A lot of progress has been made with cars that run this BMW DCT transmission, and I thought it was time to revisit the discussion of the two clutch pack options we have available to us.
Currently there are two companies producing performance clutch kits, SSP and Dodson. Way back when there were stories circulating the internet regarding SSP clutches and failures. My understanding is they had changed their formula and since then and it seems that people have had great luck with them. It has also been said throughout various message boards that the Dodson clutches did not learn properly and are a bit harsh when they do. Well, Dodson has now redone their clutch material as well it seems so I reached out to both companies and this is what they had to say:
Both companies have revised their products, so it would seem we have to throw out the previous allegations and make our decision based on accomplishments and feedback since that time.
[TBODY]
[/TBODY]I still need to confirm MSRP and power handling of the Dodson parts. Dodson now requires you to send your clutch basket into them to ensure proper assembly.
Currently there are two companies producing performance clutch kits, SSP and Dodson. Way back when there were stories circulating the internet regarding SSP clutches and failures. My understanding is they had changed their formula and since then and it seems that people have had great luck with them. It has also been said throughout various message boards that the Dodson clutches did not learn properly and are a bit harsh when they do. Well, Dodson has now redone their clutch material as well it seems so I reached out to both companies and this is what they had to say:
Kris@sspperformance said:We are a huge part of the BMW DCT community. We currently have around 1000
performance clutch systems in BMW DCT equipped cars around the world.
Our Spec-R Clutch is a 16 plate clutch that is rated to 900 ftlbs of torque
at the flywheel.
Our Spec-X Clutch system is a 18 plate clutch that runs a little more
aggressive friction material. This clutch is rated to 1000ftlbs+ at the
flywheel.
The snap ring that you are inquiring about is for the filter housing. It
holds the side filter into the transmission.
We discontinued the Spec-S clutch due to lack of interest. Almost 99
percent of the sales are with the Spec-R clutch and higher.
Many years ago, we did have issues with finding the correct compound clutch
plates that were needed to make the DCT happy. We did some R&D with a
couple shops that were less than shady at time. But we over came the
negative publicity, nay sayers, to develop a superior product line up. We
stand behind our BMW DCT performance products for the term of 1 year. This
is never heard of in the aftermarket industry.
Steve@dodsonmotorsport said:We have found over the years that instillation and learn have been issues for some clients so we have been reworking our entire program to make this simple for the dealers and end users. We have also incorporated some patent pending technology in our new clutches so we can hold more power and still offer nice drivability for a big clutch. We partnered with Exedy one of the worlds largest manufacturers in an exclusive arrangement which gives access to the latest in friction material design that is also patented. In the past we have seen some clients having some challenges mainly with assembly and learn. We have in recent months purchased an M5 test car and reworked the entire program and now supply fully built clutches rather than having variation with installers clearances and setup. Having run all of our clutches in our own test cars, whether it be the AUDIR8, Porsche 911, M5, R35 and many others we have first had experience once we have developed and product on its performance. The new BMWPLUS DMS Clutch is something quite special and is proving to be very popular we stand behind it 100%.
Both companies have revised their products, so it would seem we have to throw out the previous allegations and make our decision based on accomplishments and feedback since that time.
Brand | Model | Power | Price | Notes |
SSP | Spec R | 900ft lb | $2,599 | 8/8 plate |
SSP | Spec X | 1000ft lb | $5,299 | 9/9 plate, Billet Baskets |
Dodson | Supersport | 800ft lb | $1909 | 8/8 plate |
Dodson | Sportsman's Plus | 1000ft lb | $4115 | 10/10 plate, Billet Baskets, assembled |