ZachBecken

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
3
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hello all,

First a little background. I have a 2005 LJ with the NSG-370 6 speed trans. At around 147,900 miles the throw-out bearing let go on my drive home. I daily drive the LJ around 100 miles each day. The T/O bearing let go about a quarter way into my drive home. I put around 50 miles on the jeep with a completely destroyed T/O bearing before I was able to change it out. I used a Luk clutch kit (Luk 05-065) and used the included "plastic" T/O bearing. After replacing everything I took the LJ for a test drive and found no issues. The next morning, on my drive to work, everything was fine until about 20ish minutes into the drive when I started to get a grinding/vibrating noise while in gear that would go away once you depressed the clutch pedal about an inch. This continued throughout the week only getting worse, but still not starting until around 20 minutes into the drive. I figured it had to do with the included Luk T/O bearing. So the following weekend I replaced everything. I used a National bearing #614093, a new factory clutch fork #52107555AB, a new factory pivot ball #52087542, and a new Mopar pivot ball spring #4338855. Unfortunately I had the same result with a noise starting about 20 minutes into my drive. However it was more subtle (at first) and I have lived with it for just over a month. After putting more thought into the issue I figured the noise was caused by excessive wear on the input shaft bearing retainer caused when the old T/O bearing let go. Not wanting to have to drop the transmission again after this next time, I decided to order every T/O bearing I could find and take accurate measurements to get a definitive answer on which one is the "best" fit. I also ordered a new bearing retainer. Something I did notice in multiple reviews on amazon were people complaining about receiving T/O bearings that were misaligned and off center. This is not an issue. They are designed like the original to be self aligning. They will center themselves during use.

These are the locations and the measurements I took. Each measurement was taken at 2 points 180 deg opposite of each other then averaged. The measurements were taken on a Starrett dial caliper to the nearest 0.001"

front measurements.png
Rear measurments.jpg
Face= The width of the face of the bearing that contacts the pressure plate fingers.
Front ID= The inside diameter of the bearing that rides on the transmissions input shaft bearing retainer. Taken on the face side of the bearing.
Diameter= The overall diameter of the face of the bearing.
Rear ID= The inside diameter of the bearing that rides on the transmissions input shaft bearing retainer. Taken on the spring side of the bearing.
Mounting Distance= The distance between the mounting lugs that fit inside the clutch fork. Control the bearings up and down play on the clutch fork.


These are the bearings that I checked and where to buy them:
20201030_182541.jpg
National Bearing 614093 Red/White Box: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZIQ4Q/?tag=wranglerorg-20

National Bearing 614093 Blue/Black Box: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...093/2551189/2005/jeep/wrangler?q=614093&pos=0

Timken 614093: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ6XV4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Centerforce N1764: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CIOUBU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Brute Power 614093: https://www.autozone.com/drivetrain...e-bearing-614093/136700_0_0&searchText=614093
LUK 05-065: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICYZ4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

LUK 05-901: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICZ1M/?tag=wranglerorg-20

All tolerances will be checked against the new crown bearing retainer. I chose to go with the Crown 5159176AA seeing as it was at least $60 cheaper and was the only one I could get on short notice seeing as my local dealership didn't have one and amazon was at least a month out.

Crown 5159176AA: https://www.jegs.com/i/Crown+Automo...0bsvTUSW7Q8dglOyvzj_HakRdrF4TyMQaAsfWEALw_wcB20201031_075845 (1).jpg20201031_075827.jpg

I Believe this is a relatively new product as I was only able to find it available from Quadratec and JEGs. I choose to buy it from JEGs because it was in stock ready to ship, where as Quadratec said that it was preorder only and wouldn't ship for at least a month. This bearing had an outside diameter of 1.433"

The measurements/initial impressions are as follows:

LUK 05-065:

20201101_163535.jpg
As far as I am aware this bearing is only available in the clutch kit. This bearing has a "plastic" sleeve inside a metal collar. This bearing feels light and flimsy. This is not a self aligning bearing. The spring clips that hold it to the clutch fork are loose and do not allow for the bearing to fit securely on the clutch fork. It comes with out any grease or oil coatings.
Rear ID = 1.442" Front ID = 1.46"
Diameter = 2.688" Face = 0.52"
Mounting Distance = 1.939"

LUK 05-901:
20201101_163611.jpg
As far as I am aware this bearing is only available in the clutch kit. This bearing is fully metal. It has a light oil film coating all surfaces, but not pre greased. This bearing did not make any noise when spun and felt sturdy. It had the tightest tolerance against the bearing retainer of all the T/O bearings I checked.
Rear ID = 1.436" Front ID = 1.435"
Diameter = 2.740" Face = 0.413"
Mounting Distance = 1.935"

National bearing #614093:
I ordered one from Amazon and purchased one from O'Reillys. The one from Amazon came in a red/white box, made 6/18. The one from O'Reillys came in a blue/black box, made 8/12. Both had the same part number. I checked with 3 other O'Reillys stores and each one had the same blue/black box. I ordered another one from amazon and it again came in the red/white box. Not sure why this is, but nonetheless I took measurements of both. Both came with out grease or oil coatings and looked exactly the same.
National red/white box:
20201101_124302.jpg20201101_124346.jpg
Indistinguishable in appearance from the blue/black box national bearing. Bearing felt tighter than the blue/black box unit.
Rear ID = 1.45" Front ID=1.444"
Diameter = 2.645" Face = 0.434"
Mounting Distance = 1.944"
National blue/black box:
20201101_124256.jpg20201101_124219.jpg
This bearing made a clicking noise when spun by hand and had a fair amount of play in the head. I am unsure if this is just a defect in my particular unit or if this is how they all come. I plan on purchasing more from O'Reillys and checking if this is the case. When this happens I will update the post. It is indistinguishable in appearance from the red/white box national bearing.
Rear ID = 1.448" Front ID = 1.438"
Diameter = 2.642" Face = 0.438"
Mounting Distance = 1.938"

Centerforce N1764:
20201031_075900 (1).jpg20201031_080011 (1).jpg
This bearing came pre greased and had a slight oil film covering. It had the best finish and most constant tolerances. The bearing was very tight and spun freely without noise. Appears to live up to the Centerforce name. Came in both a plastic and parchment paper covering.
Rear ID = 1.440" Front ID = 1.440"
Diameter = 2.638" Face = 0.479"
Mounting Distance = 1.934"

Timken 614093:
20201101_133452.jpg20201101_133541.jpg
According to Amazon this bearing will not fit a 2005-2006 TJ/LJ with the NSG-370. However the part number is the same as all the other bearing I tested and all the measurements I took say other wise. This bearing came fully greased. There was no oil covering on the bearing because it had a grease coating all over. The main issue with this bearing is the play in the front of the bearing. It is completely loose. You can pull it in/out, up/down. This is unfortunate because other than this issue it appears to be very high quality having the 2nd tightest tolerances of all the bearings I measured. I am unsure if this is just a defect in my particular unit or if this is how they all come. I plan on ordering a few from Amazon and checking if this is the case. When this happens I will update the post.
Rear ID = 1.437" Front ID = 1.438"
Diameter = 2.600" Face = 0.527"
Mounting Distance = 1.930"

Brute Power 614093:
20201101_133313.jpg20201101_133407.jpg
This bearing came pre greased, but no oil coating. This bearing also had the most shallow grease groove of all the bearings measured. Other than the Centerforce bearing this bearing was the only one that had a consistent inside diameter. This bearing appears to use a sleeve pressed into the body of the bearing to make a constant inside diameter. The springs on this bearing are of a different design. I'm not sure if they would provide the same clamping force over time as the other design.

Rear ID = 1.443" Front ID = 1.443"
Diameter = 2.725" Face = 0.454"
Mounting Distance = 1.921"


In conclusion:
Here is a quick reference of the tolerances to the input shaft bearing retainer (OD 1.433") of all the bearings measured.
1) LUK 05-901: Rear ID: +0.003" Front ID: +0.002" Average: +0.003"
2) Timken 614093: Rear ID: +0.004" Front ID: +0.005" Average: +0.005"
3) Centerforce N1764: Rear ID: +0.007" Front ID: +0.007" Average: +0.007"
4) Brute Power 614093: Rear ID: +0.01" Front ID: +0.01" Average: +0.01"
5) National blue/black box: Rear ID: +0.015" Front ID: +0.005" Average: +0.01"
6) National red/white box: Rear ID: +0.017" Front ID: +0.011" Average: +0.014"
7) LUK 05-065: Rear ID: +0.009" Front ID: +0.027" Average: +0.018"

The "best" T/O bearings:

-LUK 05-901: Of all the bearing I measured this bearing had the tightest tolerances compared to the Crown Bearing Retainer. There was no play in the front of the bearing and I would have no issues running this on my jeep. Unfortunately as far as I am aware this bearing is only available as a kit. If I was replacing my clutch with the LUK 05-901 kit I would for sure keep the included bearing.

-Centerforce N1764: Hands down the best bearing machining wise. The tolerances and consistency are definingly worth the slightly higher price. It came packaged both in plastic and parchment paper. It also included a warning statement about the self aligning bearing possibly looking off centered to help deter customers sending them back for being "defective". This is the bearing I went with and have had zero issues since. Would 100% purchase again.

-Brute Power 614093: If you needed a T/O bearing same day that you can pick up from a parts store this is the bearing I would choose. It is available from AutoZone and is in stock at every store in my area. Besides the Centerforce unit, this bearing was the only one that had a consistent inside diameter. If I were in a pinch this is the bearing I would choose. I would make sure to add ample grease to the inside. It does come pre greased, but its not the best job and the grease groove is not very deep. The only down side to this bearing is the narrow mounting distance along with the different spring design could potentially cause the bearing to vibrate up/down in the clutch fork. I would still choose this bearing over the National Bearing due to the better tolerances on the inside diameter.

Bearings to avoid:

-LUK 05-065: The dreaded "plastic" bearing. This bearing lives up to its reputation of being terrible. The inside diameter is inconsistent, the springs design does not allow for proper tension on the clutch fork, and the whole design is just flimsy. This bearing will flop around of the clutch fork causing noise and vibration. I did run this bearing for about 1000 miles and I will say that the bearing spun fine with no end play or noise when removed. It did however make noise almost immediately and I cant imagine it lasting anywhere near the life of the clutch.

-National Bearing 614093 Blue/Black box: This is the National Bearing that I picked up from O'Reillys. According to the box it was manufactured 8/12. The bearing had a fair bit of play and was not easy to spin. It also mad a clicking noise when spun. It did have slightly tighter tolerances than the red/white box, but the extra bearing play does not make up for this. I would avoid any National Bearings that come in the Blue/Black box.

-Timken 614093: As opposed to what Amazon will tell you, this bearing will fit and function on 05-06 TJ/LJs with the NSG-370 transmission. As stated earlier this bearing has an unacceptable amount of play. I cant see this bearing lasting more than 500 miles before it either comes completely apart, or is making constant noise. This could be a defect with my unit, but until I am able to order more and get a definitive answer I would avoid purchasing.



Remember, buy once cry once. There is no reason to go cheep and have to drop the transmission multiple times to solve this issue. Replace everything regardless if it looks good as a few thousandths of an inch can cause vibrations and noise. I hope everyone who reads this can learn from my mistakes.
 
I have only bought LUK clutches since that's what comes in Jeeps. I asked them about the composite vs metal. The parts that matter are metal in both. It's a non issue for me. Clutches last a very long time if used properly.
The LUK clutchs are definitely top notch and are the brand I went with when changing out my clutch. The main issue I had with the T/O bearing that came in the 05-065 kit was the tolerance between the inside diameter and the bearing retainer it rides on. It was greater than all the other bearings I measured. The bearing that comes in their 05-901 kit was outstanding. It had the best tolerance of all and I would have definitely used it if I went with that kit in the first place.
 
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I just bought a LUK 05-065 kit and after reading all the reviews of the included bearing and National, I think I am going to give an SKF a look. Any chance you had one of those in your hands?
 
I just bought a LUK 05-065 kit and after reading all the reviews of the included bearing and National, I think I am going to give an SKF a look. Any chance you had one of those in your hands?
Unfortunately I dont. The design looks similar to timkens. If you do go with the SKF just make sure to properly grease the input shaft bearing retainer, greese groove inside the bearing, and check for excessive play once mounted on the clutch fork in the bellhousing.
 
Great write up!

Hello all,

First a little background. I have a 2005 LJ with the NSG-370 6 speed trans. At around 147,900 miles the throw-out bearing let go on my drive home. I daily drive the LJ around 100 miles each day. The T/O bearing let go about a quarter way into my drive home. I put around 50 miles on the jeep with a completely destroyed T/O bearing before I was able to change it out. I used a Luk clutch kit (Luk 05-065) and used the included "plastic" T/O bearing. After replacing everything I took the LJ for a test drive and found no issues. The next morning, on my drive to work, everything was fine until about 20ish minutes into the drive when I started to get a grinding/vibrating noise while in gear that would go away once you depressed the clutch pedal about an inch. This continued throughout the week only getting worse, but still not starting until around 20 minutes into the drive. I figured it had to do with the included Luk T/O bearing. So the following weekend I replaced everything. I used a National bearing #614093, a new factory clutch fork #52107555AB, a new factory pivot ball #52087542, and a new Mopar pivot ball spring #4338855. Unfortunately I had the same result with a noise starting about 20 minutes into my drive. However it was more subtle (at first) and I have lived with it for just over a month. After putting more thought into the issue I figured the noise was caused by excessive wear on the input shaft bearing retainer caused when the old T/O bearing let go. Not wanting to have to drop the transmission again after this next time, I decided to order every T/O bearing I could find and take accurate measurements to get a definitive answer on which one is the "best" fit. I also ordered a new bearing retainer. Something I did notice in multiple reviews on amazon were people complaining about receiving T/O bearings that were misaligned and off center. This is not an issue. They are designed like the original to be self aligning. They will center themselves during use.

These are the locations and the measurements I took. Each measurement was taken at 2 points 180 deg opposite of each other then averaged. The measurements were taken on a Starrett dial caliper to the nearest 0.001"

View attachment 200282

View attachment 200284
Face= The width of the face of the bearing that contacts the pressure plate fingers.
Front ID= The inside diameter of the bearing that rides on the transmissions input shaft bearing retainer. Taken on the face side of the bearing.
Diameter= The overall diameter of the face of the bearing.
Rear ID= The inside diameter of the bearing that rides on the transmissions input shaft bearing retainer. Taken on the spring side of the bearing.
Mounting Distance= The distance between the mounting lugs that fit inside the clutch fork. Control the bearings up and down play on the clutch fork.


These are the bearings that I checked and where to buy them:
View attachment 200367
National Bearing 614093 Red/White Box: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZIQ4Q/?tag=wranglerorg-20

National Bearing 614093 Blue/Black Box: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...093/2551189/2005/jeep/wrangler?q=614093&pos=0

Timken 614093: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ6XV4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Centerforce N1764: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CIOUBU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Brute Power 614093: [URL][URL]https://www.autozone.com/...e-bearing-614093/136700_0_0&searchText=614093[/URL][/URL]

LUK 05-065: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICYZ4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

LUK 05-901: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICZ1M/?tag=wranglerorg-20

All tolerances will be checked against the new crown bearing retainer. I chose to go with the Crown 5159176AA seeing as it was at least $60 cheaper and was the only one I could get on short notice seeing as my local dealership didn't have one and amazon was at least a month out.

Crown 5159176AA: [URL][URL]https://www.jegs.com/i/Cr...0bsvTUSW7Q8dglOyvzj_HakRdrF4TyMQaAsfWEALw_wcB[/URL][/URL]
View attachment 200299

View attachment 200298

I Believe this is a relatively new product as I was only able to find it available from Quadratec and JEGs. I choose to buy it from JEGs because it was in stock ready to ship, where as Quadratec said that it was preorder only and wouldn't ship for at least a month. This bearing had an outside diameter of 1.433"

The measurements/initial impressions are as follows:

LUK 05-065:

View attachment 200365
As far as I am aware this bearing is only available in the clutch kit. This bearing has a "plastic" sleeve inside a metal collar. This bearing feels light and flimsy. This is not a self aligning bearing. The spring clips that hold it to the clutch fork are loose and do not allow for the bearing to fit securely on the clutch fork. It comes with out any grease or oil coatings.
Rear ID = 1.442" Front ID = 1.46"
Diameter = 2.688" Face = 0.52"
Mounting Distance = 1.939"

LUK 05-901:
View attachment 200366
As far as I am aware this bearing is only available in the clutch kit. This bearing is fully metal. It has a light oil film coating all surfaces, but not pre greased. This bearing did not make any noise when spun and felt sturdy. It had the tightest tolerance against the bearing retainer of all the T/O bearings I checked.
Rear ID = 1.436" Front ID = 1.435"
Diameter = 2.740" Face = 0.413"
Mounting Distance = 1.935"

National bearing #614093:
I ordered one from Amazon and purchased one from O'Reillys. The one from Amazon came in a red/white box, made 6/18. The one from O'Reillys came in a blue/black box, made 8/12. Both had the same part number. I checked with 3 other O'Reillys stores and each one had the same blue/black box. I ordered another one from amazon and it again came in the red/white box. Not sure why this is, but nonetheless I took measurements of both. Both came with out grease or oil coatings and looked exactly the same.
National red/white box:
View attachment 200296

View attachment 200295
Indistinguishable in appearance from the blue/black box national bearing. Bearing felt tighter than the blue/black box unit.
Rear ID = 1.45" Front ID=1.444"
Diameter = 2.645" Face = 0.434"
Mounting Distance = 1.944"
National blue/black box:
View attachment 200294

View attachment 200293
This bearing made a clicking noise when spun by hand and had a fair amount of play in the head. I am unsure if this is just a defect in my particular unit or if this is how they all come. I plan on purchasing more from O'Reillys and checking if this is the case. When this happens I will update the post. It is indistinguishable in appearance from the red/white box national bearing.
Rear ID = 1.448" Front ID = 1.438"
Diameter = 2.642" Face = 0.438"
Mounting Distance = 1.938"

Centerforce N1764:
View attachment 200297

View attachment 200300
This bearing came pre greased and had a slight oil film covering. It had the best finish and most constant tolerances. The bearing was very tight and spun freely without noise. Appears to live up to the Centerforce name. Came in both a plastic and parchment paper covering.
Rear ID = 1.440" Front ID = 1.440"
Diameter = 2.638" Face = 0.479"
Mounting Distance = 1.934"

Timken 614093:
View attachment 200306

View attachment 200303
According to Amazon this bearing will not fit a 2005-2006 TJ/LJ with the NSG-370. However the part number is the same as all the other bearing I tested and all the measurements I took say other wise. This bearing came fully greased. There was no oil covering on the bearing because it had a grease coating all over. The main issue with this bearing is the play in the front of the bearing. It is completely loose. You can pull it in/out, up/down. This is unfortunate because other than this issue it appears to be very high quality having the 2nd tightest tolerances of all the bearings I measured. I am unsure if this is just a defect in my particular unit or if this is how they all come. I plan on ordering a few from Amazon and checking if this is the case. When this happens I will update the post.
Rear ID = 1.437" Front ID = 1.438"
Diameter = 2.600" Face = 0.527"
Mounting Distance = 1.930"

Brute Power 614093:
View attachment 200304

View attachment 200305
This bearing came pre greased, but no oil coating. This bearing also had the most shallow grease groove of all the bearings measured. Other than the Centerforce bearing this bearing was the only one that had a consistent inside diameter. This bearing appears to use a sleeve pressed into the body of the bearing to make a constant inside diameter. The springs on this bearing are of a different design. I'm not sure if they would provide the same clamping force over time as the other design.

Rear ID = 1.443" Front ID = 1.443"
Diameter = 2.725" Face = 0.454"
Mounting Distance = 1.921"


In conclusion:
Here is a quick reference of the tolerances to the input shaft bearing retainer (OD 1.433") of all the bearings measured.
1) LUK 05-901: Rear ID: +0.003" Front ID: +0.002" Average: +0.003"
2) Timken 614093: Rear ID: +0.004" Front ID: +0.005" Average: +0.005"
3) Centerforce N1764: Rear ID: +0.007" Front ID: +0.007" Average: +0.007"
4) Brute Power 614093: Rear ID: +0.01" Front ID: +0.01" Average: +0.01"
5) National blue/black box: Rear ID: +0.015" Front ID: +0.005" Average: +0.01"
6) National red/white box: Rear ID: +0.017" Front ID: +0.011" Average: +0.014"
7) LUK 05-065: Rear ID: +0.009" Front ID: +0.027" Average: +0.018"

The "best" T/O bearings:

-LUK 05-901: Of all the bearing I measured this bearing had the tightest tolerances compared to the Crown Bearing Retainer. There was no play in the front of the bearing and I would have no issues running this on my jeep. Unfortunately as far as I am aware this bearing is only available as a kit. If I was replacing my clutch with the LUK 05-901 kit I would for sure keep the included bearing.

-Centerforce N1764: Hands down the best bearing machining wise. The tolerances and consistency are definingly worth the slightly higher price. It came packaged both in plastic and parchment paper. It also included a warning statement about the self aligning bearing possibly looking off centered to help deter customers sending them back for being "defective". This is the bearing I went with and have had zero issues since. Would 100% purchase again.

-Brute Power 614093: If you needed a T/O bearing same day that you can pick up from a parts store this is the bearing I would choose. It is available from AutoZone and is in stock at every store in my area. Besides the Centerforce unit, this bearing was the only one that had a consistent inside diameter. If I were in a pinch this is the bearing I would choose. I would make sure to add ample grease to the inside. It does come pre greased, but its not the best job and the grease groove is not very deep. The only down side to this bearing is the narrow mounting distance along with the different spring design could potentially cause the bearing to vibrate up/down in the clutch fork. I would still choose this bearing over the National Bearing due to the better tolerances on the inside diameter.

Bearings to avoid:

-LUK 05-065: The dreaded "plastic" bearing. This bearing lives up to its reputation of being terrible. The inside diameter is inconsistent, the springs design does not allow for proper tension on the clutch fork, and the whole design is just flimsy. This bearing will flop around of the clutch fork causing noise and vibration. I did run this bearing for about 1000 miles and I will say that the bearing spun fine with no end play or noise when removed. It did however make noise almost immediately and I cant imagine it lasting anywhere near the life of the clutch.

-National Bearing 614093 Blue/Black box: This is the National Bearing that I picked up from O'Reillys. According to the box it was manufactured 8/12. The bearing had a fair bit of play and was not easy to spin. It also mad a clicking noise when spun. It did have slightly tighter tolerances than the red/white box, but the extra bearing play does not make up for this. I would avoid any National Bearings that come in the Blue/Black box.

-Timken 614093: As opposed to what Amazon will tell you, this bearing will fit and function on 05-06 TJ/LJs with the NSG-370 transmission. As stated earlier this bearing has an unacceptable amount of play. I cant see this bearing lasting more than 500 miles before it either comes completely apart, or is making constant noise. This could be a defect with my unit, but until I am able to order more and get a definitive answer I would avoid purchasing.



Remember, buy once cry once. There is no reason to go cheep and have to drop the transmission multiple times to solve this issue. Replace everything regardless if it looks good as a few thousandths of an inch can cause vibrations and noise. I hope everyone who reads this can learn from my mistakes.

Thanks for a detailed fact based review. About to change mine again after a year with one from advanced auto parts. People said not to use the one that came in the cheaper LUK clutch kit, so I didn't. I'll look into possibly finder the LUK 05-901 for sale individually if possible and if not go for the center force probably.
 
Thanks for a detailed fact based review. About to change mine again after a year with one from advanced auto parts. People said not to use the one that came in the cheaper LUK clutch kit, so I didn't. I'll look into possibly finder the LUK 05-901 for sale individually if possible and if not go for the center force probably.
I'd go for the Luk and not the overpriced Centerforce. Luk's clutch will last over 200k miles even with considerable abuse like mine experienced on a semi-regular basis.

That's clutch-smoke billowing out of my previous TJ on its original factory Luk clutch. Out of an abundance of caution before doing a VERY tough rock crawling trail I replaced my Luk clutch at 161k miles and it still looked nearly brand new.

0a50a5c0.jpg
 
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I'd go for the Luk and not the overpriced Centerforce. Luk's clutch will last over 200k miles even with considerable abuse like mine experienced on a semi-regular basis.

That's clutch-smoke billowing out of my previous TJ on its original factory Luk clutch. Out of an abundance of caution before doing a VERY tough rock crawling trail I replaced my Luk clutch at 161k miles and it still looked nearly brand new.

View attachment 351641

Thanks for the input Jerry! I follow most your advice you post on the forum! I am wondering though if the throw out bearing used by the factory was a metal one vs the plastic style I keep hearing folks talk about now. Could LUK have changed their clutch kit since the Jeeps were made and now come with a weaker TOB than they did from the factory?

I understand saving some money when possible for something as good of quality or nearly the same but I really don't want to have to keep dropping my tranny to do this work. ( I have a Savvy off-road tummy tuck skid plate system. Pain to disassemble.) I'm ok with spending 60 bucks on the center force the second time after hearing the OP's measurements and first hand experience with them.

Not discrediting LUK at all because I used an auto parts store TOB the first go around when I was hearing bad reviews of the one in the kit. Those may be coming from inexperienced backyard mechanics such as myself. I'll admit that my job was rushed and probably not done the way it should have been. Hence why I'm going to be doing it again shortly.
 
The LUK 05-901 is supposed to come with the steel throwout bearing. Personally I see nothing actually wrong with the plastic throwout bearing that is steel where it counts.

I’d have to agree with this. If the plastic one was that prone to failure, chances are the company would have stopped producing them by now. Plastic cooling system components can last well over 200k miles.
 
close to 40000 miles on my plastic fantastic tob, nothing has exploded, disintegrated, evaporated or what ever else gets passed around on internet about it.
 
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The LUK 05-901 is supposed to come with the steel throwout bearing. Personally I see nothing actually wrong with the plastic throwout bearing that is steel where it counts.

That would make sense for the heavy duty version. I decided to go with the 05-065 mainly based off your statements of the heavy duty kit being more for trucks and being noiser in other threads I read prior. I ordered the centerforce TOB to be safe earlier today, but I guess I'll compare it to the 05-065 in the LUK kit. I'll probably still use it sense I already paid for it. Get some more real world experience to compare all the different bearings.

The factory one was still in decent shape in my 04 Rubicon with 180k. Pilot bearing was toasted. It was the pilot bearing the first time squealing that led me to change the clutch. Curious to see what is causing the noise now. I just know I'm replacing just about everything so I don't have to again for a while.
 
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My 05-901 came with an all metal TOB. I have seen reports of that same kit coming with the plastic one though. My 05-065 kit from 2014 came with the plastic. I ran the plastic for a few years no problems. When I installed the 901 kit I ended up putting a Mopar throwout bearing in simply because I felt it’s the best. I didn’t know about Mopar when I installed the plastic one.

I never did have problems with the plastic for the few years and 20K miles I ran it, although I have seen plenty of other folks have problems with it. I’ve also seen plenty of other folks have issues with the National TOB they claim is so great, so I don’t think either is superior. Hence why I went Mopar the latest time.
 
I replaced my clutch 2 years ago, and put on the National TO bearing. I’m starting to get that chattering coming out if first, super annoying. I won’t be using one again. I replaced everything else and didn’t use the LUK included one. Asked on threads, won’t do that again.
 
I’m putting a Luk 05-065 kit in right now. Should I be concerned about how loose the clip is for the throw out bearing? It seems to slide around on the fork much more than the original did. Once it’s on the transmission shaft it might not be a concern???
 
I had the 05-065 kit put in my '03 sometime in February. I opened the kit before I took it to the shop and the T/O bearing that was included didn't have any plastic on it anywhere. Clutch has been working just fine.
I know for sure I bought the lighter duty kit as I had almost this same discussion with Jerry at the time.
 
I can't think of any reason not to use a Mopar TOB. The LUK TOB that came with the kit I Bought had a lot of plastic in the assembly. The NEW Mopar TOB I bought was all metal. That was about a year ago and they were readily available.

So the 1/2 plastic LUK might be good, IDK. I do know the factory TOB lasted well over 100K miles and was still working perfectly in my LJR so in went another one.
 
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I can't think of any reason not to use a Mopar TOB. The LUK TOB that came with the kit I Bought had a lot of plastic in the assembly. The NEW Mopar TOB I bought was all metal. That was about a year ago and they were readily available.

So the 1/2 plastic LUK might be good, IDK. I do know the factory TOB lasted well over 100K miles and was still working perfectly in my LJR so in went another one.

You don't know, yet you not only hyping up one over the other, you are using composition of the other to downgrade it.
Any other "idk might be" components you would like to share wisdom on, im taking notes
 
I can't think of any reason not to use a Mopar TOB. The LUK TOB that came with the kit I Bought had a lot of plastic in the assembly. The NEW Mopar TOB I bought was all metal. That was about a year ago and they were readily available.

So the 1/2 plastic LUK might be good, IDK. I do know the factory TOB lasted well over 100K miles and was still working perfectly in my LJR so in went another one.

Agreed...I would stick to stock as well. After lots of negative reviews I would never recommend Luk and always recommend the Sachs kit as an alternative to stock.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GN5SD0/?tag=wranglerorg-20