heres the deal, this last weekend i blew out first and second gear as well as my clutch at rockfalls. ive got an 03 wrx, will an sti 6 speed bolt up? or do i have to stick with the 5 speed? and can anyone help point me in the direction of getting either of them without paying an arm and a leg? Thanks Greg
I'm just curious... how did you launch your Scooby? Hard/soft? High/low RPMs? Spun tires? What name brand clutch do you have? It is much cheaper to get a standard replacement 5-speed tranny (RS, WRX, Forester XT) than to get the 6-speed because the 6-speed requires the tranny, shifter, clutch, axles, etc. If you plan on increasing power in the future it would probably be better to invest in some gears for your 5-speed or swap in an STi 6-speed.
i was launching hard, high rpms, but not enough for the tires to spin on the launch. I was am planning on getting an ACT clutch just because ive heard good things, but that all depends on the tranny i guess. so what your saying is build up my 5 speed? but new gears in it?
I like how where this thread is going. I've been curious about the subie trannys. I hear its a weak point in the wrx. Wouldn't a performance clutch add stress to your trans? And is there any way to improve the tranny's operation?
It's not that the tranny is weak, its that its a $24,000 car tranny. It's not meant to take really high rpm abuse. The RA gearset has thicker roots on the teeth and is made of stronger metal, but from what i've heard the RA sets currently manufactured aren't really as strong as the originals. you'd want to keep your stock WRX fifth gear though otherwise your highway cruising is going to be annoying with the RA's. Therye significangly shorter gears than the stock WRX and the RA 5th will limit the top speed to around 110-120ish. The 04+ WRX gears are bigger as well and stronger (allegedly same tooth size/dimensions as RA but I have no idea if that's really true) and might be a cheaper option. the STi tranny will cost as much as a pretty badass WRX tranny. You can get straight cut 1-3 gears with synchros and keept 4 + 5 for less than the cost of the STi tranny alone.
When I was at the dealer for my first oil change (they paided for it) I saw some gears sitting on the salesmans filing cabnet. I asked about them and he said that they were from a WRX (I have an STi) and if you launch the car hard a few times you are about guarantied to do that to the transmission. He said the 5-speed is weak. Not sure how true this is but my wifes wagon (non WRX) has a 5-speed and if you try to launch it the cluch will slip. I was told it was designed that way to save the transmission. Better to replace a clutch than the tranny. Heard it from a Suby sales person that also races so I thought I would share it with you.
huh, I know you've got RA gears, but when me and mike did the multiplication it seemed like it would have been limited in the top end. He also thought that the stock 5th was pretty common with the RA set.
i have all 5 gears and i can go just fine down the highway and do high speeds...i'm not even sure if its different from stock..
When I got my RA gears, I kept my 5th, it was recommended. You don't really need a super strong 5th anyways.... I'd stay away from ACT clutches, they make a great flywheel. They are over priced for what you get, my buddy out in Michigan had an ACT clutch and he said it gripped to hard and was a pain with daily driving. I like my stage 1 exedy clutch, very streetable, not too pricey. If you want to launch the way you have been, high rpms, spend a little money on some Kaaz gears. If you can find a company that has them in stock your in luck. Going through Kaaz takes at least 2 months. As for the strait cuts, if you want to hear your transmission over your fully catless exhaust, id get them. They sound badass, but would be pretty annoying around the cities, everyone would look at you like there was something seriously wrong with your car. They work alot better than the helicals though.
If you get someone to get you a new 1st and 2nd, you can swap with me +$$. I'm selling the car anyways and the owner gets a stock looking wrx with RA gears.... I hope it's a 90 year old guy.
....uh huh.....I see.....hmmm.....ah huh.....sorry, but whats RA stand for? are they replacement gears? :hs:
Go PPG if u can...RA gears are still known to break on you...From what I've read and seen RA gears are pretty much stock with a minor upgrade on the thickness of the gears. Holds about 250whp to 300whp. I'd still recommend the PPG anyday even though they are 2x-3x the price. U could even upgrade to a 1-2 straight cut or helical cut and be around $1800 for it...Since it seems like u just want the launch to be more reliable and to hold.
a good warning about straight cut gears and street cars... You know that whining sound your car makes in reverse? get used to that. only all the time. and louder.
^I know...I can't wait to get mine installed...haha. I think, it sounds awesome...I'm still waiting on my center LSD and I'm ready to install.
Please, please, please, don't waste your time and money on a RA gearset. They aren't worth the time and expense. Phil (BAC5.2 on bbs.legacycentral.org) has had dozens of blown RA trannys come in. He works at the PPG dealer over in PA. You can get a helical cut syncro'd gearset from them to go into your WRX case for about $3400. Only one person has broken one, and that was with about 700whp on a helical set, not a straight cut. If you are into drag, the PPG set is the way to go. As for the 6MT, it is better for Auto X, since its quite a bit shorter, with really close ratios. To install one, you don't need STi axels. You just need to pull the stub axels out of the 5MT to use with the axels on your WRX. You need the STi clutch and flywheel, which is good to about 400 chp. The 6MT is the same length as the 4EAT, so you'd need a driveshaft from an auto. The shift linkage is different, so you'd need that too. I chose to go with the 6MT, since I'm not really into drag, and down the road I can get a PPG gearset with revised ratios to my liking. My turbo is only good for 400-420chp, so the clutch will be good for my goals.
Go PPG. I will envy you and live vicariously through you I wish I had some. My buddies younger brother has a 300c with 22" wheels and he wants to race me at a 1/8 mile track:roll:. Stupid fuker thinks he has the fastest car on the planet cause of the 'hemi':ugh: He'd smoke me on the highway, but stock for stock we have the same 1/4 and 0-60 and he's stock. I'm far from it I so want to smoke him just so he can STFU about his fuking Chrysler. But, I don't want to break my car.:emo: I told him I'll race him all winter long, rally cross and autoX's though!:biggrin: I'd love to see him show up at an autoX to race me in that pig:laugh:
GOOD Post...I agree PPG All the way...That's what I have in the back of my trunk for the past 3-4 months. Still waiting on everything else to come before I install it...Again let me know if you interested I have some room to move on the prices...
Sorry Evan...I thought Spec was good, but man...there is a company out there that is suppose to be the way to go...It is called "extreme clutch" from Auzzie, where PPGs are also made. These are what they put in Rally cars...Currently I'm trying to get one here...So is one of my vendor...With my project, they have a kit that is a 9 puck clutch kit with stock pedal feel...Don't ask me how, I haven't tried it out yet...But my vendor has and he is a very reliable source. He said that they only installed one on a special order and he was very very Impressed and this is from a guy that builds Subarus Engines/ trannies.
hehe, you can always buy one from here, the whole thing... http://www.japaneseengineimport.com/eng/products/subaru/EJ20T STI-V7.htm
