SideXSide Action - February 2008 - (Page 73)

THE CVT CLUTCH TEXT & PHOTOS BY CODY FLETCHER When it comes to the clutching system on many of the Side X Sides out there, a lot of us, as consumers and drivers, have no clue how they work or how to fix them. With many sport quads, sport cars, and motorcycles using a traditional transmission system, you’ve most likely learned to drive shifting into gears and holding in the clutch to brake. However, automatic transmission systems are becoming more and more popular, even in the off-road industry, and the traditional style of transmissions are becoming, well, a tradition. TECH CLUTCHING 101 WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT WORK? clutch. All of these changes can be done quite simply by swapping parts of your clutch you already have for aftermarket parts. No external parts are needed and no serious modification of your clutch is required to adjust to better drive your new SXS. There are basically two main parts to your clutch system: the primary clutch and the secondary clutch. The most commonly used style of transmission for SXSs is a continuously variable transmission, or CVT for short. A CVT transmission is basically an automatic transmission system that uses belt tension, weights, and springs to change the engine’s RPM and torque. The CVT transmission is not a new design. In fact, it was conceived more than 500 years ago by Leonardo daVinci. The CVT transmissions available in many of the SXSs on the market are basically the same, but are tweaked by the manufacturer to work more efficiently with their unit. The CVT transmission on your SXS is different from many other vehicles because you have a high/low gear setting as well as a 4-wheel drive, and many times a 4-wheel differential locking drive train. While the transmission of your SXS uses the same oil your engine does, much of the clutch system is external from the engine casing and is a lot easier to fix and adjust if a problem should arise. Primary (Drive) Clutch The primary clutch is the main drive clutch and has a shaft that runs into the engine. Making small changes to the primary clutch can produce sizeable increases in acceleration and performance. Removing the primary clutch is quite simple and can be achieved using standard tools you can find at your auto parts store. Once you have the primary clutch removed from your machine, you have two major options for adjustment. You can change your primary clutch sheave or you can change your primary clutch weights. Changing the primary moveable clutch sheave will affect three key features in your SXS’s performance: engagement, top RPM, and back shifting. Many of the aftermarket clutch sheaves on the market are “overdrive” sheaves and will drop your engine’s RPM to prevent over-revving. The Ranger’s clutch system uses a different primary drive set-up. The Ranger uses a primary spring that will affect three key features in your SXS’s performance: engagement, top RPM, and backshifting. If you’ve added weight or larger tires to your SXS and it feels bogged down, you’ll want to go with a heavier spring. You don’t want to go with too heavy of a spring, however, because it will also affect your backshift; a heavier spring will be more reluctant to shift back down. A heavier spring will also affect your top RPM in the sense that a heavier load spring will give you a higher top RPM. This is something you want to watch out for so you don’t over-rev your engine. The next adjustment that you can make on your primary drive clutch is changing out the clutch weights. The clutch weights produce the same results as the primary spring in the sense that by 72 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE Proper clutch set-up is crucial to the performance of your vehicle and can be the difference between a top speed of 40 MPH and a top speed of 50 MPH. Not only do clutch adjustments allow you to achieve greater top-end speeds, they can also increase the engine’s torque and can decrease RPMs at higher speeds, which will allow for less strain on your engine. Often overlooked is the fact that your clutch settings are for a bone-stock machine with no engine modifications, including CDI boxes or ECU computers that change your ignition or power curve. As soon as you modify the engine, add weight, or change the tire size, you should adapt your clutch to those changes. Because the clutch and transmission do not automatically account for new conditions, it is likely that the engine will bog down. To counter your bolton accessories, you must adjust the vehicle’s http://www.bikemanperformance.com http://www.erlandsonperformance.com http://WWW.SIDEXSIDEACTION.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SideXSide Action - February 2008

SideXSide Action - February 2008 Contents Mailbox News Tips & Tricks Rhino 700 YFI Join the Club Snowbound Fun Power Upgrade Camping Buyer's Guide Overcoming the Odds Product Reviews HID Light Shoot-Out Company Spotlight: John Deere History of the SXS History & A Ride Places to Ride WPSA Round 10 Clutching 101 New Product Section Calico To Laughlin Project Race Rhino: Final Chapter On the Go Photo

SideXSide Action - February 2008

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