Slip Clutch
This is a safety element on the universal joint driveshaft that limits the connection by slipping when the transmitted torque exceeds a certain threshold. Thanks to friction discs clamped by spring pressure, it protects the shaft, the gearbox and the implement from excessive torque during sudden blockages.
Unlike a shear bolt, the clutch is not single-use: it slips when an excessive load passes and grips again when the load returns to normal. Adjustment is made with spring pressure and it must not be tightened beyond the value stated by the manufacturer; an over-tightened clutch does not do its protective job.
- A clutch that has slipped for a long time heats up and the disc surface glazes; holding torque drops.
- At the start of the season, loosen the springs and turn the clutch by hand to free any sticking.
- If it slips continuously, the cause is not the clutch but a blocked implement or excessive feed rate.
On electronic hitch retrofit kits a similar protection logic exists on the electrical side: on the LFT54 the current protection stops the motor when the mechanism jams; on the LFT20 there is no such protection. In both cases the logic is the same — a cheap, defined element steps in instead of the most expensive part of the system.
The context in which this term is used: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control