Shifting a 2004 WRX
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 76
Cool to see all the responses. None really jerky either. Couple of things.,.....
1)What does rip a shift mean? .lol
2) The shift from 1st to 2nd really can be tough. Usually you have to let the clutch out real slow...especially if you didn't rev a lot in 1st. So if you're trying to drive conservative....you'll be driving real slow it seems.
3) Rev matching is pretty fun. Today coming off the highway I had to break quickly and I wound up going into 3rd gear. I put the clutch in and gave it some gas. When i let the clutch out it was crazy. I thought I had it in neutral it was so smooth.
4) Shifting to 5th doesn't seem too smooth a lot of the time. The actual feel of the shifter into 5th feels more crunchy. Sometime this happens and sometimes it doesn't. When I mean crunchy I mean more mechanical. Not like grinding. Ok....take care folks and drive safe.
1)What does rip a shift mean? .lol
2) The shift from 1st to 2nd really can be tough. Usually you have to let the clutch out real slow...especially if you didn't rev a lot in 1st. So if you're trying to drive conservative....you'll be driving real slow it seems.
3) Rev matching is pretty fun. Today coming off the highway I had to break quickly and I wound up going into 3rd gear. I put the clutch in and gave it some gas. When i let the clutch out it was crazy. I thought I had it in neutral it was so smooth.
4) Shifting to 5th doesn't seem too smooth a lot of the time. The actual feel of the shifter into 5th feels more crunchy. Sometime this happens and sometimes it doesn't. When I mean crunchy I mean more mechanical. Not like grinding. Ok....take care folks and drive safe.
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From: Lonestar State
Car Info: WRBlue 2k5 Subaru WRX STi
Glad you had fun rev matching...Remember though, our cars doesn't like shifting in low RPMs, so practice shifting from 1st to 2nd around 2800 to 3200 RPMs.
As for shifting from 4th to 5th, it should be the smoothest out of all the shifts! When you shift, try not to look for the 5th gear. Instead, shift diagonally naturally... you know what I mean? Just try not to stay in neutral between 4th and 5th when you shift. Hope this helps.
As for shifting from 4th to 5th, it should be the smoothest out of all the shifts! When you shift, try not to look for the 5th gear. Instead, shift diagonally naturally... you know what I mean? Just try not to stay in neutral between 4th and 5th when you shift. Hope this helps.
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The more you practice the smoother it gets eventually it will be routine and you will be able to rip shifts no prob. But yes AWD is more difficult to get smooth but once you get it you can downshift/upshift anytime you want smooth as a baby's behind. You know your real good when you can revmatch and shift with out using the clutch at all and still no grinding. For upshifts pull it out of gear with no throttle when the revs drop to the proper point for the next gear (exactly) bang it into the gear. For downshifts pull it to neutral, tap the throttle to bring the revs up and bang it in. The clutch disengages drive to the input shaft of the tranny so the syncros can match the gear speed to that of the main shaft and the lock them together, by rev matching you do the job of the syncro with your mad shifting skills. No one believes me when I explain it to them but when done properly it does no harm.
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From: Westminster, Colorado
Car Info: 2004 Impreza WRX
Originally posted by turborambler
Hello all,
3) Is the steering wheel different for the 04's? Feels like it turns a lot quicker.
Hello all,
3) Is the steering wheel different for the 04's? Feels like it turns a lot quicker.
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From: comin' out the 3rd St. liquor Sto'
Car Info: 2002 MBP saloon
Originally posted by turborambler
Hello all,
1) Going from first to second is kind of tough to do smoothly. The only way I can do this without bucking is to let the clutch out slow. Slower than going from say 2 to 3rd. Is this bad? Is this slipping the clutch? The car has only 100 miles on it so I realize the clutch might grab hard.
Hello all,
1) Going from first to second is kind of tough to do smoothly. The only way I can do this without bucking is to let the clutch out slow. Slower than going from say 2 to 3rd. Is this bad? Is this slipping the clutch? The car has only 100 miles on it so I realize the clutch might grab hard.
on the '04, 1st--->2nd is jerky no matter what. You can try all you want to make it smoother, but it's just how it's built. It's also much lighter than the '02 and feels somewhat "VWesque" I prefer a stifffer clutch so I am biased, but........
I wouldn't trade my '02 clutch for an '04 anyday.
i've had the car for about 2 years and the one important thing i learned about getting into gear smoothly is that you have to pause in b/t gears. for example, from 1st to 2nd, you clutch in, shift out of 1st, pause while it's b/t gears, and then slowly shift into 2nd. if you go out of and into gears fast, the shift action is rough, even though the rpm's will match up nicely.
slow shifting, in my case, just feels better.
slow shifting, in my case, just feels better.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 726
From: Sunnyvale
Car Info: '99 Impreza OBS
I don't own a wrx, i own a '99 OBS, but I've driven the wrx, and you can get it to shift smooth w/o letting it out very slow, its all about rev matching. 1-2 is hella harder because you can feel it, you probably are messing up with the rest but the gear ratio change is low enough that you won't feel it. 1-2 is hella harder because you can feel the little changes because a. your going slower, so the speed change is more, and b. because the gear ratios. You just get the revs perfect and itl be smooth. Hope that helped gl
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From: Lonestar State
Car Info: WRBlue 2k5 Subaru WRX STi
Originally posted by doughboy
i've had the car for about 2 years and the one important thing i learned about getting into gear smoothly is that you have to pause in b/t gears. for example, from 1st to 2nd, you clutch in, shift out of 1st, pause while it's b/t gears, and then slowly shift into 2nd. if you go out of and into gears fast, the shift action is rough, even though the rpm's will match up nicely.
slow shifting, in my case, just feels better.
i've had the car for about 2 years and the one important thing i learned about getting into gear smoothly is that you have to pause in b/t gears. for example, from 1st to 2nd, you clutch in, shift out of 1st, pause while it's b/t gears, and then slowly shift into 2nd. if you go out of and into gears fast, the shift action is rough, even though the rpm's will match up nicely.
slow shifting, in my case, just feels better.
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From: Trying to figure out something creative to put her
Car Info: 2005 CGM WRX Wagon
During normal driving I'll ease off the gas a bit before I shift. That seems to make a big difference in the smoothness - then it doesn't jerk when putting in the clutch. It'll take some practice to figure out how much to let off, but it helps a bunch.
Originally posted by JUNNEL20
I think they call that granny shifting.
I think they call that granny shifting.
for that matter, i do granny shift when i'm tooling around town.
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From: Bay Area
Car Info: 2004 Black WRX wagon
when i'm draggin, i shift @ 6K. haha....
i used to speed shift. now, i make sure that my clutch is fully off before i shift. it feels slower, but i guess it works. i like my old style of shifting better. it was really fast and smooth. Taking your time is much safer though
i used to speed shift. now, i make sure that my clutch is fully off before i shift. it feels slower, but i guess it works. i like my old style of shifting better. it was really fast and smooth. Taking your time is much safer though
My 02 wrx gearbox makes a distinct CLICK sound when shifted between fourth and fifth gear and doesn't do it for any other gear.
Rev matching is the only way I drove now but I wouldn't recommend it until one gets a feel for how to "normally" engage the gears.
Using the gearbox to slow you down is going to wear out the clutch and possibly gearbox quickly, I would recommend using the brakes to stop as they are much cheaper to maintain and replace than the clutch and transmission.
Rev matching is the only way I drove now but I wouldn't recommend it until one gets a feel for how to "normally" engage the gears.
Using the gearbox to slow you down is going to wear out the clutch and possibly gearbox quickly, I would recommend using the brakes to stop as they are much cheaper to maintain and replace than the clutch and transmission.
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I really wish everyone had the opportunity to rack up some miles on a non-synchro'd transmission. It gives you a good feel for the relationship between the road, transmission, and engine.
I've been lucky enough to have more experience without synchros than with, and one thing I can tell you is that to smooth out upshifts, it's important to be smooth coming *out* of the lower gear. The smoother you can manage to pull it out of 1st, the smoother it'll go into 2nd, and that is primarily accomplished by letting off of the throttle until you can feel an equilibrium developing between engine/transmission/road speeds. It should come right out of 1st and into 2nd effortlessly, assuming correct timing.
In other words, throttle control is very important. In fact, it is crucial in preserving the lifespan of your transmission.
I've been lucky enough to have more experience without synchros than with, and one thing I can tell you is that to smooth out upshifts, it's important to be smooth coming *out* of the lower gear. The smoother you can manage to pull it out of 1st, the smoother it'll go into 2nd, and that is primarily accomplished by letting off of the throttle until you can feel an equilibrium developing between engine/transmission/road speeds. It should come right out of 1st and into 2nd effortlessly, assuming correct timing.
In other words, throttle control is very important. In fact, it is crucial in preserving the lifespan of your transmission.