1978-1980 Buick Skyhawk - Centerforce Flywheel

Centerforce

Centerforce is proud to be recognized as the leading manufacturer of performance clutch systems in the United States. The Centerforce era started in the early 1980’s when Bill Hays, founder of Hays Clutches in the 1950’s, created the technologies behind Centerforce. Clutches bearing his name are found on thousands of high performance vehicles around the world. With the desire to engineer a solution to the ‘sticking over-center problem’ of diaphragm clutches, Bill Hays designed and patented the Centerforce Weighted Clutch System. His new design increased pressure plate clamping force while maintaining easy pedal effort and would not allow the diaphragms tendency to ‘stick over-center’. Later in the decade, he invented, designed and patented the Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch system and was awarded The Best New Performance Street Product Award by SEMA and Hot Rod Magazine’s Best New Performance Product Award for the Dual Friction design. As a member of SEMA since 1977 Centerforce has been nominated for the prestigious PWA “Manufacturer of the Year” many times, winning the award in 1998. Also in 1998 Bill Hays was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame for his work in the performance aftermarket industry. Centerforce has also received many other new products and packaging awards throughout the past three decades and strives to continue the legacy. Due to growth throughout the decades, Centerforce had out grown it’s two California based manufacturing facilities located in Garden Grove and Midway City. An expansion was needed. While on a business trip in 1994, Prescott, Arizona was discovered. Arrangements were made and a new 47,000 square foot manufacturing facility was built. This move was nearly transparent with over 80% of the Centerforce team moving with the company. The continuation of product research, development and testing went on unaffected. New patents have since followed as well as continuous improvements to the product offerings. Today Centerforce has over 1,700 different clutch applications available to the automotive enthusiast. Not to rest on their laurels, plans are being reviewed to build a new state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility to keep up with the demands of the performance automotive world. Centerforce is a three-generation, family owned business, World headquartered in Prescott, Arizona, striving to create the highest quality and most innovative clutch products available. Centerforce Clutch Systems can be found on leading high performance vehicles both domestically and internationally, as well as original equipment on many brand name vehicles.