Well, finally I have heard some feedback on the SSP TC-SST upgrades on the Ralliart specific transmission. I have some good news. The WORKS rally car (Ralliart) with an Evolution X turbo swap made it through the Olympus Rally with shining colors. According to WORKS, the car is restricted to 268 hp / 298 tq with a 32mm restrictor. More importantly, the car has only the upgrades listed on the SSP website. They did not modify the transmission's computer in any way. While this doesn't translate into long-term reliability on the road, this certainly does give way to a morsel of hope for this platform.

Original Thread w/ Videos: http://9glancers.com/index.php/topic,8955.0.html

 

from what Ive read here, wouldnt the OEM transmission hold under 300 tq anyway?

 

Yeah I emailed them back in March about their ralliart. They replied back with..

If you are inquiring about the SSP transmission upgrade package, then
yes we do have it installed on our Ralliart. The car is pushing 350HP to
the wheels and the tranny is holding up nicely with no issues what so
ever. The car even saw a 4 hour race and blew the motor but not the
tranny. We are very happy with the SSP upgrade kit and would recommend
it to anyone with an MR or Ralliart. As far as solving problems, I would
want to know what problems specifically you are talking about. If its
slipping or not shifting properly there could be something wrong with
the internals or it could be defective. These transmissions are built to
handle the car while on track at speed so they are already pretty stout
pieces. The SSP internals just allow you to hammer it a bit more and add
a bit more power. There are other pieces to consider as well like the
transmission cooler and an engine oil cooler. The engine oil cooler is
not directly related to the SSP transmission upgrades, however if you
are pushing the car to where it needs them or if you are adding power to
where it needs them then you are probably going to need an oil cooler as
well. Please let us know if you have anymore questions.

 

Probably not under such strenuous conditions. The point is that they were able to put down that kind of power through a Rally Race. The problem, in my mind, isn't that the transmission can't handle that kind of power. It can't consistently do so and will eventually fail. That is a major concern for me, because, if I were to upgrade the turbo and put down that kind of power, I would need to be sure that the transmission would work day in and day out. Regardless of what anyone says, I am not convinced that the transmission could do that. I know we have people on here with massive amounts of power. My fear is that at least some of them are going to come back in a year or so and report that their transmission is done.

This would make me feel comfortable enough to proceed, and the sad part is that I wouldn't be aiming for anywhere near the kind of power that these guys are putting down. Safety and reliability are the two most important things to me.

 

being my DD, yes that would be my main concern as well... while upgrading to SSP clutch pack is the safe route to go, only time would tell if the OEM tranny internals can hold up the extra poneys for extended time (say, few yrs) ...

I guess only time would tell.

 

100% true. However, the way I see it, this kind of thing just gives you a better chance of success.

 

I'm sick and tired of my transmission slipping when I floor it in sport mode. I thought GM had some **** trannies, but GeTrag takes the cake. If you are going to engineer something to handle 237HP, you should make it be able to handle 474HP (2x) due to warranty sake. Make it bullet proof. Get a good reputation. Make more $$ with more sales.

Garbage GeTrag BS.
(yes I hate this transmission and I'm angry with it)

 

a big part of me thinks your driving style when you got the car is reflecting on the transmissions wear now.

 

i have an x turbo swap with 310awhp and 300tq and i never have any problems with my trans. you just need to take of this trans. but according to ssp this is a very well built transmission.

 

I've got just a bit more tq than you but my trans is still fine as well. Shifts are quite a bit rougher than stock since the turbo upgrade but they don't seem to be getting any worse so I'm not too worried. I do have plans for an SSP kit in the future but I'll probably wait to see if I have any problems.

 

It's not the trans but the software. (which can be changed)

- Bryan

 

The only thing that I have successfully seen altered is the information in the ECU sent to the TCU. I am assuming that that is what you are talking about. You can change the maximum torque rating or something in the ECU, so that it doesn't send a cutoff and disengage the clutches below a certain amount of torque.

 

Excuse the dumb question but regarding that torque limit, is that why some people (with significantly upgraded power) are experiencing "slippage"? As in the slippage is actually the torque limiter protecting the tranny by (partially?)disengaging the clutches and not actual slippage?

 

^good question.

 

that makes sense.. its like a safe mode