Clutch quality

Autozone has two clutch discs listed for my '71; one made by valuecraft and the other made by Duralast. Both are rebuilt. The Duralast is twice the price of the other ($50 vs $25). Does anybody have any experience with these brands, and is there a significant difference in quality? I don't mind paying more it the product is worth it; beats blowing a clutch on the trail!
Thanks

 

I just bought the $50 one. They didn't mentioned the $25. I haven't installed mine yet. Gut felling tells me I would go with the Duralast.

 

Sometimes I feel like a dark cloud, but....

Have you called NAPA? I can't say nice things about Autozone or their parts.

 

Patrick,
A salesman who stopped into my shop told me that the zone can get just about any brand you might want.

Though it might sound silly, I won't even buy a tree to hang from my mirror from them. Autozone insults automotive technicians everywhere with their "free check engine light diagnosis".

You bring a car in, they check for DTC's and "tell you what you need to repair it".

I don't know if the zone does this in NM, but I do know you see what's wrong with that picture!!!

 

I forgot to mention that most of the parts I got from were junk too...

My dislike isn't solely based on crappy parts.

Sorry for the sermon everyone!

mruta

 

Not trying to hijack, but...

Why does this insult automotive technicians? I paid the dealership $65 once, to tell me that the check engine light was a result of a loose gas cap. Talk about being ticked... If Auto Zone could have told me that for free, I would have sure been happy!

 

I bought a clutch "kit" from Napa. I don't remember how much it was but it even came with a plastic alignment tool along with the disk, pressure plate, bearing, and pilot shaft bearing.

As far as the Zone. We have a nickname I won't mention here for that place due to the particular ethnic group that shops there. I personally do not put a very high regard to the quality of parts they sell either.

As far as the code check deal I have no peoblem with that service. Most people who are buying parts are going to fix there own vehicle anyways so I doubt it is hurting too many service techs out there.

 

reason being, is the the CEL can set off a code for one thing, such as running lean/bad read from O2 sensor. So Autozone will tell them they need to replace O2 sensor, when it might be a intake manifold leak that is causing the lean run condition. ( not a true scenario i think, but you get the jist) Happens all the time at my dads shop, customer goes to autozone and spends a couple of hundred throwing parts at a problem, and yet it never gets fixed.

When you took it too the dealership, the code didnt pop up and say "loose gas cap" it would have come up as something in the emmissions system of the vehicle.

 

Oh yeah and as far as Autozone, there is a reason they have a lifetime warranty. I had a buddy that bought a starter from them for his jeep had to replace it 3 times in a month. After that I convinced him to buy an ac delco and running fine for 4 years now. Just 1 of the experiences. Since a clutch is such a big job, you want to put quality components in there so you dont have to go back in later. And while on the subject make sure you get your flywheel resurfaced

 

Sheese, around here I'm really happy to get a FLAPS that has something other than Dale Jr. toy race cars & bolt on bling for sale.

There is only 2 FLAPS in all of my county that I'd go to for anything other than oil. Carolina Auto Parts and the old timey NAPA. Problem is they are way outta my way.

[moderator hat on]

OK, let's get back on topic. What about these clutch brands?

[/moderator hat off]

 

I appreciate the input. I checked online and NAPA has a remanufactured one for around $50. I'll probably go with that one. The new ones are really high there. I shop at the NAPA here, but I've had some bad experiences with most of the help there not knowing what they're doing. There are two guys there that really know their stuff, and the rest have no idea about anything thats not late model and very common.
Unfortunately I already paid for the pressure plate at the zone; if its crap I'll be pissed.
Thanks for the input guys.

 

I always get my clutch parts from Krage. They always work and seem to last well.

 

AAAHHHH!!! Run away as fast as you can! I've had the unfortunate experience of installing 2 p.plates from A.Z. on my '71 and '64 (V6s) and they were the wrong type/kind/size. Why it took me 2 trys to figger that out is another story. Just be absolutely sure that the parts that go IN match the parts OUT exactly. Measure every conceivable angle, including p.plate depth. If they don't match exactly, return it. If'n you replace the pilot bearing also, make dern sure that baby is able to slip over the tranny input shaft B E F O R E you install it. Ha ha ask me how I know.

Lotsa Luck.

 

I cancelled the zone order; the manager was really good about it. I went to NAPA and ordered what I needed. Didn't even think about Krage! I looked in the 4WD, Essentials, and Vintage Jeep catalogs and couldn't find the parts.