How many miles can you expect to get out of your clutch?

How many miles can an OTR driver expect to get out of a clutch?

We sat down with Bryon Engleman with Alliance Truck Parts to find out.

“The number of miles you can get out of a clutch is actually a big variable that could be affected by a lot of different things from driver ability, to maintenance on the clutch, to the load being pulled, to the terrain.  For a typical life expectancy you can see anywhere from 250,000 to, well, I’ve seen some guys get a million miles out of a clutch. There’s a big difference, too, in driving style between double clutching between every shift and the guys who ‘float shift’ where they don’t use the clutch except when they take off and stop. This greatly affects the life of a clutch, too.

The other thing we see often is when people go to replace the clutch, they have a tendency to only replace the clutch and they forget about the small parts, the linkage, and other things that may also need to be replaced.

But the most common factor we see with a clutch with a shortened life is simply that it hasn’t been well maintained - keeping it adjusted, keeping it lubricated.

These are some things to consider to give your clutch a longer life, smoother operation, and help you reduce your cost per mile because you get a longer life out of the clutch.”

If you need maintenance on your clutch, or if it's time to replace it, call the Tom Nehl Truck Company parts department at 904-389-3653.