2021 Jeep JL Clutch Pressure Plate Failure

[QwikKotaTx]

The point is relevant in that it is physically possibly for it to be your fault.
It probably isn’t, but it’s possible. They can’t control how you drive. Escalate the problem up the chain.

I think that is BS. You should be able to run through the gears WOT all day long without something like a pressure plate grenading and taking out major vehicle components. The clutch burning up and not being able to hold power? That is another story and totally the drivers fault. If this was a sports car forum a response of this nature would be laughable.

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[mwilk012]

I think that is BS. You should be able to run through the gears WOT all day long without something like a pressure plate grenading and taking out major vehicle components. The clutch burning up and not being able to hold power? That is another story and totally the drivers fault. If this was a sports car forum a response of this nature would be laughable.

I don’t think your understand. If you slip the clutch like an idiot, you can absolutely cause this level of damage and it be 100% your fault.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

I don’t think your understand. If you slip the clutch like an idiot, you can absolutely cause this level of damage and it be 100% your fault.

A clutch failing to where it breaks apart is not even common. If it did the pressure plate would absorb the damage as it is essentially a cage around the clutch. I have had clutches wear down to where they would slip even at highway speeds and I've had old clutches lose pucks of friction material but never did they or the PP grenade. That is a material spec issue or metallurgical issue. Heat can cause warpage but should not turn the PP into brittle fragments. For street vehicles these failures are very rare. I have done numerous autocrosses, road course races and drag races in my Dakota with stock, Centerforce and McLeod clutches and nothing aside from a few epoxied on clutch pucks came loose. There should be no scape goat such as offroading or revving the engine high that the dealer can use to get out of repairing these failures. At the very most they could put the owner on the hook for the standard replacement labor and a clutch kit.

 

[fspalt]

I don’t think your understand. If you slip the clutch like an idiot, you can absolutely cause this level of damage and it be 100% your fault.

Listen anyone can cause extreme damage to a manual transmission vehicle. Rev up to 6000rpm and dump the clutch and you will likely end up with parts on the pavement. But no one can deny the fact that the repeated failure of these clutches is a design issue in 99% of the cases. Why else would there be TWO recalls for the SAME issue? More than likely there will be a third. We all know Jeep is using a risk analysis formula to do the minimum amount possible for these cases. But what doesn’t make sense to me is why screw the few customers that have this explosive failure? Does the negative publicly, lost customers and possible risk of killing somebody not exceed the cost of at least taking care of the few people that have this failure? $12000 in damage to the average Joe is no small cost let alone being with transportation for months if it is your primary vehicle. It’s so sad that this will be how the Manual transmission Jeep will go into the Sunset. Such a legacy pissed on by shitty engineering forced by cost cutting bean counters. We need a Bob Lutz back at the helm of these companies. Someone who actually cares about the legacy. If you need any motivation look at the investment that BMW continues to make in the Manual knowing it is on its deathbed:

https://carbuzz.com/news/bmw-invents-manual-gearbox-that-makes-money-shifting-a-problem-of-the-past

 

[mwilk012]

A clutch failing to where it breaks apart is not even common. If it did the pressure plate would absorb the damage as it is essentially a cage around the clutch. I have had clutches wear down to where they would slip even at highway speeds and I've had old clutches lose pucks of friction material but never did they or the PP grenade. That is a material spec issue or metallurgical issue. Heat can cause warpage but should not turn the PP into brittle fragments. For street vehicles these failures are very rare. I have done numerous autocrosses, road course races and drag races in my Dakota with stock, Centerforce and McLeod clutches and nothing aside from a few epoxied on clutch pucks came loose. There should be no scape goat such as offroading or revving the engine high that the dealer can use to get out of repairing these failures. At the very most they could put the owner on the hook for the standard replacement labor and a clutch kit.

I’ve seen clutches of various makes and models explode. Most recently a mustang GT, I think it was a 13 or 15 model.

There is ZERO doubt in my mind that the problem here is one of design. I’m just saying, from an individual dealerships perspective, they likely have one or zero of these in their shop in the last few years.

 

[J.Ferreira]

Good question, also still wondering what motor he has since he mentioned damaged coolant line.

Aren't the manuals only available with the V6? Or am I missing something?

 

[fspalt]

I’ve seen clutches of various makes and models explode. Most recently a mustang GT, I think it was a 13 or 15 model.

There is ZERO doubt in my mind that the problem here is one of design. I’m just saying, from an individual dealerships perspective, they likely have one or zero of these in their shop in the last few years.

Cool and how many of those had two recalls involving the clutch???

 

[mwilk012]

Cool and how many of those had two recalls involving the clutch???

I feel like you are arguing for the sake of argument and not to reach a goal.

In case it isn’t clear, I agree with you.

 

[fspalt]

I feel like you are arguing for the sake of argument and not to reach a goal.

In case it isn’t clear, I agree with you.

Your point is clear. You say the last vehicle you saw with an exploded clutch was a Mustang GT and that you have ZERO doubt it’s a design problem. A Mustang is a sports car. Plenty of ways to cause major damage to not only the transmission but also the rear diff etc when driving a sports car. Launch it too hard, power shift, miss a shift at redline. You are on a Jeep forum. Again not saying a person with a Jeep won’t drive like they have a sports car but c’mon. This issue has been documented in several threads with almost every person saying they where driving down the highway when it happened. Not trying to climb 35 degree slick rock. Not trying to get out of a sand pit they are stuck in. Not doing any kind of wheeling. The goal of this thread an all the others is to try to find a reasonable explanation for the MAJORITY of the failures. No explanation will suit every case.

 

[mwilk012]

Your point is clear. You say the last vehicle you saw with an exploded clutch was a Mustang GT and that you have ZERO doubt it’s a design problem. A Mustang is a sports car. Plenty of ways to cause major damage to not only the transmission but also the rear diff etc when driving a sports car. Launch it too hard, power shift, miss a shift at redline. You are on a Jeep forum. Again not saying a person with a Jeep won’t drive like they have a sports car but c’mon. This issue has been documented in several threads with almost every person saying they where driving down the highway when it happened. Not trying to climb 35 degree slick rock. Not trying to get out of a sand pit they are stuck in. Not doing any kind of wheeling. The goal of this thread an all the others is to try to find a reasonable explanation for the MAJORITY of the failures. No explanation will suit every case.

I don’t think a single one of these failures have occurred off road. They are due to sustained slippage at high speed every time that I have seen. The fault is in the lack of clamping force and insufficient friction.

 

[Morrepe]

I have ordered a 2023 2 dr with the 3.6L and MT. After reading about all of these issues, I'm considering just ordering a Centerforce unit and having it installed as soon as I take delivery. Other than obviously being costly and annoying, any drawbacks that anyone sees to doing that other than obvious warranty stuff? My thought is that, yeah, it's costly, but just consider that the Jeep should have cost that much more to have a proper clutch.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

I have ordered a 2023 2 dr with the 3.6L and MT. After reading about all of these issues, I'm considering just ordering a Centerforce unit and having it installed as soon as I take delivery. Other than obviously being costly and annoying, any drawbacks that anyone sees to doing that other than obvious warranty stuff? My thought is that, yeah, it's costly, but just consider that the Jeep should have cost that much more to have a proper clutch.

That might be a little extreme and costly. Does anyone know if the clutch has been re-designed after the recall was pushed?

 

[Morrepe]

That might be a little extreme and costly. Does anyone know if the clutch has been re-designed after the recall was pushed?

From what I've been reading, there have been no mechanical upgrades. All Jeep has done has been to incorporate the recalls into production.

 

[krweatherl]

I have ordered a 2023 2 dr with the 3.6L and MT. After reading about all of these issues, I'm considering just ordering a Centerforce unit and having it installed as soon as I take delivery. Other than obviously being costly and annoying, any drawbacks that anyone sees to doing that other than obvious warranty stuff? My thought is that, yeah, it's costly, but just consider that the Jeep should have cost that much more to have a proper clutch.

Here’s my response to the same question in this thread about my nieces flywheel failure/fire. https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-jlu-to-the-ground.98834/page-20#post-2056198

After seeing how the flywheels and pressure plates have been failing without any warning, I would be very uncomfortable running the stock clutch/flywheel assembly. Any clutch/flywheel assembly like the cf would eliminate any anxiety about whether or not I’ve got a time bomb at my feet.
Jess is pretty sure she wants a manual for her replacement Jeep. Earlier I was telling her I thought the problems had been resolved with the 21-22. After seeing how the 2 piece/riveted flywheel has been failing I’m not convinced it will not fail again, especially so if they haven’t increased clamping pressure. The cf style flywheel/pressure plate assembly isn’t going to fly apart. I’m now encouraging her to consider purchasing and letting me install an aftermarket clutch if she ends up with a manual again. I’m really trying to convince her to try the 8sp automatic but she really wants a manual and I get that also. Get what you really want, but be aware of its limitations and address them yourself if necessary.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

From what I've been reading, there have been no mechanical upgrades. All Jeep has done has been to incorporate the recalls into production.

That stinks. Looking at RockAuto and a Mopar parts website the clutch kit has the same part number for 2018 to 2022. Ugh.

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