite a big error.
You cannot base an accusation like that on where the item is made, because, a: Southend could well import from china, b: you have no idea where this clutch is from.
I could go on, but, I really can't be arsed with wasting my time.
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Lol Dan chill out dude....
To the OP. good write up dude, we all need to open our minds to other brands and/or take a risk sometimes, and it's good to know this well priced kit actually feels good in the LCR.
The time for clutch/flywheel replacement will always be something we would rather put off due to the sheer cost, but £900 ish all in is ALOT better than £1500 upwards...
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To the OP. good write up dude, we all need to open our minds to other brands and/or take a risk sometimes, and it's good to know this well priced kit actually feels good in the LCR.
The time for clutch/flywheel replacement will always be something we would rather put off due to the sheer cost, but £900 ish all in is ALOT better than £1500 upwards...
Sent from my iPhone
Southbend clutches are all stamped "MADE IN USA" and have been proven in the US truck and car industry for YEARS.....they are highly respected, have excellent customer service, have an incredibly smooth pedal feel and are of extremely high quality
Whereas Awesome GTI clutches are unbranded, unproven and not stamped with anything: you would think if they were made in the UK, USA or Germany, then they would be stamped with that, otherwise the only realistic alternative is China.
Chinese factories have proven time and time again that they will do ANYTHING to reduce costs and increase THEIR profit margin. Even if you are there watching over them, they will try and go behind your back to reduce costs further.
For example, in the valve amplifier industry, the European companies involved in outsourcing manufacture to China have had to X-RAY the Chinese products continually, because the Chinese were substituting cheaper parts gradually over time.
The No.1 priority for the Chinese is money making, and they will cut corners wherever they can.
Therefore I wouldn't put a clutch made in one of these environments in a high performance vehicle, as quality and tolerances would not be high enough. If your vehicle has only mild engine mods, like most do on here, with alot of people focusing on aesthetic mods and noisy exhausts, then you may be ok with an Awesome GTI clutch, but with more serious mods then a more serious approach to buying clutches is needed.
Perhaps they will fail with only mild mods, a heavy right foot, and a few launches here and there, but only time will tell....and spending a few hundred more on a Southbend for higher quality and piece of mind is 'worth every penny' as the OP put it.
Caveat Emptor!
Yeh and they've been in VAG cars over here for a matter of months, and there as as many complaints about them as there are happy customers.
They're the current 'big thing' in the diesel tuning world, and give it 6 months, everyone will have moved on to the next 'big thing'
I have no comment on the Awesome clutch as I know nothing about (although that doesn;t seem to stop most folk on here), but I can 100% guarantee that the southbend clutches are far from the best on the market
DOLBY - fitting a Southbend would not cost £1500, it's more likely £1100-1200, depending on which model of Southbend you get, so no need to exaggerate!
vroomtshh - please cite which brand and model of clutch is better for modded VAG cars at this level? I have researched it and not found anything, but seeing as you are trying to tell us what's what, then please continue.
Tell me about some of the complaints people have had with their Southbends in the UK that you know of, as you have not given any examples, just rumour.
vroomtshh - please cite which brand and model of clutch is better for modded VAG cars at this level? I have researched it and not found anything, but seeing as you are trying to tell us what's what, then please continue.
Tell me about some of the complaints people have had with their Southbends in the UK that you know of, as you have not given any examples, just rumour.
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Leon2012 I meant 'most' decent setups will be this cost. Not implying your recommendation was....chill out
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Fitting a southbend could quite easily be £1500 (£1050 plus P&P to buy)
Plenty of places will charge you £400 for fitting. I'd say £1200 is pretty conservative anyway.
Which level? Power level, price level. You obviously haven;t researched very far (possibly because of the rose tinted glasses your wearing)
I haven;t given any rumour. Of the recent group buy on Darkside, there are a couple of guys complaining about the noise from their 'silent' kits. And I know of at least two that aren;t holding anywhere near the torque levels thats been quoted.
£400 is way excessive for a clutch change, and I'd say the £280 the OP paid is too much as well.
I would say most people would be good with the Stage 2 Endurance, rated at 325 ft/lbs. This is likely the one you are saying is £1050.
Southbend Stage 2 Endurance:
Please provide links to the Southbend complaints, or where you saw those comments.
You also haven't named any other clutches which you consider better than Southbends.
I would say most people would be good with the Stage 2 Endurance, rated at 325 ft/lbs. This is likely the one you are saying is £1050.
Southbend Stage 2 Endurance:
Please provide links to the Southbend complaints, or where you saw those comments.
You also haven't named any other clutches which you consider better than Southbends.
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As far as I'm aware £1050 is the standard price, no matter which option you choose (I'm only going by darkside developments website as I don;t know any other UK suppliers)
Stage 2 endurance rated at 325lb/ft??? That would be good. I wonder how long that would last with my 450lb/ft??
Not everything is on the internet - some us have spoken to real people with real complaints
If you search this very website, you'll find a couple of complaints though.
Your right, I haven;t named any clutches, because I have no inteest in doing so. If someone asked my opinion which clutch to buy, I'd find out the application, current power, future power etc before making a recommendation based on my personal experiences.
From what I've seen though, theres not an application where I would recommend a Southbend clutch (note I'm not saying they are bad, there are just better clutches for the price)
vroomtshh - Southbend provide clutches for all applications, upto and exceeding your 450 ft/lbs by a long shot...
I'm not saying I've never heard a complaint about a Southbend, I'm just saying to you give me some tangible evidence of the UK complaints you've heard, because I've searched "southbend clutch problem UK" on Google and found nothing on ALL the forums. Maybe someone did have a problem, if so who was it on here and I will look into it.
Name a better clutch for the price, specifically something to compete with the Stage 2 Endurance model, rated at 325 ft/lbs, because that's all most people will probably need, so at that power level what would you recommend as better, or as good and cheaper, than this particular Southbend?
I'm not saying I've never heard a complaint about a Southbend, I'm just saying to you give me some tangible evidence of the UK complaints you've heard, because I've searched "southbend clutch problem UK" on Google and found nothing on ALL the forums. Maybe someone did have a problem, if so who was it on here and I will look into it.
Name a better clutch for the price, specifically something to compete with the Stage 2 Endurance model, rated at 325 ft/lbs, because that's all most people will probably need, so at that power level what would you recommend as better, or as good and cheaper, than this particular Southbend?
Yes I've seen that they have quoted applications with higher torque ratings.
So you have heard complaints then? Yet you still claim they're the best?
I CBA to go trailing through the forum looking for the complaints. If you don;t wish to believe me, I'm not forcing you. Anyone whos interested will go look. Its there to be found.
Why do you keep asking me to name a better clutch than a stage 2 endurance model rated at 325lb/ft. Why don;t you tell me what car it is, what power it makes, future plans for the car, road use/track use/1/4mile etc etc and I'll tell you some clutches you could use.
Or have I just to pick any clutch thats cheaper and stronger than the stage 2 endurance model 'rated to 325lb/ft
- My standard clutch held more than that for 5 years and it came free with the car 
Yes I've seen that they have quoted applications with higher torque ratings.
So you have heard complaints then? Yet you still claim they're the best?
I CBA to go trailing through the forum looking for the complaints. If you don;t wish to believe me, I'm not forcing you. Anyone whos interested will go look. Its there to be found.
Why do you keep asking me to name a better clutch than a stage 2 endurance model rated at 325lb/ft. Why don;t you tell me what car it is, what power it makes, future plans for the car, road use/track use/1/4mile etc etc and I'll tell you some clutches you could use.
Or have I just to pick any clutch thats cheaper and stronger than the stage 2 endurance model 'rated to 325lb/ft
You seem to be aware of recent UK problems with Southbends, yet you can't name the people you said they had problems or where you read about them?
Every product is going to have problems, as do Rolex and Rolls Royce, it's just how strict the tolerances are. Southbend QC is very very high, so I would trust them without a doubt.
For an example, how about an LCR modded upto 311 ft/lbs of torque, which is a profile dyno I read on here the other day of someone with said car, for fast road use, with no future plans for upgrading....which is the ball park most modded LCR owners are in, so which clutch would you say is better than a Southbend or just as good and cheaper?
They're new, unproven and Awesome GTI have not provided any background info on where they get them from or any data from testing.
The OP, a person who is running it, thinks its brilliant.
AFAIK, no-one else on this thread actually has any real experience of it. So, so far it has 100% positive reviews
You don't seem to realise the difference between 'can't' and 'have no interested in dragging other people into it'
Like I said the complaints are there on this very forum for the whole world to see.
Did you get a tour round their QC department? Which procedures do they follow?
For an LCR, I have no idea what clutch you would need. If I needed one, I'd research what clutches are available, what price they are, how much torque they can hold, then I'd look for owners recommendations.
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