If you own and use a JDM STi 5 speed, vote

[keaniegenie]

This poll is for all sti-RA or sti-non RA JDM STI 5mt users. I started a thread a few months ago asking people to talk about their setups and any issues with their RA gears. I can log all users responses, but I think a poll would be cooler

6 simple categories. 3 for people who have the sets and have NOT broken them, and 3 for people who have sets and HAVE broken them. I kept the power ranges high because I realize some users may not have had them dyno'd, but fit within a power range.

I only want to hear opinions from actual users, or members replying to the users comments. No BS. Everyone has opinions, but we are looking for proof here.

For all the users who do vote, please reply to the thread with your exact setup and your experience. Moderators, please watch this thread closely. People have a strong opinions and can easily vote. Let's try to minimize that by explaining your setup and your experience. Thanks!!!

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[Paul]

i had about 30k on the non-ra and they were fine. About 15k of the miles were with 330whp and i did drive that car very hard but i didn't do redline clutch drops

[Crazykev]

I've done 6K smooth fast slips with my RA's No side steppin' though and have about 35K on mine.

Had the trans split with 29K or so on them and they look new. I also have absolutely no trans noise.

Wish 1st was 3.18 instead of 3.03, but other than that the ratios are the whoop ass

Never had the car on a dyno, but I am guessing 280-290WHP.

[keaniegenie]

Geez Crazykev, took you long enough to post! With all your transmission forum raiding you do, I thought you'd have a vote in within the first 5 min. I posted the thread

I know of at least two more people who did no have issues, and one that did. Newbie subie has a 2.5l hybrid with a GT30r .82 rotated setup on sti non-ra's, but I wait for him to vote himself.

I really am a fan of 5mt's vs 6mt's. If Subaru just made their 5mt's for WRX's the same ratio as their sti non-ra's, I probably wouldn't be considering a ra set. Same with 6-speeds. Love the strenght and DCCD, but hate the short ratios on 1st. If 1-5 on a 6-speed were the same as RA's, but with a 6th gear that brought it to 3.9, I would dough up for a 6-speed in a heartbeat.

[Crazykev]

I've been chillin' on the lurking. I'm kinda' cooked on the trans talk.

If for any reason I ever do break my RAs then I will do PPGs with the same ratios

I know the RAs aren't for everyone. Some people really need to learn how to drive If your breaking them with a VF-30/34 then I don't know what to say?

Hope to swap to a Evo III Big 16G and wouldn't go much higher than that if you plan on REALLY driving the car. I don't baby my car by any means

[keaniegenie]

^^

Well, my friend, if you haven't broken them yet you'll probably be fine. I know of two different 2.5l hybrid users who have no problems with their setups. Both easily 330whp+. One has the GT30r as mentioned above, and another has a DB20g on theirs.

[Crazykev]

Someone broke em' and didn't chime in

[keaniegenie]

Originally Posted by Crazykev

Someone broke em' and didn't chime in

Please explain your setup and situations if you're going to vote people! The purpose of this poll is to educate everyone. Setup, what you had, when it broke, how it broke, or if it didn't break.

A very reliable source I know saw a car with a 75lb turbo run on a dyno with RA's! I think it pulled somewhere in the neighborhood of 450-500whp. Didn't break. Then there's people who have 2.0 WRX's with stage 4's who've said they've broken two sets of RA's.

I'll start a similar poll on 04+ WRX gears. Right now, I'm not trying to prove anything yet. We'll see how the data collects and go from there.

If you guys know anybody who's ever used them, have them come here and vote!

[keaniegenie]

Well, I guess that didn't work. 6 votes and 2 responses.

[ride5000]

Originally Posted by keaniegenie

A very reliable source I know saw a car with a 75lb turbo run on a dyno with RA's! I think it pulled somewhere in the neighborhood of 450-500whp. Didn't break. Then there's people who have 2.0 WRX's with stage 4's who've said they've broken two sets of RA's.

clark turner's infamous magic 5mt (non ra) that held many 115+mph passes, 100 shots of nitrous, rwd conversion, etc etc, was blown to bits by a kid running not much more than stock 2.0 rex whp within 5 days of selling it to him.

make your own conclusions.

[Crazykev]

Yep, some of these tards would break ANY trans they have

[keaniegenie]

7 votes. I know there's more users than this!

[keaniegenie]

changed thread title to get more attention.

[Scoobie Steve]

The key here is a JDM trans. NOT a WRX 5mt that someone screwed up the gear install or used RA gears no longer shot peened.



I have never seen a JDM ver 5/6 trans break. You can see the times I run with well over 50 passes pulling low 1.6 60'

I have no faith in a WRX 5mt with todays cheaper RA gear sets.

[Crazykev]

I have heard the new gears aren't as good

I have an older shotpeened and cryo'd set that I bought about 3 years ago from Rallispec.

[keaniegenie]

Originally Posted by Scoobie Steve

The key here is a JDM trans. NOT a WRX 5mt that someone screwed up the gear install or used RA gears no longer shot peened.



I have never seen a JDM ver 5/6 trans break. You can see the times I run with well over 50 passes pulling low 1.6 60'

I have no faith in a WRX 5mt with todays cheaper RA gear sets.

I want ALL RA and Non-RA users to comment. You may be right, but I really don't think the gears are that different than that of old.

More vendors start selling RA's, more people screwing up installs, plus more people with higher output engines is probably causing the higher level of failure out there.

I really don't think that many RA's are breaking now, in relativity to how many are sold. That's why I started this poll. Most people who have RA's and work great don't come here to brag about it, but anybody who's broken them usually comments here. Let's say 200 sets are sold last year amongst all Subie owners, and 7 of them fail. We all know that at least half of the failures are going to be due to user error and install error. If we see a post every other month about broken RA's, and over 95% of them are working fine, we still think they're crap. Do you get what I'm saying?

[Scoobie Steve]

I have to dissagree, From what I understand the newer gears are no longer made by the same manufacturer nor are they shot peened. But I feel the same way you do, these gears get a bad rep from a very few that have broke them at hp levels even stock gears should have held. But my point is I have never seen a broken JDM Ver 5/6 trans. Part of that might be strengh of the gears or maybe proper installation. I feel MOST broken RA gears are from improper installation.


Who voted they broke their gears but did post!!!

[keaniegenie]

^^^

Well, I don't know enough to debate whether the new or old RA's the same. I know some vendors do sell RA's that are shot-peened and cryo treated. Whether they are or are not stronger than OEM gears is another debate.

What I find REALLY strange is that all of the 2.5l hybrid owners I know with RA's who are pushing 330-400+whp have never broken their RA gears!!! In fact, they've all been stage 2 or stage 4 2.0's. I'm not saying there isn't a person who has a 2.5l hybrid who hasn't broken them, but I haven't seen one.

If you've broken the gears, and think it was the gears and not your driving or installation that broke them, share your story. If you don't, I'll assume you dumped your clutch at 7k hoping for a burnout

[keaniegenie]

Fine. Post about your setup if you feel like it

[scoooby03]

I don't have any experience of either the gear set you are refering to but just one put in my $0.02. It all has to do with the type of abuse and the style of driving. If you abuse the hell out of any gear set it will break. They way you drive and the amount of abuse you put on the gearset is the biggest deciding factor. Good luck!

[zachary.berrier]

where is the best place to buy an sti non ra gearset

[Crazykev]

What's the deal with all the poontang boys that can vote that they broke gears, but can't fill us in on how?

[keaniegenie]

Originally Posted by Crazykev

What's the deal with all the poontang boys that can vote that they broke gears, but can't fill us in on how?

Yeah, I agree.

Are you guys too embarassed to tell us you dropped your clutch at 6k and broke gears?

What I find interesting is there are more people with 300-400whp users than 200-300whp users, and less of them broke.

Here's a theory. Many 200-300whp users break their gears from driving like an ass clown, so they buy RA's. Continue driving like ass-clowns, more broken RA's. There are more 200-300whp WRX's running around than 300+, meaning most of these RA users are replacing broken gears. Especially the mid-03 and earlier users with the thinner gears.

300-400whp users plan a tranny upgrade even though their gears are fine because they know where their power will be. These people probably drive more responsible, leading to less broken gearsets.

I think people don't like to be called out for their mistakes, hence why NOBODY who's voted they broke their gears will tell us their situation. If I broke a set of gears knowing others with much more power are running fine, I probably wouldn't want it publicly known either.

The two 2.5l WRX hybrid owners I've talked to with JDM 5mt gears (not jdm 5mt trannies) who have ZERO issues on their 300-400whp setups bought their gears while planning their 2.5l swap, not after they broke their original gears.

It sounds like people who break their OEM gears should probably get a 6-speed or a PPG set. Most people who are good to their gears and are looking for an upgrade for their OEM gears would probably be fine with a JDM STI 5mt gearset. Unabomber's idea of using 04+ WRX gears, + shot peening for a cheaper solution to RA's is a good one too. I personally hate the WRX ratios with the tall 3.9 final drive with a short 1st gear, so JDM STI gearset makes a lot of sense. PPG 1-2 is an option between the costs of a JDM STI set, but still much more. I haven't made a final decision between the two.

We'll continue to see how this poll pans out. If the trends stay true, I'll say my theory is probably correct.

[Crazykev]

^^^100% agree! The guys that I know broke thier gears have broke other parts on thier car that I haven't even heard of others breaking. Supercharged ass clowns!

[Bolster]

Why do I find myself more and more interested in an RA gearset and less interested in a 6-speed? I really like the 6-speed's more modern design (it actually has an oil pump), and robustness, but I don't think the gear ratios are anywhere near ideal for the car.