Body Shake Or Clutch Chatter

[ol gray mare]

I was thinking Fly Wheel and Pressure Plate. I have other issues as well. What is a good strong clutch for a daily driver/week end warrior?

I used the LUK diaphragm clutch and had the flywheel surfaced at a local machine shop. It cured the chatter, takes less pedal pressure, and didn't slip in the least as I twisted an axle off.

 

[jamesf7278]

Another thing that just came up with another member here was the firewall/clutch pedal mount flexing. This is a weak spot and if the flex it too much it will cause clutch chatter. Have someone push the clutch while you look under the hood at the firewall where the clutch pedal bracket bolts through. If you get a good bit of movement this may be your problem. Many have had to build a brace to stop the flex.

had a co-worker with a 76 and he had this problem, shook awful. built some braces and smooth sailing

 

[Timmy390]

Mine has always shaken. Running a 2.5 SL with blocks, 32's and 3.50 gears. I did a clutch job, U joints, etc. on it and it did nothing to fix the problem. I've lived with it for 17 years now.

Changing to 4.11's 2 years ago helped it considerably. It's still there but not near as bad.

Tim

 

[nvrstuk]

Actual clutch material makes a HUGE difference.

Not sure what LUK uses but I remember 20 years back going thru the same issue... finally talked to a factory rep and got schooled on clutch face materials and how it was causing my problem. Returned my 3rd clutch disc in 6 months (got tired of yanking it out) installed a CHEEEP organic clutch and problem fixed. Used it for about 12 yrs wheeling and city driving (80K + miles) and gave it to a buddy since it looked brand new! He's using it now.

http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/CLUTCH/ ( I just cruised and found this link--notice the reference to shuddering) this was my problem and sounds like it could be yours too... did you have the shuddering BEFORE you replaced this clutch?

Read the "ORGANIC" surface and "Carbon/ceramic" surface paragraphs...

Racing or HD clutches transfer power well but abruptly and tend to shutter if you don't "dump" the clutch. Organic face materials are designed to allow slippage and therefore don't tend to "grab" the pressure plate or flywheel creating chatter...

Problem is compounded when running tire/gear combo you are running. Run 5.38's and 33's and I'd bet it would barely be noticeable because you wouldn't be asking the clutch to slip for such a long time on take-off

I learned the hard way...hope you find your problem.

 

[blazinchuck]

Gear swaps and low range will give you a mechanical advantage over the clutch or flywheel issue, and gears are 3x what a clutch and flywheel cost

 

[slowRoaner]

through my experience, and if I understand this correctly, the problem is applying the torque. weather its a slipping clutch due to grease, or a flexing drive train, it comes down to torque moving members and a non-linear application of power.

I have 33's,3.50 gears, 2" body lift, stock rear spring pack, brand new body-transmission-motor mounts, and had clutch chatter/body shake while letting out the clutch into 2nd and 3rd gear of my np435.

it turned out to be rusty kick panels. After patching my kick panels, which reinforced the body to the frame, and eliminated the movement between the two, I now have a "linear" relation between the body and clutch. Chatter gone.

What do your kick panels look like? it sounds like you have covered most everything else.

mine were rusted where the front door post was, all the way up to the top of the dash


-slow

 

[canrel]

Had same issue with same set up but 411s. mine was so bad sometimes it would shake the latch for the spare tire carier loose when taking off at a stop light. I replaced all of the parts listed in all the posts i could find from clutch to leafspring bushings, no help.

Mount your go pro on the trans so you can see the clutch lever movement. Apply the clutch a couple times in nutral to see how little it moves when pressing the pedal all the way down. Then do the same with it in gear. Due to worn out body mounts, linkage and rusted kick panels, inner fenders.........Everything would flex with the torque of the motor/trans, body and frame as I let out the pedal. Since the pedal is mounted to the body, the linkage to the frame and trans, the clutch arm would pulse as everything flexed. If you find this is your issue also, use the go pro to see where your flex or movement is and correct it.

Mine was all of the above and I had been wanting to put in a hydrolic set up so this was my reason to go to the pick n pull. Found a 91 F 150 with what I needed for 25 bucks, went home and built a mount for the slave cylinder, welded a tab on the pedal arm to attatch the rod for master cylinder and mounted everything. You can push in the pedal with 2 fingers and let it out as smooth as can be. no more chattering.

 

[Tiko433]

Hey Canral... How about pics and a write up on that Hydrolic swap

 

[Issaquah Bronco]

Let's see what the pro's do?

Ok, guys... I'm embarrassed to say but I gave up and took it to a local four wheel drive shop over the weekend, to let them figure it out. I took the rear driveline off and it's about 80% gone while driving on front driveline. The guys at the shop spent all day on it yesterday and believe they've isolated it to rear axle wrap. They are going to install a James Duff Torque Tamer. I'll keep you all posted. If this doesn't end up being the fix, I guess I'll be replacing kick panels and installing hydraulic clutch

 

[Issaquah Bronco]

Stop looking at your clutch. I will bet money that your issue lies mainly with the leafs and block combo. I had the same exact problem and setup you had. 3-speed, 3.50 gears and 35" tires. I went to 32" tires, Duffs 5 leaf pack, kept the 2" blocks and new U-bolts, new driveshaft and proffesionally installed entire clutch system. Helped very little but still did it (35 to 32" tire was probably the only thing that helped slightly). Toss the blocks, sell the 5 leaf pack and go with a WH's or similar 10 or 11 leaf progressive spring pack. Also seriously Consider a gear swap to at least 4.11's. The gear swap alone will also probably cure it.

If you don't you will have to live with the vibration.

PS-I also added Duff kicker bars with little to no improvement.

Hi Dave, I'm assuming the different leaf spring pack eliminated axle wrap? Which Duff kicker bars did you install? I would think that the Duff Torque Tamer bar would hypothetically remove almost all axle wrap and accomplishing the same result. Is my thinking correct? The only reason I'm going this route is because A: it's cheaper B: I just put new leaf springs in. I know I should have eliminated my lift blocks and put your springs in...but that's water over the damn dam.

 

[Voodoo21]

Issaquah, keep us posted.

 

[bknbronco]

well............was it axle wrap?