05-101.4 Stage 4 Ultimate Organic Clutch Kit: Dodge 5.9L Cummins Diesel Ram 2500, 3500 6 Speed NV5600 - 13 in.

From my blog at http://www.openwheelracers3.com/View_from_the_Cockpit.html As I mentioned last week, I had received the new clutch and pressure plate assembly from Phoenix Friction Products and had made arrangements to have it installed on Tuesday. Well, it took a little longer, because it turned out I had to replace the main seal and the transmission snout seal. It was also decided to change the tranny fluid as it was sort of dirty after 250,000 miles. As it was, I decided to walk to Carson Dodge on Wednesday morning, but I was only a few blocks from the house when I got a phone call from my friend Ray Petani, the service manager, who told me that the mechanic had informed him that the clutch chattered really badly. He was road testing it and was going to pick me up. So, I put a call in to Bill Sanders who informed me that I would experience a slight chatter for a few hundred miles. About then Ray pulled up and as I drove he talked to Bill. There was a question about whether I had ordered a ceramic clutch or not, and both Bill and Ray had remembered not recommending going that drastic as the woven organic disc with the higher clamp load pressure plate would handle 600 horsepower and 1075 foot points of torque. Anyway, I towed the trailer to Salt Lake City and back over the weekend, about 1150 miles, and the clutch has seated itself really well now. You can tell that the pressure plate has much more clamping force than the OEM as it takes more pedal pressure, but I got used to that in a few hours and don't notice it any more. Now, for those readers who are not used to the mountains we have out here in the West, let me inform you. There's not a weekend that goes by that I don't have to drive over 7,000 to 8,000 foot mountain passes and the roads that climb them go on and on and on for miles. The reason I packed so much horsepower into the 5.9 L Diesel engine in my 2003 Dodge 3500 Ram is so that I don't have to keep downshifting going up these hills. After all, Dodge sort of considers the sixth gear as sort of an overdrive. The Jake brake then helps me from having to downshift too often going downhill. Well, on this past trip to Salt Lake City and back I was very impressed with the package I have now. Once on the road I never had to shift down out of sixth, although my speed did drop as low as 52 on two of the passes --- and at no time did the new clutch/pressure plate slip at all. Then, first thing this morning, the phone rang and it was Bill Sanders from Phoenix asking how my weekend went. Now, that is service. Like I said last week, these people are not sponsors of mine. I paid full price for the product and for the faster shipping. But, I like to give credit where credit is due. If you have a stick-shift pick up and you're ready for a new clutch, take a look at what they have to offer. They explain every truck and every clutch package that is available for them, and if that doesn't answer your questions give them a call. You'll be as pleased as I am. Just Google Phoenix Friction Products.