SSP Clutch vs Dodson Clutch

stockm5 · 08-26-2016, 10:19 PM

I purchased a Dodson Clutch pack 6 months ago. The clutch from day one acted very strange and after only 8k miles, my M5 started shifting very strange. Kick down in automatic mode was very jittery and un natural feeling. The Dodson clutch ruined the daily drivability of the car. Furthermore, 3rd into 4th gear shifting felt like the transmission was going to fall out of the car because the shift was so abrupt.

This got me very worried that something bad was going to come out of this if I didn't get it checked out. So I took it to my mechanic and had him remove the Dodson clutch pack and we sent it off to SSP because Kris seemed like a very knowledgable person.

Once Kris inspected the clutch, he advised that all the even discs showed major burning marks and I needed a new clutch pack. He also mentioned that many of the Dodson clutch parts were just not machined to spec based on the original BMW clutch pack hence why they just don't work that well.

We received/installed the new Spec R with billet baskets clutch pack from SSP and my mechanic said that it was so much easier to get the car to adapt to SSP clutch versus the Dodson. He also mentioned that with the Dodson, the clutch adaptation would not complete which was worry some. Once I got the car back, I couldn't believe how much better the car drove. This SSP clutch feels exactly like the stock clutch and shifts so smoothly.

So far I have about 1000 miles on the SSP clutch and I could not be any happier. My M5 makes about 780whp and its holding the power very well.

Moral of the story, stay away from Dodson. I ended up spending twice as much money because Dodson advertised a product that just doesn't work correctly on the F10 M5 platform.

Here are some pictures of the burnt Dodson discs.

MCarsFan · 08-26-2016, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m5allday

I purchased a Dodson Clutch pack 6 months ago. The clutch from day one acted very strange and after only 8k miles, my M5 started shifting very strange. Kick down in automatic mode was very jittery and un natural feeling. The Dodson clutch ruined the daily drivability of the car. Furthermore, 3rd into 4th gear shifting felt like the transmission was going to fall out of the car because the shift was so abrupt.

This got me very worried that something bad was going to come out of this if I didn't get it checked out. So I took it to my mechanic and had him remove the Dodson clutch pack and we sent it off to SSP because Kris seemed like a very knowledgable person.

Once Kris inspected the clutch, he advised that all the even discs showed major burning marks and I needed a new clutch pack. He also mentioned that many of the Dodson clutch parts were just not machined to spec based on the original BMW clutch pack hence why they just don't work that well.

We received/installed the new Spec R with billet baskets clutch pack from SSP and my mechanic said that it was so much easier to get the car to adapt to SSP clutch versus the Dodson. He also mentioned that with the Dodson, the clutch adaptation would not complete which was worry some. Once I got the car back, I couldn't believe how much better the car drove. This SSP clutch feels exactly like the stock clutch and shifts so smoothly.

So far I have about 1000 miles on the SSP clutch and I could not be any happier. My M5 makes about 780whp and its holding the power very well.

Moral of the story, stay away from Dodson. I ended up spending twice as much money because Dodson advertised a product that just doesn't work correctly on the F10 M5 platform.

Here are some pictures of the burnt Dodson discs.

Interesting thread. I have been trying to work out which would be the better route to take.. Price wise and quality wise.. Maybe a bad batch...?
What mods are you running to get to 780whp? Your about 100 whp higher than me right now...

cjrdriven · 08-26-2016, 10:53 PM

Place holder. I have a horror story to add to this post. #neveragaindodson. My clutch packs look even worse!

stockm5 · 08-26-2016, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCarsFan

Quote:

Originally Posted by m5allday

I purchased a Dodson Clutch pack 6 months ago. The clutch from day one acted very strange and after only 8k miles, my M5 started shifting very strange. Kick down in automatic mode was very jittery and un natural feeling. The Dodson clutch ruined the daily drivability of the car. Furthermore, 3rd into 4th gear shifting felt like the transmission was going to fall out of the car because the shift was so abrupt.

This got me very worried that something bad was going to come out of this if I didn't get it checked out. So I took it to my mechanic and had him remove the Dodson clutch pack and we sent it off to SSP because Kris seemed like a very knowledgable person.

Once Kris inspected the clutch, he advised that all the even discs showed major burning marks and I needed a new clutch pack. He also mentioned that many of the Dodson clutch parts were just not machined to spec based on the original BMW clutch pack hence why they just don't work that well.

We received/installed the new Spec R with billet baskets clutch pack from SSP and my mechanic said that it was so much easier to get the car to adapt to SSP clutch versus the Dodson. He also mentioned that with the Dodson, the clutch adaptation would not complete which was worry some. Once I got the car back, I couldn't believe how much better the car drove. This SSP clutch feels exactly like the stock clutch and shifts so smoothly.

So far I have about 1000 miles on the SSP clutch and I could not be any happier. My M5 makes about 780whp and its holding the power very well.

Moral of the story, stay away from Dodson. I ended up spending twice as much money because Dodson advertised a product that just doesn't work correctly on the F10 M5 platform.

Here are some pictures of the burnt Dodson discs.

Interesting thread. I have been trying to work out which would be the better route to take.. Price wise and quality wise.. Maybe a bad batch...?
What mods are you running to get to 780whp? Your about 100 whp higher than me right now...

I don't believe it's a bad batch. It's poor engineering. I'm running:

DME Backend Flash
JB4/BCM
Pure Stage 1 Turbos
MSR Intake
DP and Exhaust
Running 100 Octane
No Meth

cjrdriven · 08-26-2016, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m5allday

I don't believe it's a bad batch. It's poor engineering. I'm running:

DME Backend Flash
JB4/BCM
Pure Stage 1 Turbos
MSR Intake
DP and Exhaust
Running 100 Octane
No Meth

Agree. No way can it be a bad batch. I got mine 3 months after you.

Was running just

Jb4/BCM
MSR intake & charge pipes
Meth. 100%
97 octane.

boots · 08-27-2016, 12:33 PM

I have a ssp and couldn't be happier. Somebody educated me on why not to use Dodson and thus the reason I went w ssp. Over 2k miles and happier than ever

ur20v · 08-27-2016, 10:00 PM

Interesting, I want to put a clutch in my car soon.

Dobson have a great rep in the GTR world.

boots · 08-28-2016, 04:48 AM

I think there are prob just as many good/negative things to say about all the aftermarket clutches. I watched my Ssp get intalled and it was a straight forward. Afterwards adaptation by computer. Broke it in properly with about 700 miles and many pounding pulls afterwards. So no problems for me.

stockm5 · 08-28-2016, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ur20v

Interesting, I want to put a clutch in my car soon.

Dobson have a great rep in the GTR world.

Dodson does have a great rep in the GTR world which is why I went with Dodson first. It seems if you are good with one platform does not necessarily mean you are good with another.

Remember the 1000hp AMS M5??? I'm still waiting. Lol

allmotor_2000 · 08-28-2016, 04:17 PM

Well SSP can handle 1000hp+... it's proven now

boots · 08-28-2016, 09:27 PM

Hey what ever became of that ams car? That was a good thread they put out there back then. Hopefully they are still working on it

A Frankfurt · 08-29-2016, 10:21 PM

+1 for Kris at SSP
I also installed a Dodson DCT clutch discs on a F10 M5 and had issues.
Measurements were not accurate, learning process was never performing as it should.

I am moving onto my 3rd SSP DCT upgrade for BMW's and everything from installation to the DCT clutch adaptation to driving is beyond great.
All my clients have the best feedback on how well the DCT shifts and preforms.

Great work Kris at SSP !

SSPKris · 08-29-2016, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Frankfurt

+1 for Kris at SSP
I also installed a Dodson DCT clutch discs on a F10 M5 and had issues.
Measurements were not accurate, learning process was never performing as it should.

I am moving onto my 3rd SSP DCT upgrade for BMW's and everything from installation to the DCT clutch adaptation to driving is beyond great.
All my clients have the best feedback on how well the DCT shifts and preforms.

Great work Kris at SSP !

That is really great news. We appreciate the business from you and your customers. Thanks a bunch.

SSP

SSPKris · 08-29-2016, 10:43 PM

Thank you all for your business. We appreciate it very much. If there are ever any issues that arise in the future. Please don't hesitate to call or email me any time. Kris@sspperformance.com

SSP

boots · 08-30-2016, 07:27 PM

I'm like my 900lb Kris. No issues good product

SSPKris · 08-30-2016, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boots

I'm like my 900lb Kris. No issues good product

Great to hear...

SSP

M5Rlz · 08-31-2016, 04:24 PM

I honestly think it depends on the car, driver, tune, etc.

Seems like SSP is better at M5s then is Dodson, I on the other hand have 15k miles on my Dodson clutches and shep trans build, and dodson is the go to for fast GTR.

Much more factors at play from car to car.

boots · 08-31-2016, 06:23 PM

Not many people have gotten to the point to change clutches. I was at 81.5 when I changed mine. I've only seen one car that Dave shows me that had more miles than mine. So I was ready for general service. Makes it better since I've got a tune also

SSPKris · 08-31-2016, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 335iRlz

I honestly think it depends on the car, driver, tune, etc.

Seems like SSP is better at M5s then is Dodson, I on the other hand have 15k miles on my Dodson clutches and shep trans build, and dodson is the go to for fast GTR.

Much more factors at play from car to car.

We have a complete new line of transmission products coming out for the GTR this winter....

SSP

gary_F10M5 · 09-01-2016, 03:35 AM

SSP FTW! Glad I chose SSP over dodson as well with very limited knowledge/comparisons between the two last year. Moreover, coming from a gtr, i almost chose dodson, but had some pricing and shipment issues with them and went with SSP. SSP's prices were clear cut and shipment was swift.

SSPKris · 09-01-2016, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary_F10M5

SSP FTW! Glad I chose SSP over dodson as well with very limited knowledge/comparisons between the two last year. Moreover, coming from a gtr, i almost chose dodson, but had some pricing and shipment issues with them and went with SSP. SSP's prices were clear cut and shipment was swift.

Thank you for your business. You will be very satisfied on how the clutch drives like stock.

SSP

GMWNashville · 09-01-2016, 09:01 AM

After having installed Dodson clutch packs in the F10 M5 and questioning the installation instructions and how they function...they did not live up to the expectations we had for them. They were clunky and a huge pain in the ass to teach in. They did not operate like they should have and after a few k were making a loud whine noise with extremely burnt fluid. After working with Kris@SSP for the solution its amazing just how poorly the Dodson stuff worked.

The SSP clutches and baskets work and operate exactly like stock. If you drove the car with them back to back with a stock car you would have no idea they are there. Kris worked with me to answer any/all questions both myself and my customer had for the repair. The teach in procedure worked the first time in a matter of minutes once the trans temps were in the correct range instead of over an hour if the transmission would teach in at all with the previous parts. Truely a stand up product and stand up company!

08-26-2016, 10:19 PM	#1
stockm5 Private 35 Rep 51 Posts Drives: 991 Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	I purchased a Dodson Clutch pack 6 months ago. The clutch from day one acted very strange and after only 8k miles, my M5 started shifting very strange. Kick down in automatic mode was very jittery and un natural feeling. The Dodson clutch ruined the daily drivability of the car. Furthermore, 3rd into 4th gear shifting felt like the transmission was going to fall out of the car because the shift was so abrupt. This got me very worried that something bad was going to come out of this if I didn't get it checked out. So I took it to my mechanic and had him remove the Dodson clutch pack and we sent it off to SSP because Kris seemed like a very knowledgable person. Once Kris inspected the clutch, he advised that all the even discs showed major burning marks and I needed a new clutch pack. He also mentioned that many of the Dodson clutch parts were just not machined to spec based on the original BMW clutch pack hence why they just don't work that well. We received/installed the new Spec R with billet baskets clutch pack from SSP and my mechanic said that it was so much easier to get the car to adapt to SSP clutch versus the Dodson. He also mentioned that with the Dodson, the clutch adaptation would not complete which was worry some. Once I got the car back, I couldn't believe how much better the car drove. This SSP clutch feels exactly like the stock clutch and shifts so smoothly. So far I have about 1000 miles on the SSP clutch and I could not be any happier. My M5 makes about 780whp and its holding the power very well. Moral of the story, stay away from Dodson. I ended up spending twice as much money because Dodson advertised a product that just doesn't work correctly on the F10 M5 platform. Here are some pictures of the burnt Dodson discs. Attached Images
	Appreciate 2 A Frankfurt247.00 gary_F10M51.50 Tweet Quote

08-26-2016, 10:53 PM	#3
cjrdriven Second Lieutenant 63 Rep 222 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW M5 Join Date: May 2015 Location: TN iTrader: (0)	Place holder. I have a horror story to add to this post. #neveragaindodson. My clutch packs look even worse!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-27-2016, 12:33 PM	#6
boots Curve Thrasher 623 Rep 3,773 Posts Drives: 2013 Bmw m5..White/Blk. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cypress Tx iTrader: (0)	I have a ssp and couldn't be happier. Somebody educated me on why not to use Dodson and thus the reason I went w ssp. Over 2k miles and happier than ever
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-27-2016, 10:00 PM	#7
ur20v Captain 184 Rep 788 Posts Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: WA Australia iTrader: (0)	Interesting, I want to put a clutch in my car soon. Dobson have a great rep in the GTR world.
	Appreciate 1 gdavis34.50 Quote

08-28-2016, 04:48 AM	#8
boots Curve Thrasher 623 Rep 3,773 Posts Drives: 2013 Bmw m5..White/Blk. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cypress Tx iTrader: (0)	I think there are prob just as many good/negative things to say about all the aftermarket clutches. I watched my Ssp get intalled and it was a straight forward. Afterwards adaptation by computer. Broke it in properly with about 700 miles and many pounding pulls afterwards. So no problems for me.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-28-2016, 04:17 PM	#10
allmotor_2000 F10 1/4 WR: 9.9s / 142.5mph 1/2 WR: 175.5mph 1087 Rep 1,968 Posts Drives: 2018 RS3, 991 Turbo Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Westlake Village, CA iTrader: (0)	Well SSP can handle 1000hp+... it's proven now
	Appreciate 1 m5james431.00 Quote

08-28-2016, 09:27 PM	#11
boots Curve Thrasher 623 Rep 3,773 Posts Drives: 2013 Bmw m5..White/Blk. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cypress Tx iTrader: (0)	Hey what ever became of that ams car? That was a good thread they put out there back then. Hopefully they are still working on it
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-29-2016, 10:21 PM	#12
A Frankfurt Banned 247 Rep 616 Posts Drives: German Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Murrieta CA iTrader: (0)	+1 for Kris at SSP I also installed a Dodson DCT clutch discs on a F10 M5 and had issues. Measurements were not accurate, learning process was never performing as it should. I am moving onto my 3rd SSP DCT upgrade for BMW's and everything from installation to the DCT clutch adaptation to driving is beyond great. All my clients have the best feedback on how well the DCT shifts and preforms. Great work Kris at SSP !
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-29-2016, 10:43 PM	#14
SSPKris Lieutenant 200 Rep 466 Posts Drives: Nissan GTR Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Thank you all for your business. We appreciate it very much. If there are ever any issues that arise in the future. Please don't hesitate to call or email me any time. Kris@sspperformance.com SSP
	Appreciate 2 mattypp10.50 gary_F10M51.50 Quote

08-30-2016, 07:27 PM	#15
boots Curve Thrasher 623 Rep 3,773 Posts Drives: 2013 Bmw m5..White/Blk. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cypress Tx iTrader: (0)	I'm like my 900lb Kris. No issues good product
	Appreciate 1 A Frankfurt247.00 Quote

08-31-2016, 04:24 PM	#17
M5Rlz Colonel 249 Rep 2,202 Posts Drives: R8, f10m59(Rip), m4, GTR Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: MD iTrader: (3)	I honestly think it depends on the car, driver, tune, etc. Seems like SSP is better at M5s then is Dodson, I on the other hand have 15k miles on my Dodson clutches and shep trans build, and dodson is the go to for fast GTR. Much more factors at play from car to car.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-31-2016, 06:23 PM	#18
boots Curve Thrasher 623 Rep 3,773 Posts Drives: 2013 Bmw m5..White/Blk. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Cypress Tx iTrader: (0)	Not many people have gotten to the point to change clutches. I was at 81.5 when I changed mine. I've only seen one car that Dave shows me that had more miles than mine. So I was ready for general service. Makes it better since I've got a tune also
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-01-2016, 03:35 AM	#20
gary_F10M5 New Member 2 Rep 27 Posts Drives: 2014 LCI MCB M5 CP Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Singapore iTrader: (0)	SSP FTW! Glad I chose SSP over dodson as well with very limited knowledge/comparisons between the two last year. Moreover, coming from a gtr, i almost chose dodson, but had some pricing and shipment issues with them and went with SSP. SSP's prices were clear cut and shipment was swift.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-01-2016, 09:01 AM	#22
GMWNashville Colonel 172 Rep 2,373 Posts Drives: 19 G05, 16 F80, 10 E70x5D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (2)	After having installed Dodson clutch packs in the F10 M5 and questioning the installation instructions and how they function...they did not live up to the expectations we had for them. They were clunky and a huge pain in the ass to teach in. They did not operate like they should have and after a few k were making a loud whine noise with extremely burnt fluid. After working with Kris@SSP for the solution its amazing just how poorly the Dodson stuff worked. The SSP clutches and baskets work and operate exactly like stock. If you drove the car with them back to back with a stock car you would have no idea they are there. Kris worked with me to answer any/all questions both myself and my customer had for the repair. The teach in procedure worked the first time in a matter of minutes once the trans temps were in the correct range instead of over an hour if the transmission would teach in at all with the previous parts. Truely a stand up product and stand up company!
	Appreciate 0 Quote