sleepy2.5

Maybe for where you live, but not here in Michigan. I’ve looked for USDM Spec B swaps but haven’t found any at all, especially ones that are 100k miles or less.

I’ve found a JDM Spec B swap kit with axles, rear diff, driveshaft, trans, control arms and other various mounts (mine are rusted to shit so I wouldn’t mind this) for $3500. I think this is the way to go for me. I won’t have the Spec B gears but for $3500, I’m sure getting a lot. Also, has low mileage since it’s from Japan :)) Plus, with the money I’m saving by not going with the FSTI swap, I could always put in hardened racing gears with better ratios. However, it’s a 6 speed off of the 2005 3.0 Spec B. So I might be running into some compatibility issues again smh.

Yea, it’s a tough call for me to make cuz I’ve been on the hunt for a 6MT with Spec B gear ratios for a while now. So far, this is the only trans with reasonable mileage and the longer-ratio Spec B gearing. Like you said, the brakes are more of an added bonus so I really don’t NEED them. I guess I gotta ask myself if Spec B gear ratios are worth the $2k USD difference in price. I’ll do some more digging on wheel hub compatibility and let y’all know what I end up deciding to go with.

For as nice as it’d be to just go for another 5 speed, it just doesn’t make sense for me. I currently am making 320whp and 375wtq, with plans to make 475whp and 525wtq within the next year or so. Which means the 5MT would be pretty much useless in terms of reliability and longevity. I do a decent amount of high speed driving (cruising at around 85mph which in my 5MT puts me at around 3900rpms), so I definitely wouldn’t mind bringing those rpm’s down by about 500 or so. I’ve just accepted that the 5MT just won’t work for me in the long run and that I’m going to NEED a 6MT. I personally have never rode inside or driven a Spec B, so I cant speak to how the gear ratios feel. However, I have heard that the JDM Fozzy STi and USDM Spec B both have “the best possible gear ratios” for any subaru trans which is why I’m so attracted to this specific swap and not some other WRX STi swap. I have also heard that the gap between 4th and 5th gear in a normal WRX STi is a bit bizzare and not quite the same distance apart (in terms of rpm’s) as the other gears. Again, can’t personally speak to the legitimacy of this issue but that’s just what i’ve heard. As for some of the other things you mentioned… Brembos would be nice. Do i truly NEED them? Probably not, but there have definitely been a handful of close calls that I’ve experienced that makes me inclined to the idea of swapping on some bigger brakes. In regard to the axles, I believe they will in fact work because of the fact that they are r180 axles and that kit comes with an r180 rear diff and r180 wheel hubs. I’ll have to double check the spline count tho.. Whether or not those wheel hubs fit onto my control arms is something I am unsure of.

Thank you so much for the clarification. Fortunately, that swap kit is off of an ‘05 Forester STi with 54k miles. The listing does state that they are 5x100’s, but there’s no true way to verify that until I get my hands on it. I do have one last question tho… how much do you think a kit like that is worth? The seller is asking $6k. Seems a bit steep but still relatively reasonable given everything it has included. Do you think it’s worth the money if it truly does have 5x100’s all around? Thanks again for all the help!

Why wouldn’t the forester sti axles work? Asking because I’ve found a jdm swap online which includes driveshaft, rear diff, 6 speed trans, full wheel hub assembly, and the oem brembo brakes for a really good price. But if I can only use the rear diff and trans, it wouldn’t make sense. I’m fine with having to buy a new driveshaft to make this swap kit work, but would prefer to not have to buy axles as well. I’ve included a picture of said jdm swap kit.