Best 2013-2017 Ford Focus ST Clutch Upgrades: 2026 Guide

If you’ve been pushing your 2013–2017 Ford Focus ST past a tune and a downpipe, you’ve probably already felt it — that brief, sickening RPM spike between gears under boost. The factory dual-mass clutch on the Mk3 Focus ST is good, but it tops out right around the same point most flash tunes land. The good news: there’s a clean upgrade path, and 2013–2017 Ford Focus ST clutch upgrades are one of the highest-impact mods you can do for the money, second only to the tune itself. At NLP Performance in Tampa, we ship these kits to Focus ST drivers every week, and we’ve narrowed down the best 5 options for street, daily, and light-track use.

Why the Mk3 Focus ST Clutch Becomes the Weak Link

The 2013–2017 Ford Focus ST left the factory making 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, paired to a Getrag MMT6 6-speed manual and a Luk dual-mass flywheel. Stock-for-stock, the OEM clutch is fine. Add a Stage 1 tune and the situation changes fast: the EcoBoost 2.0L easily climbs past 290 lb-ft at the crank with a basic pulls–and–logs map, and a 93 octane or E30 tune routinely puts it well past 330 lb-ft — the documented slip point for the stock disc.

The symptoms most Focus ST owners report on forums like FocusST.org and FocusSTOC: RPM flare in 3rd and 4th when WOT shifting under boost, clutch chatter on cold starts, and an obvious smell after a few highway pulls. Once that surface glaze sets in, the clutch is on borrowed time. That’s why upgrading the clutch before adding a downpipe, intercooler, or larger turbo is the move — not after you’ve already lunched the disc.

The Best 2013–2017 Ford Focus ST Clutch Upgrades

We narrowed the field to five kits that cover every realistic Focus ST build — from a stock owner needing an OEM replacement after 100,000 miles to a Stage 3+ E85 car making 350+ wheel horsepower. Each kit below ships from NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, and every fitment listed is verified for the Mk3 Focus ST.

The 2100 Series is the kit that earned Focus ST forum legend status for one reason: the pedal feel doesn’t change much. Competition Clutch designed the Brass Plus friction material with an alloy backing so it bites hard at the top of the pedal without the on/off chatter you get from puck-style discs. It tolerates a daily commute, holds a 350 wheel-horsepower E30 tune, and survives weekend autocross runs. The sprung hub keeps the gearbox happy on rev-matched downshifts. Plan on a 300–500 mile break-in — no clutch dumps — and it’ll feel factory-smooth by mile 1,000.

Sometimes the right answer isn’t more clutch — it’s the original clutch, done right. Exedy is the OEM supplier for a long list of Japanese and European manuals, and the FMK1034 is the kit we recommend for stock or stage-0 Focus ST drivers who just want their pedal to feel like 2013 again. At $346 it’s less than half the price of any performance kit, and because it’s a true OE replacement you keep the original pedal weight, modulation, and noise level. If you’re not tuning the car beyond a 91 octane breathing tune, this is the smart spend.

The Clutch Masters FX350 is the kit to grab when you’re also planning to delete the dual-mass flywheel. The OE Luk DMF on the Focus ST is the heaviest single part inside the bellhousing, and ditching it for a Clutch Masters single-mass aluminum flywheel can shave 8–12 lb of rotating mass and free up noticeable mid-RPM response. The trade-off is the classic single-mass gear rollover at idle — it’s not loud, but it’s there. Pair the FX350 with the CM flywheel and you get 395 lb-ft of holding capacity with sharper throttle pickup. We see this combo on a lot of E30 daily-driver Focus STs in our Tampa shop.

Step past 400 wheel torque on a hybrid turbo or RX6 setup and you’re asking more than any organic disc can give. The Stage 4 6-pad ceramic is Competition Clutch’s answer: a paddle-style puck disc with sprung center to keep gearbox shock load in check. Engagement is more aggressive — expect a sharper bite point and some low-speed chatter when cold — but the holding power scales well past 450 lb-ft at the crank. This is the kit we recommend for built motors, autocross/HPDE cars, or Focus STs running an E85-only tune through a Pumaspeed or CPE hybrid turbo.

The XClutch Stage 1 is the kit for Focus ST owners who don’t want to compromise on refinement. It’s the only option in this guide that ships with a complete twin-mass flywheel, which means the same idle quietness, the same gearchange smoothness, and the same lack of cold-start rattle that you remember from a brand-new ST — just with about 30% more torque headroom. Expensive? Yes. But for a Focus ST that’s also a wife/husband daily or a long-commute car, the XClutch is the only aftermarket kit on this list that nobody in the cabin will notice.

Focus ST Clutch Comparison: At a Glance

How to Choose Your Focus ST Clutch by Build

Stock or 91-Octane Tune (Up to 270 wheel HP)

If your Focus ST is mostly stock with a basic breathing tune, the Exedy OE FMK1034 is the best value. You don’t need extra torque capacity — you need a fresh, quiet, OEM-feeling pedal. Combine it with a fresh slave cylinder while the trans is out and you’ll have another 100,000 miles.

93 Octane / E30 (290–320 wheel HP)

This is where the Competition Clutch Stage 2 (2100) shines. You’re close to the factory clutch’s limit, but you’re still daily-driving. The Stage 2 holds without protest, but the engagement window stays civilized for parking lots and stop-and-go. The Clutch Masters FX350 is the close runner-up if you’re also tossing the DMF.

E85 Hybrid Turbo (350+ wheel HP)

Once you’re past 350 wheel and shifting in boost, the Competition Clutch Stage 4 6-pad ceramic is the move. You give up some refinement — expect a noticeable clutch pedal “snap” and slightly louder takeoff from a stop — but nothing in this guide handles the punishment better. If you’ve got an RMM/PMM hybrid or CTS turbo, this is the kit.

Daily Driver, Long Commute, Family Car

The XClutch Stage 1 Sprung Organic earns its premium price for one specific use case: you want a Focus ST clutch upgrade nobody can detect from inside the cabin. It includes the twin-mass flywheel, the sprung organic disc, and an engagement curve almost identical to OEM. Your passengers will never know.

Installation: What to Know Before You Order

Replacing a Focus ST clutch is one of the more involved DIY jobs — the transmission has to come out, which on the Mk3 means dropping the front subframe and supporting the engine from above. Plan on 8–15 hours for an experienced DIYer in a home garage, 6–8 hours at a competent independent shop with a lift. Ford’s own workshop labor estimate is about 4.6 hours just for the R&R, plus the actual clutch swap.

A few things every Focus ST clutch install needs that aren’t in the box: a new transmission fluid (Motorcraft XT-11-QDC or BOT 130M3), a fresh clutch slave cylinder (the OE LuK unit fails more often than the clutch itself), and ideally a new pilot bushing if not included. If your DMF is over 80,000 miles, plan to replace that too — pulling the trans twice in a year is the most expensive mistake you can make on this car.

Every kit on this list except the XClutch reuses the factory dual-mass flywheel. The XClutch and the Clutch Masters FX350 (with CM flywheel) are the only options that solve the DMF replacement question in one purchase. For everyone else, our Tampa shop typically pairs the Competition Clutch Stage 2 with a Luk dual-mass replacement or a CPE single-mass aluminum flywheel, depending on what the customer’s after.