"Floating" clutch friction pads? What does that mean?

[torus]

Hi,

I bought some replacement clutch pads after riding my clutch hard for a year. I keep seeing people talk about trimming the pads down so they 'float'. What does this mean?

Should they be thinner than stock? Or be smaller than the hole/depression they are inserted into?

Why exactly should this be done?

 

[ZipTie]

They should be slightly smaller than the depressions. Floating is better as it allows each clutch pad to angle itself a bit for more surface contact, at least that's the theory. It also allows each pad to not jam into the hole thus being flattened as its stuck in a hole. Each little pad can be more independent then, if that makes any sense

 

[crassius]

yes, pad must be free to go thru hole to grab both plates at once