Is a juddery clutch common?
 

My 370Z sport M6 clutch is suprisingly bad, it actually feels like the dry-clutch on my Ducati 748. It often feels juddery or grabby and not smoothly engaging when starting from stop in 1st. More revs seems to help. Is this common? Thanks.

I don't remember this happening on the 350Z, but it gets quite annoying when going from standstill. It was pretty bad when the car was new. The problem came back after "burning" the clutch, and then it went away after a day or two.

Mine's fairly new still... going from stop to 1st I sometimes get the shudder/clunky noise if I under-gas it or don't let off the clutch soon enough.

Mine does the same thing. Car has 500 miles.

I don't have shudder on the Z but it does like a slighly higher rpm when engaging 1st than other cars.

Mine has a mild shudder which has not changed much since I took delivery and I now have 1800 miles. It depends on how you start off in 1st. It's smooth if you keep the rpms around 2 k on startup and then it engages OK. If you start will little power then you can detect a bit of vibration. I notified my dealer about it already and am keeping an eye on it and if it does not smooth out by 3 or 4k miles i'll request that they address it. It could be a number of things but I suspect maybe a slight misalignment in the pp assy who knows at this point.

That clutch is why I went with the 7AT. Piss poor design at best.

Lies! :stirthepot:

Hahahaha, we'll see how many "blown 7AT" threads start as time goes on and people mod their cars... :stirthepot:

Yeah, I've had it since new as well, and I have about 14,000 babied miles on it.

Rrrr r rrr rr rr reeevvvvvvvv..... shift (Grinding clunk), 2nd gear. Definitely not a smooth, buttery manual, that's for sure.

I really think this is just operator error... My clutch has no issues at all, even if I don't rev the engine at all, it's still smooth...

Ridiculous, all of it. While this manual is not the smoothest I've driven, it is one of the most precise. "Juddery"?..... MORE rpms man!! Learn how to properly drive a manual before commenting. I know, I'll get flamed for this, but I've driven manual gearboxed cars from Audi's to the Z and everything in between. I just don't see all the complaints. Just get over it and learn how to properly drive one or go with the 7AT.

Wow!

I won't be flaming you, as I fully agree.... :tup:

Yeah, I must be screwing up by not checking the speed of my synchros. Whatever guys. I've been driving manuals for 16 years and this is by far the clunkiest, roughest transmission I have owned for a manual. It still moves the car forward which is what counts.

Probably 1 per every 10 blown MT threads because most people can't seem to drive them correctly, and per every 25 "I burned my clutch" threads. :tiphat::stirthepot::stirthepot:

nono, you just dont know how to drive stick.

I have driven a manual every day for 25 years now, many cars, and this one is the worst. Annoying, but I can live with it. Given time, I can probably adjust and figure out what it likes, which seems to be lots of revs. Any car has it's faults. My 9 year old Camaro SS is fantastic compared to this Nissan, better feel, much smoother. Less precision can actually be a good thing.

I've driven stick for many years. I would entertain your assumption if I was the only one on here that thinks it's crap... but look around, I'm by far NOT the only one.

I suck at driving stick, but my transmission seems fine as long as I "launch" with the tach at 2K RPM or higher. Even below that it's not bad unless I let the clutch out too fast. I'll tell you this...never in a million years would I trade this "piss poor" 6MT for a 7AT. I had a 2001 Corvette with an automatic and it's just so much more engaging and fun to drive a manual. :stirthepot:

I've been driving manuals for over 20 years. The judder (or chatter) I'm experiencing is not due to operator error. The car will pull away more smoothly with added rpm, but there really shouldn't be clutch chatter when leaving at 1200-1400 rpm...that's plenty of revs for a smooth, easy take-off. AFAIK, clutches with ceramic-metallic linings can exhibit this trait. I'm not sure if our cars have them, though.

To my knowledge, in years past, only certain aftermarket high performance clutches would chatter at low rpm. This is the first production car I've owned with clutch chatter. It's not really bad, I'd call it mild, but it should be smooth.

Mine has the same judder. My lightweight flywheel/clutch on my 350z did the same thing..... although the stock setup was perfectly smooth no matter what you did.

Operator error? Uh, no.....

:iagree:......Yep!!

It's mildly annoying (and my car which isn't a Z does the exact same thing), but it's pretty easy to drive around.

All this "you don't know how to drive a stick" from all these expert race car drivers is a laugh. I have driven a stick for 20 years, and I also own a 300ZX Twin Turbo stick, and I have to say the 6MT in my 370Z is harder to drive and it is a pain. But you do get used to it. I use to burn my clutch every single day for 2 months after I got my car. Stalled it a dozen times since I've owned it too. Not sure if it's "broken in more" or I got better at using it. But comparing the two cars, the Z32 has a much easier to use clutch. And my yes Z32 is faster than my Z34 (for now, LOL)

Uh oh, here comes the flaming... My brothers 2009 Jeep Wrangler with the 6-speed manual has an easier to use, smoother tranny than the Z. The only thing that is worse with the Jeep is it doesn't have SRM. I must emphasize, I love my Z though. Love love love my car.

I probably will be trading in my '09 Infin FX35 when the brand new, redesigned Wrangler comes out. I love his Wrangler... a lot. I feel the Americans are coming back. (His Jeep SRT destroys my Z. It's kind of funny.)

Please guys, really, I love my Z, and will buy another when a redesign comes out.

I never said the manual is as smooth as driving a Camry, but you also have to realize there is a bit more torque that needs to go through the drivetrain then in your family sedan...

And I'm not claiming to be a race car driver, far from it, but my clutch really makes no sound what so ever when I shift gears, nor has my car stalled. And I certainly don't rev the engine higher....

Now there is also the fact, that not all are alike. I have heard the same aftermarket clutch in two different cars, where one would be quite and the other would be loud.
Both seem to have no installment issues... that said, a little lubrication goes a long way.... and that could be the case when they put our transmission together as well.

Here is another article that might shed some light as to why some people are experiencing more judder then others...

There are a large number of problems that can cause clutch judder (originally a British term). The problem generally happens when your car is at a complete stop and you engage the clutch. The clutch jerks, alternately gripping and slipping when you let the pedal out. Judder is not only an irritation, but a safety hazard as well.

Parts of the Clutch
A clutch is made up of three different parts: (1) The clutch disk is the "sticky" part of the assembly, which transfers the engine's power from the fly wheel to (2) the pressure plate, which connects to the transmission. (3) The release bearing connects to the clutch pedal, and it unites or separates the other two pieces as necessary. Any of these parts can interrupt the chain of power transfer, and cause the clutch to judder.

Distortion
If the pressure plate gets overheated--perhaps from letting your foot rest on the clutch pedal, constantly causing the contact between the plate and the disk to change--hot spots can form that warp the pressure plate, or the disk can wear unevenly. Once this happens, consistent contact is impossible. Likewise, if the plate gets bent during assembly, or if the flywheel was resurfaced unevenly, it will not apply pressure consistently when it is engaged against the disk. A warped clutch disk can have the same effect; uneven wear patterns will cause slippage. Incorrectly-torqued screws can distort components also.

Drivetrain Misalignment
Anything that gets the "line of transmission" off-center can cause problems. On the motor side of things, defective motor mounts can allow the motor to angle slightly, or a misaligned flywheel can cause a wobbling effect as it rotates. On the transmission side of the clutch assembly, similar problems could include bad transmission mounts, bent transmission tie bars, bad or misaligned U-joints or a driveshaft installed at too sharp an angle to the transmission.

Contamination
Sometimes oil or dirt can get on the face of the pressure plate, creating slick spots that grab for a moment before losing traction against the clutch disk. The clutch disk can also get contaminated, as it is generally made from the same materials as your brake pads. Oil and grease can also contaminate rubber mounts. If the rubber softens, it will deform and allow excessive movement and/or misalignment.

Defective Parts
While it is not as likely as some of the other causes of clutch judder, you could simply have a part that was defective from the start. A small percentage of defects during manufacture is inevitable, and even the best inspection system will not catch them all. Besides the obvious possibility of a distorted pressure plate or clutch disk, the moving parts of the release bearing should also be checked.

i learned how to drive stick on a friend's '94 wrangler 5 speed, and then that same friend sold that wrangler and got an '87 300zx. The wrangler was easier to drive for me being totally new. Based on my experience, i'm pretty sure that the transmission in a wrangler is easier to use than a sports car.
Furthermore, i think that makes perfect sense and in no way means there is something wrong with the Z. A M/T wrangler should be easier to drive than a M/T sports car.

I rent 10 cars a year or more in Europe and most are manuals (Fords, VW's, Citroens, Renaults etc..). Most of those clutches are like pushing on a pillow but I would never want that in my "Z". You need to have a clutch that has resistance and you know is there. That said the stock clutch should be relatively free of shudder when engaging on startup. I'm not sure but I think the assembly tolerances required for this car are pretty tight perhaps tighter than can be maintained to ensure consistent jitter free operation from unit to unit. That said nearly all of these cars run fine at delivery and will likely not experience premature wear but its clear that its not perfect.

Yes but it's funny to see friends start questioning their manual driving skills when they try to drive the car! :icon23:

In the early morning when cold, my clutch seems to "judder" when I release but after a 1/4 mile or so it seems to loosen up. Think it's a temperature thing. I'll be the first to admit the manual in the Z is a learning experience for sure. It doesn't like to be babied, I can tell you that. It seems to say "harder, faster" every time I shift it.

:iagree:

My Mom's Cadillac CTS has an auto. She just turned 80.

This thread is getting saucy!

I am not so sure we all should be boasting about our having "driven stick" for x number of years. In prison, we had an entirely different take on that expression and it was something you kept to yourself.

Oh, and I learned how to drive (legally) in a 1967 Volkswagen VW Type III Fastback (manual) in 1975. I have owned manual transmission cars since (Datsuns and Nissans). I have zero problem or concern with the 6MT in the 370.

Come out here and drive my 71 240Z with a Centerforce Stage 3. Now that takes a little finesse. The 370? Piece of cake.

Yeah? well I've been driving stick for 101 years now. I even taught the stig how heel and toe.


My experience > all of yours, suckkkkkerrrrrs

:icon17:

Most likely, this "shuddering" is technique. My 2011 never did that, but it was a rather abrupt shift and hard to drive smoothly. I didn't install the helper spring I bought, but I do note that Nissan upgraded the clutch pedal on the 2014 model. My new 2014 Z engages smooth as silk and the 1st - 2nd shift is likewise much smoother than my 2011 was.

There are quite a few of you in here that can't handle a manual. And some can't handle an auto either!

Do you see why some us say that some can't handle a manual? I didn't have these problems and my manual is the same as all the others.