Last week I traded another org member my stock vb for his stage2.
Jeff and Dan at Maximun tuning did the swap.

My entire friggin car shudders and ratles when it shifts from 1st to 2nd, I mean it bangs hard. The shift is nice and quick but it is hard and agressive.
It feels like I am punishing or tearing my car up. Especially if there is any slack in the drive train. City driving makes me kringe from 1st to 2nd.

When I put it to the floor from a complete stop it is not so bad and it acctually chirps somethimes which is kinda cool. But that is not realistic driving that way.

Is this normal behavior for a stage II.

Any thing I can do to tame it a bit or do i need to get over it.

I have already flushed the entire tranny replacing the fluid.

 

Sounds like stage 3... :\ Stage 2 should not do that.

 

Hmmm. the org mem. stated stage 2. Jeff know it was supposed to be a stage two swap and did not mention omn the test drive when the install was complete.
Now I am worried I do not want a stage3.

Any other members know how a stage 2 should act?

 

yeah i have a stage 2, and its not as aggresive as what you are describing. sounds like u have a stage 3

 

I bet it's a Stage II.5 .......

 

Well, I've been in a car with the VB stage 2,and it felt the way your discribing, the car banges REAL hard into second for a minute we thought the transmission busings were dead or somethgin later to realize that even the stage 2 bangs real hard. I personally want eh vb stage 1 or 1.5 at the MAX

 

I've felt stage 2 various times...me and PacketAttack both did, and you could barely feel it when you're coasting. There's something not right.

 

I have a stage 2 VB mod that jeff installed for me over a year ago. What you describe sounds like a totaly different car then mine. Yes the shift into second is harder/ firmer but not as you describe. The only thing I can think of & I know this from experince is my cousin got a stage 2 VB mod done with me on the same day I got mine but his shifted alot harder or should I say louder but he also had major front end damage repaired prior to the install & I swear his rattles because his front end is not original. Have you had a accident before? Or another thing to consider is the 3.5 liter in your 02 Max has more torque & is therefore slamming into second harder then my 3.0 liter causeing a bigger thump. But with alot of time with the VB mod i still swear it is the best money I invested in my auto max & have learned to properly feather the gas during shifting so that that shift from 1st to 2nd is almost unnoticable when I want it to be example daughter/wife/mother in the car. If your ever in my area & would like to hear/feel what my VB mod feels like or would like the opinion of some one who has had it for a while let me know.

 

I've had both stage 2 and 2.5 .. The 2 was more "tamed" The II.5, not so much. There are different driving habits that allow you to tailor it so it will not bang so hard, i.e, take off slow and let off throttle duing shifts and normal driving. One thing is for sure though, WOT shifting is really smooth and precise.

 

i had an act stage 2 it was a 4 puck with no spring and it shatters and vibrate when trying to take off at low rpms, you have to rev it to at least 1.5 to get a smooth take off. I think it is how you break in the clutch disc. But mines tore up my tranny had to take it out.

 

This is purely an autmoatic transmission discussion, we don't care about your clutch ...

 

You have a Stage 2.5. What you are describing is perfectly normal. The only thing I have done is learn the shift points and let off the gas when the car is about to shift...if you do it right, after some practice, you will not even feel the shifts anymore.

 

Does Maximum Tuning w/ Jeff & Don have a website? I'm familiar with Mobiletek Racing that also does a VB mod, but not the other.

Thanks,

Tony

 

> you ..

www.maximumtuning.net

 

KEVON1:

Thanks for the info yeah I am learning to ease up on the gas and it does help.
i have not had any front end work done though

 

JUICE:

How do you know it is a 2.5, I am curious, and what is the diff between 2 and 2.5
I agree with you it is normal I don't think Jeff would have boned me like that. He seemed like a standup guy when we were BSing. He knew I was from PA and test drove the car before he handed it back to me.

 

Because from what you described it's what a II.5 feels like.

I've had both a II and II.5, and well, I jsut said it ...

 

I have been in a Stage 2 and own a Stage 2.5, the 2 does not do what you are describing...and a 3 is practically not streetable.

 

I was going to say the samething about the shifting, it's normal to me also. If you're able to get the car to shift from 1 to 2 at 2000-3350rpm, the shifts will be kinda smooth, but anywhere from 3900-5400 will make you think you broke something....LOL And in slow moving traffic it the worst, a stupid thump every 10 secs. Wish I had a 5-speed

 

That's not true for a stage II.5