Most clutches on the market today are designed to endure hundreds of thousands of miles of use and have extensive life cycles. Driving with a failing heavy duty truck clutch pose a safety issue on the road and should be replaced by a professional technician.
When it comes to commercial vehicles clutches, drivers not only should train on how to maximize clutch lifespan but also on how to identify failure as well.
To understand when it’s time to replace a failing clutch, it is important to know what to look or listen for. In this article, we will go through the 8 common signs of a failing heavy duty truck clutch.
Signs Of A Failing Heavy Duty Truck Clutch
When your clutch isn’t working properly or it has damage, you’ll know it from the different signs. Here are 8 of the most common signs of a failing heavy duty truck clutch:
1. Weak Engine Acceleration
If your truck engine is running, but you feel that it doesn’t seem to be accelerating properly and/or enough, this could be a clutch issue or transmission problem. You should inspect this issue as soon as possible.
2. Grinding Gears Sound
If the gears really grind hard or shfiting of gear, it could be the clutch system is at fault. This can happen when the driver is not shifiting smoothly. When the grinding gears sound still persist regardless how smooth the driver shift or has press all the way down, this could be a clutch problem.
3. Clutch Pedal Feel Loose
If the clutch pedal feels loose and weak as you step on it and it drops to the floor with little to no effort, this is a sign that the clutch plate is worn or there is an issue somewhere in the clutch assembly.
4. Sticky Clutch Pedal
If you feel the clutch pedal a bit “sticky” or “hard”, this might take a lot of effort to press the clutch down. It is highly recommended to have this problem check as soon as possible.
5. Other Weird Noises
When you have clutch problems, you may notice strange noises. You may hear screeching on the pedal when you shift. Any noises that are not normal should be cause for alarm. It’s a good idea to get your clutch and transmission checked by a transmission specialist before it leads to bigger problems that might incur more cost.
6. Won’t Shift into Gear
If you find that your truck does not shift into gear or slips between gear change, this is a clear sign that you need to have it replace immediately.
7. Won’t Stay in Gear
On the other hand, if your gear won’t stay in place or out of place regularly (slips out of gear), it poses safety problem. While this may not be a clutch problem, it is a common sign of a transmission damage. You should have it check as soon as possible.
8. Burning Smell
Bad metal-on-metal Friction is caused by grinding gears and a struggling clutch. This can create a burning smell. Any strange odors while driving should prompt you to get your vehicle inspected sooner rather than later.
There are many different parts and component to a truck, especially a heavy duty truck clutch. Finding out what’s wrong visually and auditory is the first step to fixing it. The moment you spot any signs, it is recommended to find your mechanic to have it repair.
Recommended Resources
Buy parts online: https://e-kag.com/