This is a car that I drive to work every day, however I also plan on getting a little competetive from time to time. I have a 1.8t quattro and need a clutch so I want to replace the flywheel as well. I know the lightweight flywheels are not recommended for street use, but how much of a pain in the *** is it to drive in traffic? am I going to end up regretting it in the long run?

 

its not a pain in the *** at all. only downside is a slight chatter when the a/c is on and you can only hear it when there's no music on. a 15-16lb one should hardly chatter tho, i dont even notice my 11lb one anymore

 

Lightweight flywheels are typically made of aluminium with a steel insert and that insert tends to overheat very easily and warp, requiring a new clutch job. If you opt to go with a lightweight unit, get a single piece steel flywheel as offered by southbend, ecs tuningor many others. It's not as light as an aluminium unit but alot more reliable especially in stop and go traffic. I've seen way too many aluminium flywheels fail due to a heat buildup on the friction surface.

 

I've 3 A4's with lwfw. I did not enjoy it. I don't know how much each one weighed, but I noticed vibrations andchatter in all of them along with a very on/off engagement. Nearly imossible to make a smooth clutch engagement. Great for the track though.

 

i dont have any problems making a smooth engagement. definitely not as forgiving as stock tho

 

Idk i've been driving stick for 12 years and it seemed no matter how slow i let the clutch out on those cars, it just wasnt smooth. Again, they could have been 10lb fw w/glazed clutchesfor all I know.

 

Best to go with the spec 15-16 lbs or the South Bend 20 lbs flywheel, both are made of Billet Steel. The Spec 15 lbs tends to be what most people end up going for a daily driver with some racing on the weekends.


I offer pretty much all of the flywheels(9, 11, 15 and 20 lbs) alone or with my SB clutch package.

Picture of the 20 lbs SB flywheel.

 

I want your job.

 

Just out of curiosity... does anyone know the weight of the stock flywheel?

 

Right around 24-26 lbs.