In our never-ending quest for improvement, your technicians and engineers at RAM take advantage of the fall by diving deep into real-world testing to validate, refine, and push our products to the next level. This month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on a unique comparison: how our lighter, tighter-fit Concept 9.5 metallic clutch behaves in a stock 2015 Mustang GT, and how it stacks up against our proven Concept 10.5 organic unit. While we typically recommend our Concept 10.5 units (50-2230 or 50-2230N), curiosity got the best of us. The Concept 9.5 uses metallic facings and comes in 7 pounds lighter —how would it feel in a daily-driven, bolt-on Mustang?
To get the real answers, we followed the experience of one of our own: Braden Swisher, Technical Assistant at RAM and the driver of the 2015 GT Mustang with the stock MT82 transmission.
Below is our interview with our very own Braden Swisher who has taken his car enthusiasm and turned it into a career at Ram Clutches.
Interview With Braden Swisher
Technical Assistant, Mustang Enthusiast, and Resident Clutch Tester
M: I’m here with Braden; he is one of our Master Technical Assistants and has been here at RAM for a couple of years now. He brought his 2015 Mustang GT in and allowed us to test a few clutches in there. So, tell me about your car Braden!
B: Yeah! It is a 2015 Mustang GT. It’s pretty much stock overall, but I’ve done a handful of bolt-ons, but nothing too wild for the most part including: an intake, short shifter, valved exhaust mufflers and H pipe, diffuser and a carbon spoiler I made a mold for and installed myself.
M: And some suspension work as well, correct?
B: Yes, just some linear coil springs on all four corners.
Installing the Concept 10.5 (50-2230 + 1545LW + 78175)
M: So, the original clutch came out, what happened with that?
B: The clutch had been dragging and was hard to disengage. Finally, it got to where it would not disengage at all. When we pulled the clutch out, we noticed the facings on the disc had completely come off the carrier, and in addition to that, the stock slave cylinder was leaking.
M: So, it blew the facings off the carrier and obviously some material was lodging itself in there, which is probably what made it drag.
M: Which clutch did we decide to put in the first time?
B: We installed a RAM Concept 10.5 with our organic facing material, part# 50-2230 and billet steel flywheel part# 1545LW. This is our clutch kit for the 2015 Mustang GT that have not seen any major engine or power modification. We also installed a RAM hydraulic bearing 78175 at the same time because the stock slave was leaking.
M: We were wanting you to have some real-world experience with this clutch kit since you talk to so many customers about them on the phone and by email. So how was the install process? How did it drive?
B: Yeah, it was great! What I was super excited about was how easy the installation went. We did the install using all the information we provide to our customers. The RAM setup sheet lays everything out step by step and made the install a breeze and it drove great. I really couldn’t tell any difference between the two if you’re comparing pedal effort. Engagement was very smooth on takeoff without any chatter.
M: And you did take the car to a track day some with the Concept 10.5, right? Showed those old guys how to drive, did you?
B: I did, I’m lucky to come from a car enthusiast family, so my dad and I took our Mustangs and got to drive at Carolina Motorsports Park in Camden and the clutch handled everything without any issues at all. And yes, I tried my best (laughing.)
M: That’s awesome. So, Braden, you drove the Concept 10.5 clutch for about half a year, maybe 5000 miles, and then we wanted to do some testing with our Concept 9.5, part# 75-2230NS. When we took your Concept 10.5 clutch out, man that looked brand new, didn’t it?
B: Yeah, it did (laughing.) You could still see the RAM signature ground finish on the flywheel which was impressive to see how well everything held up after around half a year and several thousand miles of mixed driving.
Installing the Concept 9.5 Metallic (75-2230NS)
M: Haha, well obviously you are a good driver. So anyway, we decided we wanted to do some testing with the Concept 9.5, part number 75-2230NS, so we put one in your car. And that clutch features the metallic facings, boosting its holding capability. You’d never daily-driven a metallic clutch before, so how was the transition?
B: I was honestly curious about it. Metallic facings usually get a reputation for being aggressive or grabby, so I expected some chatter or a harsher engagement. But it surprised me — in a good way. The pedal felt almost exactly like the 10.5, and I found I really like the engagement point on the 9.5. It picked up right where I wanted it to.
M: Great. So, it wasn’t too aggressive or difficult to engage at low speeds or anything like that?
B: Absolutely not which surprised me. In normal driving like parking lots, stop-and-go traffic, backing out of my driveway, etc. it behaved almost identical to the organic clutch. I didn’t have to change how I drove at all. If you put someone in the car blindfolded and had them drive both clutches back-to-back, they probably couldn’t tell you which one was metallic.
M: That is great. I must admit that when I drove it, I was also very surprised how smooth it was, considering the metallic based friction material. Typically, you’d expect a metallic clutch to be more aggressive, but this drove just like the organic! And the install itself, what did you think about it? As far as difficulty and such, would you say it was very hard to get in?
B: No, it wasn’t bad at all, aside from getting the trans off the dowel pins on the block because They were a little tight, everything else was straightforward. Other than that, it was straightforward. As I said earlier, we did the install using all the information we provide to our customers. The RAM setup sheet made the install a breeze. And with the Ram hydraulic bearing setup sheet, we were able to determine our gap and shims for the shorter clutch before taking the car apart, which made remeasuring and re-shimming for the shorter clutch painless.
M: You have done all the mods on your car yourself. So, for an amateur or home mechanic, is this is a project that they could tackle themselves?
B: Well, it would certainly be a bit more difficult without a lift and a transmission jack, but otherwise yes. I would also recommend having a helper. Not only does another person make handling the transmission easier but having a second set of eyes to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong was comforting! The key is taking your time and follow the instructions.
M: Great. So, you have driven this Concept 9.5 for a few weeks now, we will pull it out in a couple months, but I suspect it will look good as new since you’re clearly a great driver with our clutches!
B: Haha, apparently!
M: Well, thank you so much Braden for your time.
We love having the ability to test these products in-house. Having employees that are car enthusiasts is certainly helpful too! We’ll update you in the future on how this system is performing and what Braden thinks after some extended use!
As always, the RAM Team welcomes your feedback as well as stories of your experiences, good or bad!
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