Clutches
The engineers at ZF Sachs Race Engineering GmbH have been technical partners of several Formula 1 teams for years now. Their expertise is now directly available in the Sachs Racing Clutch System, which can be individually configured for all racing series.
Standard clutches are only of limited suitability for racing. Comfort is one of the main focuses of development work on standard clutches. As a result, these clutches tend to be relatively large and heavy.
Completely different requirements are placed on clutches used for racing. Here the focus is on reducing the weight and moment of inertia (MoI), in order to enable maximum engine acceleration as well as minimum shift duration. Both the weight and the MoI can be significantly reduced by decreasing the clutch diameter and by using special materials.
Sachs RCS clutches have not been developed for specific vehicles, but can be used in virtually all cars. However, adjustments have to be made, such as to the geometry of the flywheel, position of the releaser and the limitation of the clutch release path.
Sachs Racing Clutch System RCS
With its modular Sachs Racing Clutch System RCS, ZF Sachs Race Engineering GmbH offers a high degree of variability for racing clutches. The system can be configured to provide individual solutions for specific vehicles and tracks. Our clutches are developed for virtually all racing applications. Their low weight and moment of inertia are among the most important parameters for racing. ZF Sachs Race Engineering GmbH guarantees rapid availability and unproblematic exch ange of individual components.
It is possible to customize the clutch to changed demands simply by exchanging individual components. Even wear parts can be renewed easily and quickly.
The Sachs RCS range comprises 4 different clutch diameters: 115 mm, 140 mm, 184 mm, and 200 mm. Friction linings come in carbon, sintered, sinter pad, and organic materials. Another option is the number of friction discs. Sachs RCS offers 1, 2, 3, or 4-disc clutches. The clutch clamping force should also be considered. Moreover, individual components can be produced in different materials. The following pages contain more detailed explanations of individual clutch parameters.
The benefits of the Sachs Racing Clutch System are as follows:
- Friction-Ø: 115, 140, 184 and 200 mm
- Set-up as 1-,2-,3- and 4-disc clutch
- rigid plate and plates with torsion springs
- multitude of different hub spline
- Low inertia of masses through the use of high-tensile aluminum
- Very high engine torques
- Easy replacement of individual components,
- High durability
- Special solutions for specialized and extreme applications possible
- Expansion into a Carbon variant is currently underway.
TopSachs Racing Clutch System RCS Carbon
Sachs RCS Carbon clutches are the fruit of long-term research and development work - and a direct transfer of knowledge from the Formula One to other classes of international racing. It features all the advantages that only the high-tech material carbon can provide, namely extreme durability and extreme load capacity - which makes it perfect for extreme challenges.
With its structured carbon fibers "baked" under high thermal and pressure conditions into a superior- quality homogenous material, carbon is known for its extreme load capacity. That is why it is the first choice wherever a combination of low weight, minimum size, and unparalleled physical strength is required.
Optional pressure plates can be installed to compensate for wear on the carbon. They ensure that the carbon clutch maintains a position corresponding to a new unit, which considerably extends the service life as well.
The advantage of carbon - the material of champions
- Unparalleled thermal resistance - carbon quality from the Formula One
- Carbon enables very low weight and moment of inertia
- Soft starting performance
- No wear on flywheel
- Extreme durability - up to four times greater than conventional sintered clutches
Vehicle-specific clutch modules
ZF SRE has developed complete racing clutch modules for a number of different vehicles. Racing clutch modules consist of the following components:
- Racing clutch
- Lightweight flywheel
- Central releaser (optional)
The racing clutch module can be used with a standard clutch control mechanism. Or it can be used with a central releaser specifically developed for racing clutches by ZF SRE.
The main difference between a racing clutch module and a standard series module lies in the mass. Standard modules are designed for a high level of comfort. The disadvantage here is that the module becomes very heavy. High weight considerably impairs engine responsiveness and vehicle acceleration. Racing clutch modules are designed to have as low a mass as possible because here the development focus is on achieving maximum vehicle acceleration.
