The clutch coupling disc sits at the heart of a manual gearbox drivetrain, transmitting torque from the flywheel and pressure plate to the input shaft of the gearbox via a friction-lined disc that must engage smoothly thousands of times over its service life. Over time the organic or ceramic friction material wears thin, the torsional damper springs in the disc hub fatigue, and eventually the clutch either slips under load or judders during take-up. Slipping is the most telling symptom: engine revs rise normally under acceleration but road speed lags, sometimes accompanied by a faint burning smell from beneath the car. Engagement judder — a shudder through the transmission tunnel when pulling away — indicates worn hub springs or a contaminated friction surface. Because coupling discs are manufactured to exact spline dimensions and flywheel diameters, choosing the correct OE reference is the only reliable way to confirm the right spline count, friction diameter, and hub offset for a specific gearbox. SACHS and Schaeffler LuK supply the vast majority of original-equipment clutch discs fitted to European and Japanese cars, and their replacement units carry direct OE cross-references. Most workshops replace the disc, pressure plate, and release bearing together to avoid returning the gearbox to the bench within a short interval.
The clutch disc is matched to both the engine torque output and the gearbox input shaft, so the OE reference encodes the friction diameter, spline count, hub offset, and damper spring rate. Use your engine code and gearbox code — both appear on the vehicle identification plate or registration document — to narrow the selection on this page. Cross-referencing against the part number stamped on the old disc (if legible) provides a secondary confirmation before ordering.
OEM discs from SACHS or Schaeffler LuK are manufactured to the exact torque and thermal tolerances the vehicle engineer specified. Quality aftermarket discs from established suppliers use equivalent friction materials and the same spline geometry, though the damper spring calibration can vary slightly. Budget alternatives often use harder friction compounds that last longer on paper but increase judder on take-up and accelerate flywheel wear. For a high-torque diesel or a performance application, staying within the OE specification is generally advisable.
Most professional technicians recommend replacing the disc, pressure plate, and release bearing as a complete set whenever the gearbox is removed from the vehicle. The pressure plate's diaphragm spring and friction surface wear at a comparable rate to the disc, and the release bearing endures the same thermal cycling. Fitting a new disc against a worn pressure plate or leaving a marginal release bearing in place frequently results in premature disc failure, meaning the gearbox must come out again sooner than necessary.
Slipping is the most obvious symptom: engine revs climb freely but vehicle speed doesn't follow proportionally, particularly noticeable when pulling away in second gear under load. Judder at low-speed engagement, a high biting point that creeps progressively closer to the top of the pedal travel, and difficulty selecting gears smoothly all indicate wear. A burning smell after a hill start or towing confirms friction material is overheating. If the biting point has risen noticeably over several months, the disc should be inspected before it begins slipping.
Showing 100 of 13,625 Clutch coupling disc OE numbers. Enter the OE on the main OE search to jump to any reference.
