I am wanting to add either 26 or 27 inch mud tires to my 2002 stock Rubicon, and I have heard that when you go to a taller tire on a rubicon it will bog down bad in the mud. So are is this clutch kit worth the $58?, I do about 50/50 riding half the time im in pretty deep mud or in my shallow pond and the other half im out on the open trail just doing casual riding. Right now I have the stock 25" tires on and the rubicon struggles pretty bad to get through the mud without either getting stuck or just bogging down even is low gear and esp.

 

can you even put a clutch kit on a rubicon, with the trans being automatic and such??

 

If your bogging down in mud with the Rubi a few mods will definietly wake it up. A good aftermarket pipe and either a uni or K/N filter will do wonders for a little extra power.
I'm not sure about a clutch kit. But that 500 should be able to pull 25 inch tires just fine. My buddies Foreman 450 had 27" Dirtdevils on it and it never bogged down. He would use first gear and they would sling mud all over you.

 

yes there are clutch kits. the rubicon has a centrifugal clutch, like a foreman. I cannot say if they are a good mod, but it only helps with the engagement speed and will not give you "more power". However, you should be able to spin the 25s no problem, you might be down on power for another reason.

 

The rubicon turns the stock 25's just fine untill I get in the really deep soupy stuff then it kinda bogs down, but I am fixing to upgrade to 26 or 27" mud tires, and I am wanting to get this clutch kit but I didnt know how much it would help out. I do half my riding in mud and watery areas and the other half is just easy trail riding and road riding.

 

I agree with propnut. It should turn the 25s no matter what you are in.

 

It just gets you rolling better.

If you think you just don't have enough thottle to keep the engine at a good RPM, I'd focus more on the right jetting or plugged spark arrestor or something like a bigger engine problem. Are you in low range?

here's a read on the clutch kit, but I haven't found a need for it with 26s (and not being a big mudder). Besides, I don't know how this makes any sense This makes it much easier to spin big tires at low speeds. Not like it gives you more power or lower gear at 2200 RPM with or without the kit. If your riding @ 2200RPM what does it matter if the kit is there or not. I understand from a stop.

High Lifter and Erlandson Performance (EPI) Create the Honda "Outlaw Clutch Kit" for ATVs. This is the only primary clutch enhancement kit on the market for Honda ATVs. Many people mistakenly believe that a Clutch Kit can only help automatic transmission ATVs. However, manual transmission ATVs also have clutches that engage at a preset rpm. That is how an ATV can sit still in gear, at idle, and begin moving only when throttle is added. Honda ATVs in particular are noted for almost immediate throttle response. Bump the throttle and at about 1700 rpms, the clutch engages and the ATV begins to move. The problem with immediate engagement in the mud is that the motor is too far down in the power band to turn large mud tires. This causes the engine to really struggle when going very slow or starting off in deep mud. The Outlaw Clutch Kit delays engagement by about 500 rpms. At that point, the engine is developing about 25% more power. This makes it much easier to spin big tires at low speeds or from a stop. Once the clutch is engaged, it operates the same as before. This delay is barely noticeable, but makes a big performance difference in the mud. Installation of the kit requires removing the front engine cover, removing and replacing the primary clutch springs and replacing the front cover gasket material. Installation takes about 2.5 hours. The kit also comes with great instructions and a replacement gasket (if used by Honda). The replacement gasket is higher quality than the OEM gasket. If no gasket is required, the kit includes the proper sealer, which is a solvent less product specially formulated for sealing aluminum surfaces. This kit should not be confused with stronger secondary clutch springs that are often furnished with high performance engine rebuild kits. Those are aimed at preventing the secondary clutch from slipping in high performance motors. This is a relatively inexpensive modification that contributes significantly to the ability of the Honda 4x4?s to spin big aggressive mud tires in deep mud at slow speeds. It was developed in a collaborative effort between the High Lifter technical staff and the clutching specialists of EPI

 

Most of the time when I get off in the deeper mud I have it in D1 and I have the shifter all the way down in low. It gets through all the mud and my pond that I get off in, but to keep it going I usually have the throttle close to wide open and it just feels underpowered to me. It doesnt seem like the tires are turning as fast as they should be and it feels like at any time it could bog down and die on me, so I was hopeing the clutch kit would help when I go up to the 26" swamp fox tires.

 

Have you tried putting it in neutral when this happens. If you do and it wants to die, then your problem is either steam getting sucked into the air box or a vent line sucking water or water in a electrical connection. Are you running a snorkel?

 

It does not have a snorkel on it. The pond water is not really that deep it comes up about 2-3" above my ankles when I am sitting down on the rubicon. I havent tried stoping and putting it in neutral yet. I am afraid if I stop I will end up getting stuck and usually I am the only 4x4 fourwheeler in the group or I am by myself.