Need clutch...Spec Stage 1 or King Cobra?..those who have one come in..(daily driver)

5spd GT

5spd GT

"the 5.0 owns all"
Founding Member
Aug 7, 2002
9,516
4
79
Arkansas
#1
Well I've been trying to figure how why my clutch is burning and not slipping (seperate thread)...so I'm just going to go ahead and get a new clutch w/ new cable and aluminum driveshaft while I'm at it...

My two choices (that I see as being good) are the Spec Stage 1 and King Cobra Clutch...what would be best with me driving my car everyday and in slow stop and go traffic...that can handle the power (FTI h/c/i combo)...

I would like a soft clutch pedal feel if possible and I have heard about the King Cobra being a hard clutch to push in...and sometimes the Spec Stage 1 burning or chattering?...Can you slip them...Any comments...?

I would like opinions on why you like your clutch or what you don't dislike and look at it from a daily driver perspective :nice:

My clutch pedal right now is pretty hard to mash down and it is a stock NAPA clutch that is a year old...I have a UPR firewall adjuster and UPR quadrant...I can't even see my clutch cable underneath my dash(to many wires:mad:)...my car has been swapped from an auto...by the previous owner...

Right now i have radials on (245/50/16's) but will swap to drag radials in a couple months when I get some money for the tires...

Anyways what clutch would you suggest? and why?

Which clutch would be easier on the T-5 trans?
 

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#2
My car has had a KingCobra clutch in it for about 100k miles and still grips like a mother.

The clutch is rather hard, but nothing you can't handle. My car is a daily driver and I hardly notice it anymore. I like it!
 
#9
I did my home work on this and just ordered a mcleod dual friction disk with a king cobra pressure plate for my tremec tko. I have a fms HD now on my T5 but I wanted something with less pedal effort and this set up will handle insane amount of power. I was told it will handle 500-550hp. This isn't the regular mcleod disk, its the dual friction not to be confused with the very expensive twin disk.
 
#12
The possibility of chatter is making me nervous from the Spec 1...I might just go with the King Cobra and risk the already hard pedal to even harder...

Keep the suggestions coming...
 
#15
King Cobra!

Go with the King Cobra for Daily driving, it works fine, and grips like a mo!

I debated this also, Ram or KC. I went with the KC and I love the way it feels. It does grip hard, and you will chirp the tires a lot more, probably every time if you drive normal. I actually like the firmness of the King Cobra, it lets you know that it is working, as opposed to those weak Honda clutches, (I have grown to dislike those types of clutches, now that I have the harder King Cobra)
 
#17
Daggar said:
Hey Spec 1 guys.... any of you ever run a DF Centerforce? How do they compare?
Click to expand...
I've actually used all three. I'll start with the SPEC I, since it's what I have now and it's the only one that I had no trouble with. Smooth, relatively easy (compared to the other two) Grabs like life depends on it once it's hot, and is perfectly driveable. Also rated higher than the other two I believe, 400 rwhp. The KC was a far better looking clutch right out of the box than the CF was, but neither one of them held up to my minor bolt on motor. I don't recommend either for anything but a stocker, although dozens of people have had perfectly good luck with them running more power than me. The CF didn't last at all, never grabbed real hard, and really screwed up the flywheel when it went... and when it went it went big time, just like every CF I've ever seen. The KC felt good for a few weeks, then started getting heavy fast. It always grabbed right off the floor, which seemed OK at first, but it got old quick. Harder to speedshift, and later:
Grn92LX said:
I did my home work on this and just ordered a mcleod dual friction disk with a king cobra pressure plate for my tremec tko. I have a fms HD now on my T5 but I wanted something with less pedal effort and this set up will handle insane amount of power. I was told it will handle 500-550hp. This isn't the regular mcleod disk, its the dual friction not to be confused with the very expensive twin disk.
Click to expand...
Sounds like exactly where my homework led me. I'll be interested in an update on it once you've run it awhile (and what linkage are you using?), since I had major, major problems with this setup. I did it on the recommendation of USA Motorsports, who sold me the TKO. I already had the King Cobra as well, and they sold me the correct spline McCloud kevlar disc and said it was the best way to go for the same reasons (good pedal feel and insane powerhandling). Boy were they wrong. Those two do not work well together, first of all the KC is a thinner disc than most, and the KC pressure plate is designed to work with it. The McCloud is a beefy clutch, and after trying out every linkage kit combo I could find and spending hours on the phone with every clutch maker's tech line I could find, I finally called TTC. They freaked. Their words: "never, ever, ever missmatch a clutch disc and pressure plate-there is a reason why clutches are usually sold as complete kits with the proper pressure plate". And, informed me that any internal damage to the TKO was my own damnfault for buying just a disc and using a different brand PP. The KC pressure plate which, as previously mentioned, grabs right off the floor, when combined with the big new kevlar McCloud DF disc, refused to fully disengage. Ever. When I pulled out my Tri-Ax and put the Pro5.0 in, it was a little easier to manhandle it, but it still sucked royally. Let us know how it is, because I'd like to know if I was an isolated case or not.

I never had any burning/chattering issues with my SPEC, but will say that it's imparative that the break in proceedure be followed to the letter. They aren't very forgiving if you don't. If you have the money, a complete McCloud setup is the way to go- top notch. Even with the problems I was having, and the fact that the disc was slipping anytime the engine was running whether the clutch was in or not, I still got a good 40K miles out of it and when I put my SPEC in the ol' McCloud still looked like the day it was put in. Those things are AWSOME.

cevtv said:
The only problem I had with my SPEC, was the crappy plastic throw out bearing - DON"T use it!! SPEC says they are shipping all metal bearings now.......
Click to expand...
That's affirmative. At least, mine was all metal, almost a year ago.
 
#18
stangbear427 said:
Sounds like exactly where my homework led me. I'll be interested in an update on it once you've run it awhile (and what linkage are you using?), since I had major, major problems with this setup. I did it on the recommendation of USA Motorsports, who sold me the TKO. I already had the King Cobra as well, and they sold me the correct spline McCloud kevlar disc and said it was the best way to go for the same reasons (good pedal feel and insane powerhandling). Boy were they wrong. Those two do not work well together, first of all the KC is a thinner disc than most, and the KC pressure plate is designed to work with it. The McCloud is a beefy clutch, and after trying out every linkage kit combo I could find and spending hours on the phone with every clutch maker's tech line I could find, I finally called TTC. They freaked. Their words: "never, ever, ever missmatch a clutch disc and pressure plate-there is a reason why clutches are usually sold as complete kits with the proper pressure plate". And, informed me that any internal damage to the TKO was my own damnfault for buying just a disc and using a different brand PP. The KC pressure plate which, as previously mentioned, grabs right off the floor, when combined with the big new kevlar McCloud DF disc, refused to fully disengage. Ever. When I pulled out my Tri-Ax and put the Pro5.0 in, it was a little easier to manhandle it, but it still sucked royally. Let us know how it is, because I'd like to know if I was an isolated case or not.
Click to expand...

Actually, valeo makes all that stuff so essentially its the same brand. If d&d sells it, its definatly good! It should all be done tomorrow so I will report back if it is. Also, what tremec said was a clear case of them trying to cover their ass for warranty claims man. I have NEVER once in my life heard what they told you. The mcleod disk has different material on both sides. If what tremec said was true (which its not) how can ford sell a king cobra clutch and a fms HD clutch? Different pp's and SAME disk ;)
 
#19
stangbear427 said:
I've actually used all three. I'll start with the SPEC I, since it's what I have now and it's the only one that I had no trouble with. Smooth, relatively easy (compared to the other two) Grabs like life depends on it once it's hot, and is perfectly driveable. Also rated higher than the other two I believe, 400 rwhp. The KC was a far better looking clutch right out of the box than the CF was, but neither one of them held up to my minor bolt on motor. I don't recommend either for anything but a stocker, although dozens of people have had perfectly good luck with them running more power than me. The CF didn't last at all, never grabbed real hard, and really screwed up the flywheel when it went... and when it went it went big time, just like every CF I've ever seen. The KC felt good for a few weeks, then started getting heavy fast. It always grabbed right off the floor, which seemed OK at first, but it got old quick. Harder to speedshift, and later:
Sounds like exactly where my homework led me. I'll be interested in an update on it once you've run it awhile (and what linkage are you using?), since I had major, major problems with this setup. I did it on the recommendation of USA Motorsports, who sold me the TKO. I already had the King Cobra as well, and they sold me the correct spline McCloud kevlar disc and said it was the best way to go for the same reasons (good pedal feel and insane powerhandling). Boy were they wrong. Those two do not work well together, first of all the KC is a thinner disc than most, and the KC pressure plate is designed to work with it. The McCloud is a beefy clutch, and after trying out every linkage kit combo I could find and spending hours on the phone with every clutch maker's tech line I could find, I finally called TTC. They freaked. Their words: "never, ever, ever missmatch a clutch disc and pressure plate-there is a reason why clutches are usually sold as complete kits with the proper pressure plate". And, informed me that any internal damage to the TKO was my own damnfault for buying just a disc and using a different brand PP. The KC pressure plate which, as previously mentioned, grabs right off the floor, when combined with the big new kevlar McCloud DF disc, refused to fully disengage. Ever. When I pulled out my Tri-Ax and put the Pro5.0 in, it was a little easier to manhandle it, but it still sucked royally. Let us know how it is, because I'd like to know if I was an isolated case or not.

I never had any burning/chattering issues with my SPEC, but will say that it's imparative that the break in proceedure be followed to the letter. They aren't very forgiving if you don't. If you have the money, a complete McCloud setup is the way to go- top notch. Even with the problems I was having, and the fact that the disc was slipping anytime the engine was running whether the clutch was in or not, I still got a good 40K miles out of it and when I put my SPEC in the ol' McCloud still looked like the day it was put in. Those things are AWSOME.

That's affirmative. At least, mine was all metal, almost a year ago.
Click to expand...

Thanks Stangbear...thats interesting and a good break down...I ordered the King Cobra today for $169...along w/ the driveshaft and oem clutch cable...
 
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