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Drivetrain

Drivetrain

Drivetrain

Giving Your Car a Faster Movement Through The Gears

Drivetrain upgrades play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and capabilities of track cars. Whether it’s upgrading the clutch, transmission or differential, optimizing the drivetrain system can result in quicker acceleration, smoother gear changes, and better control through corners. Here we will discuss the key components that can be upgraded within the drivetrain of your car.

Clutch

Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Clutch
Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Clutch

As the direct link between engine and gearbox, having a suitable clutch is fundamental to enjoyment and reliability on track. Consideration of clutch life and capacity is particularly important when considering performance upgrades for your engine, increasing the power output significantly could be enough to overwhelm a standard or higher mileage clutch causing it to slip! Upgrading the clutch in itself will not result in performance gains but will equip your car to reliably handle power upgrades and the extreme forces involved in track driving.

Choosing a clutch is specific to the level of modification of your car and your intended use. For entry level track cars the standard specification clutch in good condition will be capable of handling occasional track use. From here there are performance clutches with upgraded friction plates and higher clamping force clutch plates that are suited to higher power, high torque applications capable of handling more aggressive gear changes at higher engine speeds. There is also the option of paddle clutches which are geared towards aggressive launches from standstill – the sort of extreme practice required for a race start. At the top end of the spectrum there is multi-plate clutches which compromise multiple friction discs stacked in order to multiply the capacity of the assembly as a whole.

Our recommend brands for clutch upgrades

Flywheel

Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Flywheel
Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Flywheel

Upgrading a flywheel is about improving reliability and response from your engine and gearbox, much like with a clutch upgrade, a performance flywheel on its own will not increase power output however a lightened part will result in reduced inertia and increased throttle response. A factory flywheel is designed to smooth out engine harshness and vibrations providing a comfortable driving experience whilst keeping the chances of the engine stalling to a minimum. A more modern solution utilises a dual-mass design which is a 2 piece, internally damped part most commonly found on diesel engines but also some petrol engines too.

Lightweight flywheels, a precision component machined from billet, will allow engine speed to increase and decrease more rapidly facilitating quicker gear changes and a more freely accelerating and decelerating car. These are the key benefits of fitting a lightened flywheel, if you’re upgrading from a worn dual-mass original then you will also gain hugely in terms of longevity where a single mass unit has no opportunity to wear. The best opportunity to replace a flywheel is during removal of the gearbox for a clutch replacement or other repairs or upgrades as removal of the gearbox for any such work can be quite labour intensive.

Our recommend brands for flywheel upgrades

Differentials

Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Differential
Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Differential

An upgraded differential provides significant improvements in grip for all types of drivetrains. There are a few variations in design, but the clue is in the name with limited-slip differentials (LSD) and their common goal is to reduce wheel slip/spin as much as possible. When it comes to circuit driving the benefits of a performance differential will be felt most in the corners, the way in which an LSD distributes torque to the wheels means that when cornering quickly power is transmitted to the side with the most traction. This results in far more stable, quicker cornering compared to the open differential often fitted from factory which maintains a 50/50 torque split meaning overall torque is reduced as the car starts to roll in high-speed corners picking up its inside wheel.

The type of LSD best for you will depend on the usage of the vehicle, the more performance biased the differential the more compromised for road use it is. The 2 common types of differential: Torson and Plated. Torson (ATB) differentials are a complex arrangement of gears which automatically torque bias to the output with the most grip rather than the least, this combined with overall strength and general road-friendly nature make the Torson LSD an obvious choice for a road going track car. For those who are particularly committed and/or fast, the limit of a Torson diff is found when one wheel leaves the ground completely!

At this point you will need a plated LSD, these compromise various friction plates limiting slip, much the same way a clutch works, and just like performance clutches, a heavily uprated plated LSD can be quite harsh in its operation, locking quickly and making the car juddery when driving slowly; as well as making the car more of a handful when accelerating hard due to its ability to immediately transmit the power with no slip. Just like a clutch, plated diffs can wear over time with hard use and big power, but most popular models can easily be rebuilt, and plated diffs remain the LSD of choice for all motorsport applications with their ability for easier adjustment depending on requirements (locking ability on acceleration and deceleration).

Our recommend brands for differentials upgrades

Gear Selection / Quickshift

Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Transmission
Carbonwurks Track Car Build - Transmission

Gear selection modifications typically fall under 2 categories: Precision Shifting and Quickshift kits. Quickshift kits are popular upgrades for track cars, these kits typically comprise of an adaptor or multiple adaptors to be fitted to the gearbox designed to move gear positions closer together. This results in a shorter shifter throw, allowing drivers to change gears with minimal effort and in a quicker, more precise manner. This can result in faster acceleration, smoother shifts, and ultimately, improved lap times. In addition to this, quickshift kits can also help reduce wear and tear on the transmission components by putting less strain on the gearbox, synchros, and other transmission parts, potentially extending their lifespan and reducing the risk of mechanical failures during intense track sessions.

Precision shifters are a larger undertaking involving a replacement gearstick assembly as well as replacement shifter cables, whilst normally that means greater cost and more complex fitting requirements, they are the ultimate in gear changing upgrades! Designed to remove any play from the standard shifting system with removal of rubber bushings etc used by OE manufacturers in order to keep noise, vibrations and harshness to a minimum they offer the most accurate and precise gear stick movement and often with adjustment to dial in your preferred amount of throw. On offer through a number of manufacturers there are a variety of options available depending on make and model of car, some also offer customisation options allowing you to truly maximise the race-car look of your interior!

Our recommend brands for gear selection