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The Subaru BRZ is a popular sporty coupe known for its precise handling and rev-happy FA20 and FA24 engines. Since the beginning of its production cycle, BRZ owners have been modifying their ZC6s and improving performance with a slew of aftermarket parts.
When it comes to improving the Subaru BRZ’s transmission, one key component that owners often look forward to upgrading is the clutch. As the connection between the engine and transmission, the clutch plays an integral role in putting power to the pavement.
Upgrading with an aftermarket clutch can unlock your BRZ's full potential and vastly improve how your car shifts. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the best Subaru BRZ clutches on the market today. Whether you’re looking for smoother engagement or want to add more power down the road, this guide has you covered!
Our clutch recommendations are the result of analyzing key factors like real-world performance, durability, pricing options, and feedback from the BRZ community. By evaluating each clutch kit with these factors in mind, we have aimed to provide a list of recommendations BRZ drivers can trust.
The McLeod Street Supreme Clutch Kit strikes a balance for BRZ owners wanting improved performance without sacrificing drivability. It can handle up to 100% more power, making it a seamless upgrade for basic bolt-on builds. The ceramic disc provides smooth engagement and excellent holding capacity. Pedal feel is relatively comfortable for daily driving, a welcomed factor for anyone who’s dealt with a rock-hard aftermarket clutch. For BRZ enthusiasts who want a noticeable upgrade from stock without compromising on performance, the McLeod Street Supreme Clutch Kit delivers.
Looking to step up from a basic Stage 1 clutch but don’t need something super aggressive? Check out the SPEC Stage 2+ Clutch Kit. With a carbon and Kevlar disc, this clutch kit bridges the gap between a street and race clutch kit. It offers increased torque capacity paired with a comfortable clutch pedal for great drivability. The SPEC Stage 2+ Clutch Kit is a result of engineering focused on creating OEM-level comfort with added capability. If you're looking for a clutch kit to support your boosted BRZs transmission or frequently attend track days, this could be the perfect clutch for you!
With decades of experience creating clutches, ACT’s Street Sprung HD Clutch Kit is the perfect blend of performance and utility. Utilizing a heat-treated diaphragm design, this clutch kit provides reliable performance for street and light track use. An organic clutch disc offers smooth engagement and perfect drivability for owners who daily drive their BRZ. With quality components and thoughtful engineering, the ACT Street Sprung HD Clutch Kit offers outstanding value and performance for BRZ owners who are looking for the ideal clutch upgrade.
The Competition Clutch Stage 2 Clutch Kit is a cost-effective upgrade for BRZ owners looking for more performance without breaking the bank. The sprung hub keeps engagement comfortable while the organic clutch disc improves holding power. With up to 80% more capacity over stock, it gives you headroom to push harder while retaining an excellent clutch feel. If you’re looking for an OEM+ feel to match your FBO Subaru BRZ, then be sure to check out the Stage 2 Clutch Kit from Competition Clutch
The Action Clutch Stage 2 Clutch Kit is a clutch kit that saw talked about a lot during our research. Its Kevlar disc and sprung hub retain fantastic drivability for daily driving, ensuring a great clutch feel. Holding capacity sees a 70% increase, giving you confidence that you won’t be burning up your clutch during extended track sessions. With its smooth linear engagement, improved torque capacity and comfortable pedal feel, the Action Clutch Stage 2 Clutch Kit improves transmission performance while keeping your Subaru BRZ street able.
The XClutch Twin Disc Organic Clutch Kit is a great choice for high-horsepower BRZ builds that you still want to drive on the street. The twin disc design provides a significant increase in holding capacity while maintaining a comfortable pedal feel. With both discs utilizing organic discs, engagement stays smooth and reliable. For Subaru BRZs that are turbo or supercharged, the XClutch Twin Disc Organic Clutch Kit delivers the goods.
If your Subaru BRZ sees consistent track duty, be sure to check out the Exedy Twin Disc Metallic Clutch Kit. The ceramic metallic puck material can withstand intense heat cycling and abuse that is often experienced at the track. Holding capacity is nearly doubled over stock, ensuring your transmission won’t slip as you attack the next corner. Engagement is on the aggressive side, making this ideal for dedicated track-prepped BRZs. The Exedy Twin Disc Metallic Clutch Kit is the perfect clutch for owners who are looking for a track-focused component and won’t mind the compromised comfort as a trade-off for overall performance.
The Competition Clutch Twin Disc Clutch Kit offers track-ready performance at a reasonable price. It utilizes lightweight aluminum and steel construction for reduced rotational mass, keeping your FA20 happy throughout the rpm range. The ceramic clutch discs offer an incredible level of grip, even under the most extreme conditions. Competition Clutch warns that you should expect some chatter at low RPMs as a trade-off for the holding capacity exceeding 800lb-ft. If you’re looking to upgrade, the Competition Clutch Twin Disc Clutch Kit is the great clutch kit for Subaru BRZs that have some added boost or live on the racetrack!
The clutch allows you to engage and disengage the engine from the transmission smoothly. This is accomplished through several transmission components working in unison - the clutch disc, pressure plate, and throwout bearing. When you push the clutch pedal in, the throw-out bearing releases pressure exerted by the pressure plate against the clutch disc. This causes the clutch disc, which is splined to the transmission's input shaft, to separate from the engine's flywheel.
This separation disengages the drivetrain and allows you to shift gears. When you release the pedal, the pressure plate again squeezes the clutch disc against the flywheel to reconnect the engine and transmission. Understanding how the clutch disc, pressure plate, and throw-out bearing interact is important when it's time to choose your new performance clutch.
The factory BRZ clutch is designed for smooth daily driving, not maximum performance. It tends to reach its limit once you start modifying the engine and increasing power levels. The OEM clutch can start to slip when adding common bolt-ons like intakes, headers, or tunes. This is where upgrading to an aftermarket performance clutch makes sense.
Quality aftermarket clutches provide increased torque capacity and durability compared to stock. This gives you confidence that all your engine's power will make it to the wheels without clutch slip. Aftermarket options also provide smoother, more precise gear shifts whether daily driving or on track.
When shopping for a new BRZ clutch, match it to your power goals. Conservative kits can handle up to 400hp which is suitable for mild street builds. On the extreme end, twin-plate racing clutches can hold over 800hp for dedicated track BRZs. Do your research to pick the right clutch so you don't leave performance on the table or overspend.
When selecting an aftermarket BRZ clutch, you'll encounter some key choices that impact performance and drivability:
Single-plate clutches are the simplest upgrade from stock. They utilize a larger diameter single disc for more surface area and grip. Single plates offer affordable performance gains perfect for mildly tuned BRZs.
For big power, multi-plate or twin-disc clutches stack several small discs to dramatically increase holding capacity. The added surface area enables twin-plate clutches to reliably handle over 800hp in high horsepower builds.
Friction material is another important consideration. Organic materials provide smooth engagement well-suited for street driving. Ceramics offer aggressive bite ideal for dedicated track and competition BRZs.
There are many ways to go when upgrading your BRZ's clutch. Carefully consider your power goals and how you drive. A quality aftermarket clutch unlocks sharper response and optimizes performance potential. Properly matched to your build, an upgraded BRZ clutch puts the engine's power to good use and enhances the driving experience.
Several important factors should be factored in when you’re deciding on your BRZ performance clutch selection -
By weighing these key considerations relative to how you drive and your build goals, you can select the ideal BRZ clutch upgrade.
Proper safety precautions are critical when installing a BRZ clutch -
Following safe practices and having the right tools ensures an efficient, injury-free BRZ clutch installation.
Installing a catback exhaust system is a popular supporting mod to pair with a BRZ clutch upgrade. Catbacks from brands like the Invidia, MAPerformance, and Tanabe Medalion enhance power while adding an aggressive exhaust note. By reducing restrictions, catbacks allow the FA20 engine to breathe and rev freely. Most quality options add 7-15hp through improved exhaust flow. Just ensure your new clutch is rated to handle the extra torque before pulling the trigger on a catback exhaust.
Swapping the stock dual-mass flywheel for a lightweight single-mass flywheel is a great complimentary upgrade when replacing your clutch. Lightweight flywheels remove rotational mass which allows your BRZ’s engine to rev more quickly with an improved throttle response. While ideal for dedicated track cars, lightweight flywheels can also be used by daily-driven BRZs as long as you don’t choose something that is too lightweight.
Short shifters are a simple way to make your BRZ's shifter feel more precise. Reducing the shift throw by 25-40% enhances the driving experience and makes shifting quicker on both the track and street. Brands like GKTech, IRP, and Billetworkz offer options ranging from $200-600. Short shifters pair perfectly with new clutches to optimize the feeling of fast, smooth shifts. Just be aware that added NVH is common. Adding a short shifter is an easy and effective supporting mod for your new clutch kit.
Upgrading the clutch is one of the most essential mods for unlocking your BRZ's full performance potential. We hope this guide provided you with a comprehensive overview of BRZ clutch options - from mild street kits to track-ready twin disc setups. We considered key factors like holding capacity, drivability, and cost so you can choose the best clutch for your build. Brands like ACT, SPEC, McLeod, and Exedy offer options to suit any budget and power level.
Whether you looking for a simple clutch upgrade or an 800hp-capable twin disc clutch kit, we hope our guide helps you make an informed decision. Thank you for reading and be sure to check out our other in-depth BRZ tuning articles covering intake, exhaust, flywheel, and short shifter upgrades.
Our goal is to provide the technical knowledge for you to build a high-performance BRZ that you can enjoy. Let us know if you have any other topics you want covered related to improving your BRZ's performance capabilities!
The average price range for a Subaru BRZ aftermarket clutch kit is $400-$1500 depending on the brand and performance level. Entry-level kits start around $400 while twin-disc options can be $1200-2000. Most quality kits fall in the $600-$1000 range.
For experienced mechanics, the total time to install a new Subaru BRZ clutch kit is typically 4-6 hours. This includes removing and re-installing all required components and adjusting the clutch pedal. Allow additional time if it's your first clutch job.
We recommend having your clutch installed by a professional mechanic if you’re unsure about the process. It requires automotive expertise, specialty tools, and the ability to properly balance and adjust the clutch for smooth engagement.
With proper installation and no abuse, most quality aftermarket BRZ clutches will last 50,000-120,000 miles on average. Aggressive driving or frequent track days decreases service life. Ceramic materials often last longer than organic clutch discs with proper break-in being the key to maximizing clutch life.
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