We have a 96 5 spd that has been very good off-road indeed. Of all the vehicles I've ever owned including brit sedans/Minis/Triumphs/ Healeys plus 13 Volvos, Ford Falcons, F250s, Mustangs; Willys jeeps, Nissans, VWs..... this Disco clutch is by far the best. The engagement is very linear and unbelievably smooth - a wonderful unit.
The only issue I have with the 5 spd set up does not involve the clutch: firstly the ZF transmission synchros are truly truck design requiring slow careful gear-changes especially when it's 37 below outside. I recommend on those really cold mornings to let the gearbox warm up for a few minutes before driving off. Second point is the gear meshing sounds coming from the transmission when you are creeping over obstacles - you can hear the gears working back and forth as the torque increases and then decreases. This is not a problem, but to anyone from the autobox crowd who is listening, this sounds odd (I have been asked multiple times if there is something wrong)
As mentioned by jhmover, don't ride the clutch and you should be very happy. If you treat the clutch properly and are not pulling people out of the ditch too much or teaching too many kids how to drive, I would expect the clutch to last 75-100k miles of mixed highway/off-road and city errand driving.
One more point: remember to change the Dot 4 brake fluid in the clutch hydraulic system along with the brake system fluid every 4 years or so. (there is a trick to bleeding the clutch system after the fluid change)
|
