Eaton has begun production and shipping of the company’s recently upgraded line of aftermarket Eaton Advantage Self-Adjust and Eaton Easy Pedal Advantage heavy-duty clutches. Twenty-eight part numbers with a wide range of torque ratings up to 2,250 lb./ft. are now available for replacement service for all makes and models of heavy-duty trucks in North America.
“Enhancements were made to both designs to improve durability, reduce harmful vibration and better enable smooth, effortless shifting,” said Ben Karrer, global product strategy manager for Eaton Vehicle Group. “Contemporary diesel engines and powertrains, including downsped designs, continue to evolve. This newest line of clutches, our smoothest and most durable ever made by Eaton, are designed to better support those developments.”
The 28 part numbers are a reduction from 41 previous part numbers by combining several earlier models into one. The line covers all commercial heavy-duty truck applications while allowing dealers to reduce inventory levels.
Highlights of the enhancements, according to Eaton, include:
- A new strap drive system, which affixes the intermediate plate to the housing on the clutches, prolongs clutch life by eliminating lug fatigue that over time could lead to failures. The design also eliminates noisy rattle that is associated with the prior design.
- Eaton’s soft rate dampers effectively absorb engine vibrations to prevent driveline damage and are now standard on all clutches. This premium damper technology enables downspeeding at all torque ratings up to 1,850 lb./ft.
- A spring separator system permits cleaner, quicker disengagement with the engine for more efficient, smoother shifting.
- A second wear tab indicator has been added to the Advantage Self-Adjust model giving maintenance professionals better access during visual inspections.
- Industry-best release bearing lube intervals for all Eaton Advantage heavy-duty clutches is 50,000 miles.
