I was thinkin about getting the stage 2 valve body upgrade. It says it will make it shift harder, but better. I am curious as to how hard and how much quicker it shifts. Also, how much does acceleration off the line and coming out of turns improve?

 

Stage 2 wondering also? and the torque converter? for an auto 95

 

man its not worth it, just get a 5spd conversion, our auto trannys are weak! Cant even take over 6psi of boost with stage 10 tranny!!! Just get a 5spd conversion and get the gears coated with that special hardener stuff, forgot the name

 

I 2nd that comment, the autos are weak. The Stage 2 is not worth the money, a 5-spd swap is. The Stage 2 only shifts harder and faster on the 1-2 gear shift, 2-3 is still like stock.

 

well not really into standard.. like to finger my gf while driving most of the time hahahah jk

 

To answer you question with something other than, "Dude, you should spend 2 grand on a turbo or 5 speed swap", I just received my "waste of money" from Jeff this week, so I'll let you know how I like it once installed. I'm questioning the value of this, too as some have said its a must have. See, I'm in the real world and want a crisp shifting daily driver, with potential for improved longevity, probably like you, and have a realistic budget. I guess I'm in a different demographic than those who want to take a 4 door sedan and set it up for Le Mans or the Winternationals..............

 

The VB is defintiely worth the money if you can't convert to 5-speed. I'll be getting rid of my Stage 2 in January after I convert.

-Tony

 

after a VB mod, can a stock auto keep up with a stock stick?

 

no our loss is in the torque converter i think. also the 5spd have shorter gearing. ive had my vb for 3 months now and the imporved shifts is a godsend for me, before the car was so lazy in the shift and now it just goes. i had some problems that occured after my vb install(did it my self) and spent a lot of money that im not sure i needed to(rebuild). this mod is also supposed to lenghten the life of your tranny.

for those who said the vb is not worth it, unless you have an auto maxima with a vb you probably shouldnt bother posting.

my complete vb, soleniods with cooler was 500 with a 200 deposit refunded upon return of stock vb

a 5spd conversion from a reputable shop here would run 2800-3k for everything

 

so max tuning will send you a modded VB before you even mail them the one from your car? you just have to give a $200 deposit?

 

Mikey07005 has a vb, he said the stage b4 full race vb. (i have no idea what stage it is) My drop resistor mod is just as effective, and it cost almost nothing. I took him for a ride and he couldnt tell the diffence. And for those of you who say the auto is weak, take a look at Jime with his 12.1 1/4 mile run with 150 shot of NX. That's what, 2x as much power as 6psi can put down?

Oh and what do most NHRA drivers uses, autos or manuals? they use autos right since they take less time to shift, you cant miss a shift, and they are easier to launch.

 

isnt it technically bad for the tranny, the drop resistor that is

 

yes, no down time

 

Actually most of them have Sequential Shifting, or Stick, Auto is just horrible cause it brakes so easially. Under the conditions of NHRA I bet our Auto tranny wouldnt last over 3 races

 

um...a lot of pro draggers use automatics. can you imagine trying to shift a 1000+ funny car or fail dragster, or let alone launch it. With torque converters autos are a lot better for dragging

 

How so? I use a tranny cooler. Think about it, its just a bit more pressure then a full race vb.

 

i was talking about compared to a normal VB, as in this one it sounds like time slips greatly improved (backed by some of our own members) ive never heard of anyones drop resistor giving a .4-.6 drop in the quarter mile, and ive heard its not good for the tranny

 

Well, my stage 2 vb mod is in. It was a bit shocking at first cuz the 1-2 shift is, shall we say, FIRM. The 2-3 and 3-4 are noticeably softer, but way better than stock. My first impression was that if I try to sell it, a potential buyer might think something is wrong with the tranny. Its that firm, kind of a clunk. After a few days of driving I'd have to say it is worth it. It feels a lot more performance oriented. The feeling that it is in too high a gear is gone. It also felt kinda indecisive before and now it feels like its usually in the right gear. If I could change anything with the setup I'd probably have the 1-2 shift just a tad less harsh, to more closely match the other shifts. This is probably due to the greater torque with lower gears. Having said that, its kinda neat that even under light to moderate acceleration it chirps the tire (wish I'd said "tires")....................... I give it 2 thumbs up!!

 

Wait, aren't the AUTO transmissions on the max STRONGER than the 5spds? Everyone in this thread that the auto is weak but others with 5spds say that 5spd trans is the weaker of the 2. Also is the stage 2 vb mod the same vb mod that's been out for years or a new procedure all together???