Bike rack causing Clutch Slip on motorway?!

Wig

Your bike(s) look the same when mounted as in that pic? You don't put a cover on them? Your engine size?

I'm in relative disbelief that this should occur, it's no different from driving with a roof rack fully loaded. Well it sounds like your clutch is ok, which means this rack is just creating too much drag for your engine. And you're going to have to buy a new rack with a lower mounting position, or accept that you can't drive fast.

Do you by any chance know your fuel use
without rack 50 mph
with rack & bike 50 mph ?

northern_munky

pault123 wrote:

Morning
Its a VW Golf 1995. The pedal had no free play at the top so I adjusted the cable under the bonnet and added an inch of play on the pedal in the car.

Now instead of the biting point being very close to the top of the pedal it now bites almost as soon as I lift the pedal off the floor?

I'd adjust that clutch a tad mate, unless thats what the manual says 1 inch freeplay sounds too much, go for 1/2 inch.

chrisw

Clutches don't usually slip even with a caravan on the back which must be considerably heavier than the bike rack.
£250 for a clutch sounds cheap to me - I've just paid £400 for a Peugeot 406 clutch.

satan666wayne

pault123 wrote:

Without the bike and rack my car can comfortably do 90mph.

QUOTE]

Why are you doing 90mph?

Wig

chrisw wrote:

Clutches don't usually slip even with a caravan on the back which must be considerably heavier than the bike rack.
£250 for a clutch sounds cheap to me - I've just paid £400 for a Peugeot 406 clutch.

They do if they are wearing thin. A car might have a considerable amount of life left in a clutch pad under normal driving, Stick a trailer on the back and it will start slipping & wear out on a single long motorway journey. As happened to me once.....When home and unhitched the trailer the car was fine for a while before needing a new clutch.

Why are you doing 90mph?

Why not? if he can afford it.

pault123

UPDATE

Did the weekly food shop last night put all the shopping in the boot and with girlfriend sat in the front the clutch slipped on the motorway when trying to go faster than 50!!

I was actually really happy it did, I was starting to think it was curse of the bike rack! so would this demonstrate the clutch is in the early stages of going?

ie. when the car has any kind of load or pull over the rear wheels the clutch then overloads and slips?

satan666wayne why does anyone do 90 on the motorway? why do people do 120 on the motorway?

Wig

You need a new clutch make sure you get a new one not a re-conditioned one. Re-conditioned have a sticker on the pads saying it's re-con.

Front wheel drive you may expect about £100 labour to be reasonable from a cheap garage. Rear wheel drive about £40 - £60 labour. You buy the clutch kit. Make sure it includes the bearing and make sure the bearing is changed.

Or you could prefer to get ripped off by a "stealer" or a garage with a more highstreet presence like kwikfit, Mr Clutch etc

jamesn_2

Best thing is probably to go to a reputable (VAG) specialist. You can usually get suggestions off motoring forums.