Earlier this year, I ordered a LUK OEM clutch kit for my 03 C5Z. Due to the weight, I had to use a forwarding courier to ship it overseas to Norway. Here's a riddle for you: Guess what happens when a flywheel, a pressure plate and a clutch disk bounce around in a box across the Atlantic Ocean?


The clutch kits from LUK are sent in a cardboard box without any protection and everything inside is free to bounce around. Across the Atlantic Ocean to Norway, that is destined to go wrong. Nobody would cover the damage, with Summit Racing insisting that the forwarding courier should have reported the damage. The box was in one piece, the contents were not.

Summit Racing refused to sell me a new clutch disc, claiming that they are only sold as a piece of a clutch kit. End of story is that I had to purchase yet another clutch kit. GREAT customer service by Summit Racing, thanks!

I was fortunate enough to get in contact with a nice guy in Alabama, who sent me a new clutch kit properly wrapped for a travel across the Atlantic.

I now have LUK clutch kit, worth nothing without the clutch disc, on the shelf. I've checked the price of a new LUK clutch disc, and yes, a clutch disc has the same price as the complete clutch kit! How can that be? Does anyone know where I can source a new LUK clutch disc at a reasonable price? GM 12570280, LUK 82048R0D

We don't have GM dealers in Norway, we hardly have GM cars at all, so I can't simply go to a store to by parts for a Corvette. This complicates things - when things like this go wrong.

 

LUK international website......

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awri...Bn7aPAynTtA44-

 

Back in the ‘70s it was far from uncommon to buy a disk from one company and a pressure plate from another. Flywheels were ground.
My point is another disc can be matched with the pressure plate and flywheel to make a complete assembly. Amazon, Topflight, and others have separate discs available for around $100.

 

You can have your original clutch disc re lined.
I would have run that clutch disc in your picture.
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I see some from other manufacturers on ebay when searching on 12570280

 

Shame on Summit. Their CEO might've lost 5 cents on his annual bonus had they done the right thing.

 

Your issue with Summit does not surprise me in today's customer satisfaction policies. I am sure the CEO/Boss would not have approved the decision by whoever at Summit. I had a similiar situation with another company for a different product. No matter how I explained the issue, all I got was, "not our problem". So I found out who the head person was, explained in detail the issue to him, and the issue was resolved to my satisfaction. Often workers make decisions based on what they think is policy without thinking out the box and doing what is right.

 

IDK if I'd have run it. It's clearly damaged, and at 6,000 rpm the balance could be slightly off. Plus the centrifugal force at high rpm could possibly throw a chunk of it off, depending on the degree of damage. When you pay good money for a new, undamaged part, you should get a new, undamaged part. No could be's, or could possibly's. This isn't kosher on Summits part. Another case of a company with a size 56 waist trying on size 34 pants: AKA too big for their britches. Hey, I could've said 10lbs of _ _ _ _ in a 5lb bag....

 

CRAZY It looks like there are RIVITS on the lining face. WTF??? Are those rivets above the smooth lining surface????? Can you take another pic to better define the friction surfaces??

 

There is no way I would have used that clutch disc, the edge is battered all around the circumference.
I'm trying to get my money back by selling the now surplus clutch kit, but it has no resale value without the clutch disc, and I guess a bad resale price if I can't get the LUK disc it is supplied with.

It'll probably go to metal recycling, to save myself from the anger

 

There are nobody doing that kind of work any longer, at least in Norway. Use and throw away..

 

OP, did you consider contacting LUK, directly?

 

No I didn't. One could blame LUK for their very poor packaging. It is their business case, the new packaging has increased their sales by 50%

 

Sorry this happened to you. Summit should have taken care of you.

Guess who I will never order a clutch from?

 

I contacted LUK directly. I did in fact get a very kind reponse in return, but they could not honour any warranty claims or send/sell me a separate disc, as they only send out the discs as a complete kit from their plant.
I guess the only option left is to purchase a Centerforce or similar disc to go with the clutch kit, as I can't get the LUK part.

 

This is why u pay with visa, and if u did call and cancel the charge.

good enough reason to not purchase from LUK or Summit, since neither understand we can get by without them.

I would beat on LUK some more, it was their bad packaging, and who knows might of went out damaged.

 

When I did my clutch last year, I sent 3 LUK clutches back to Rock Auto for damage to the friction discs. On the 4th, I finally convinced them to open the box and pack the hell out of it with anything they could find to keep the components from banging around in transit. LUK packages their clutch kits terribly.

 

Before you blame Summit you stated you used your own shipper for these parts. That moves the shipping damage to be between you and your shipper.

Summit was given an order to ship to a domestic address in the states not Norway. I do know Summit ships globally and if you choose to use your own shipper to save money that is fine but you then accept responsibility.

Also if they only sell this kit as a set they are not going to break up another set. Now. If you had asked for a discount on a full set or a disc from another company they would have taken care if it.

Summit has a long history of taking care of problems well and even at times when they should not have. Ether there was something missing here or a miss understanding.

But you should let who you buy from ship items and that way they are responsible. Or do as you should have done held the importer you hired responsible for improper packing. Going over seas things need more protection.

 

Or anything else!
I'm more than happy to spend a few extra dollars at a local speed shop, in order to ensure that Summit never has the opportunity to bend me over like this.
They are dead to me!!!

 

If you only knew the truth.

I have worked in the performance industry for over 30 years. I see what companies do and I know first hand what customers often do.

In fact if you ever see Summits facility in TX they have a second store that sells the returns they can not sell as new at discounts to try to recover the cost of mistakes mostly made by customers. Much more goes in the dumpster.

They eat more than anyone else in the industry on things they should not have done. Customers buying too large of a carb, They run it and take it back claiming defective not taking responsibility for their mistake. Cams that they install improperly and then claim it is defective but yet they are given a warranty. I have seen it all.

In this case the customer chose his own overseas shipper and they failed to pack it properly. He needs to file a claim with his shipper and go from there. He chose them not Summit. Now if Summit has sent them direct to him as they could have then they would have taken care of it for him.

The local guy 9 times out of ten will tell you to pound salt as he can't eat any returns. That is why most are gone. I see engine shops that will not even cover your engine if it blows on the dyno.

I have seen it all and customers need to be responsible for their own mistakes and let the companies take care of their defects. Most do.