well, i got it in to the dealer this morning. i made sure to describe the problem accurately, explaining that it was a hydraulics problem and not a worn clutch. i also mentioned that i never rode the clutch, slipped it, did high rpm dumps, or took the truck to the track - all 100% true of course. i asked about the slave being the Achilles heel of the truck, and mentioned that i'd read quite a bit online about it, and even saw it mentioned in a C&D review of the truck where the test truck had a slave failure. the service writer acknowledged that the slave was a known issue, and he told me that they just got done upgrading the clutch for another customer who races his. i asked if they did the Centerforce and viper/master slave, and if they went with a stock flywheel or lightweight Fidanza, and thats exactly what they did.
so, at that point, he said they'd look my truck over and see what was up. i left with them, and got a ride home in the shuttle. got a call this afternoon, and sure enough it was the slave. looks like it will be covered under warranty. they had to order the part, and won't have it in till next week, so i'll be without the truck for a week or so. fortunately, this isn't my daily driver, so being without the SRT for a week isn't going to kill me. they've been good to deal with since i bought the truck from them, and looks like they are going to do the right thing and replace a defective / poorly designed part under warranty. so, i'm not going to bother requesting a loaner/rental, or bitching about the length of time to repair. Chrysler is going through tough times right now, and i want them to succeed, so i'll do my part to help them keep costs down.
if and when my clutch does wear out, i plan to take it back to them for the centerforce/viper upgrades. my current clutch definitely has life left, so i'm not going to throw money at it right now. the economy is crazy right now anyway, so i'd rather save the $ now in case the SHTF and my family needs it.
