[TwoTonTex]

91,000 miles the stock clutch gave way and I replaced it with the Jim Wolf Technology clutch and flywheel. Now, I'm running at 126,500 and the clutch is slipping bad. So, time to replace... but had a few concerns:

1) Should a clutch burn out in 35,500 miles? The miles are primarily DD city driving, highway and a few off roading adventures (greens and blues). The clutch and flywheel were great; grabbed well, didn't vibrate and no noise.

2) The JWT flywheel has a replaceable friction plate for $65; so, I plan to get it when replacing the clutch. Anyone have an issue with the flywheel? I know these things can be machined and cleaned up and reused, if made well. I don't mind replacing the friction plate, but if there's an overall consumer concern, I'd like to know. But... I'd really like to avoid dropping the money for a new flywheel.

3) Due to the lifespan of my current JWT clutch and the price, I'm considering some other clutch options (search on Amazon if links don't work):
A) Exedy NSK 1006
B) Luk-06-077
Yes, I realize it's just lazy 2017 Amazon shopping; so, if someone has a better suggestion, let me know. Keep in mind free 2 day shipping for a crippled DD truck is important. Anyone have experience with either of these? Reviews welcome.

4) If I don't get another JWT clutch, due to experienced durability and competitor pricing, would it be okay to use a different clutch with the JWT flywheel. I've done it with another vehicle and all seemed well, and I spoke to a mechanic buddy, who said it should be okay, but has anyone had an issue with interchanging the flywheel and clutch?

5) I did the entire clutch swap in my driveway last time and it sort of sucked.... don't really want to do it again. The mechanic I've used for a couple other things is quoting me $600 for labor. Does that seem reasonable?

Just trying to keep the old beast running cause I'll never sell it. Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[murphy]

I have the JWT setup in my Frontier now. If I remember correctly, the stock clutch has a 260mm flywheel surface. The Jim Wolf has a 275mm surface. I can't remember what the inside diameter of each of the flywheels are. If they are the same, I don't think it would be an issue using a stock diameter disk. You just wouldn't be utilizing the entire flywheel surface.

When I had mine done, it was roughly $800 for the JWT parts and the total bill was around $1400. $600 for labor sounds about right.

I bought the truck with 31,000 miles. I replaced the stock clutch at 72,000. I just passed 135,000 sometime in the last couple weeks. I tow a 6x10 cargo trailer somewhere between 2 and 5 days a week. Also, I have a truck camper that I carry around about once a month in the warmer seasons. Besides that I run blues and greens 1-2 times a month. I'm running 33" duratracks. (Just so you know what I put mine through.)

Sorry to hear you are going through this so soon.

 

[bgee]

Wow, two clutches in 130k miles??? That seems like very short life.

My last truck before the Frontier was a 2003 S-10 ZR-2. It had a manual transmission. I put almost 150k on the factory clutch, with about 60k of that pulling a trailer. The clutch was still working pretty good, though in damp weather it would chatter just a bit. I had the Chevy dealer do the replacement, cost me $2100. That included some transfer case work as well (bad vacuum switch).

Bill Gee

 

[shift_RUSH]

Saw a couple of new-to-me clutch brands around here lately...one was a 'puck clutch' from Phoenix brand, IIRC?

Not sure what I'll do if/when...but a lighter non-dualmass flywheel sounds intriguing. BUT, it 'seems' these JWTs don't very consistently stand the test of time from my recollection(s) in my short 2+ years around here.

 

[murphy]

I think I remember someone installing a JWT flywheel with a SPEC pressure plate and friction disk. It has been a while. I can't remember if it was a 'tentative/I'm thinking about this' or if it was actually installed.

Is JWT the only single mass flywheel for the VQ40 in the game? I think it was when I was shopping.

 

[Clint]

I traded my truck in with 126,000 miles on the original clutch including pulling an enclosed trailer from New Jersey to Florida and back at least 5 times and was still good. I believe the LUK brand is the OEM supplier and I wouldn't mix old and new parts since you don't want to have to redo this repair again if it doesn't pair up and function correctly.
Good luck on this.

Clint

 

[93hardbody]

I've got 162,000 miles so far on my stock clutch, very little trailer pulling but maxing out the payload on a regular basis. It's 24 years old now, so that makes it a pre Gen 1, but it's an example of Nissan clutch life.
Is it possible it's slipping for some other reason?