December 2003 European Car:
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"sprung hub" clutch

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Replaceable steel friction surface for lifetime use of flywheel


Original BMW hardware and steel mounting plate included



Ultimate "Moderate Lightweight" Flywheel and
"sprung hub" performance clutch package
exclusively for '01-'06 M3
[ click here to order ]

UUC and Fidanza have forged an exclusive co-development relationship to design and build the most innovative, functional, and ultimate-quality designs for BMW.

All UUC/Fidanza flywheels are proprietary designs with many unique features, and can only be purchased through UUC and authorized UUC dealers.

HYBRID M5 CLUTCH CONVERSION!

Ultimate throttle response and faster acceleration at your command...


UUC's unique "sprung hub" clutch design Stage2 lightweight flywheel has been named one of European Car magazine's "Top 10 Products" for 2003 in the E36 fitment.  Now the same technology is available for the E46 M3.

Second-generation
"Stage 2" technology now available for E46 M3.

Tipping the scales at 16.9lbs, this steel flywheel boasts the same great features as our aluminum flywheel but has more mass added for two specific reasons:

1) For turbo conversions, extra mass is desireable to provide more drivetrain "load" which builds boost faster.

2) For any application where there must be a surety of quiet idle operation (reduced "gear rattle" or "gear lash" noise - click here to understand what causes gear rattle).

The Stage2 flywheel is designed to use the pressure plate and throw-out bearing design from the 3.6 liter E34 M5 and UUC's own sprung-hub clutch disk exclusively for the E46 M3 (available in different materials depending on intended use).  

Although the flywheel itself is lighter in weight than the more common 11.5lb lightweight flywheels, the M5 clutch components used are heavier.  The net result of the entire rotating mass is similar to a standard lightweight 11.5lb flywheel and M3 clutch.

UPDATE: 

UUC STAGE 2 FLYWHEEL AND STAGE 3 CERAMIC CLUTCH holds over 500rwhp from AA Supercharged E46 M3 SMG 

power.jpg (100485 bytes) Read more about it here:

Big news for E46 M3 owners!

Many E46 M3 owners have experienced mushy clutch feel, inconsistent engagement, and premature wear of the clutch in their manual-transmission cars.  The reason is quite simple - the original BMW (LUK-manufactured) clutch in the E46 M3 has a new "SAC" (Self Adjusting Clutch) design.  This new mechanism built into the clutch pressure plate is supposed to keep the clutch pedal engagement point the same as the clutch wears... but in all reality, it's a case of  "an answer to a question that nobody was asking." They have added a layer of complexity and feedback isolation, filling a need that didn't need filling - it is not too often that anybody notices that their clutch engagement point as moved 1/2" over 50K miles.

The SAC mechanism itself causes problems; it over- or under-adjusts the pressure plate and therefore causes the clutch to slip or burn out prematurely. They are also known to shift, causing the pressure plate release fingers to slip off the plate, keeping 1/3 of the pressure plate engaged at all times. Bottom line is that the only fix is a complete clutch job, and your dealer is likely to claim "driver abuse". We have seen it happen too many times.

The SAC mechanism may not give a clean release like a standard clutch. Instead of just two sets of springs, there is an adjuster mechanism that makes engagement feel mushy or slow.

The M5 component conversion eliminates the SAC mechanism and restores traditional clutch feel with predictable and crisp engagement.

This clutch has several advantages for the enthusiast driver: 

The advantage of a sprung-hub clutch design is improved resistance (and in many cases, complete elimination) of the residual chattering noise at idle that some lightweight flywheel-equipped cars can experience.

Because BMW spec'd this clutch design for use on the powerful S38-series engine in the M5, it is up to the task of handling the output from the M3's S54 motor.  

European Car Shoot Small 0064.jpg (62106 bytes) UUC customers have been using the Stage 2 & M5 clutch setup in turbo or supercharged E36 M3s and MZ3s with fantastic results.  Our own testing has shown the M5 clutch to reliably handle in excess of 450hp with a standard organic disk.

The UUC Stage 2 flywheel and clutch assembly has been used in the "test platform" M3 of Eurosport High Performance's supercharger development, reliably handling many miles and dyno runs in this powerful machine.


The total weight of this clutch disk and pressure plate combo is greater than that of a standard E46 clutch, so we have reduced the flywheel weight to achieve an overall rotating mass that is almost identical to a hypothetical 20lb lightweight flywheel and standard M3 clutch combination.

You can be assured not only of the performance increase you will experience, but the long-term ease of ownership that comes with knowing that replacement clutch components are never any further away than your dealer's parts counter.  Ideal clutch combination is the E34 M5 pressure plate and UUC sprung-hub clutch disk, although standard fixed-hub E46 M3 clutch disk (emergency repair) may be substituted - increased gear rattle will result.

Now available - complete Stage 2 flywheel and clutch kits with choice of these clutch materials:

- Performance Organic  (performance street/track organic)

- UltraSmooth Cerametallic - (performance street / track / high power supercharger or turbocharger)

- Multi-Puck Ceramic ( track, high power, and extreme drag-racing use)


Not sure which clutch?  CLICK HERE for clutch material selection guide or call us to discuss your needs (908-874-9092)

Click here to order


Flywheel technical details:

part # LFWLE46M3SH
construction: CNC machined steel
dowel pin hole: enlarged like factory-fit.
friction plate: replaceable, 1050 steel.
bolt mounting surface: stainless steel gaul plate included.
balancing: 11,000rpm, 14,000 rpm "burst test"
clutch components used: UUC sprung-hub performance clutch components (see details above) included with complete kit.
source: Made in USA
fits: 2001-2006 E46 M3
price: $1395 - $1545 price varies by clutch facing selected.
Complete package includes flywheel and clutch kit.
[ click here to order ]



Professional installation recommended.

© 2002
-2006 UUC Motorwerks