1 2 3
Somebeach
Somebeach Reader
1/1/19 9:44 a.m.

Maybe this is old news but how well would a AR5 hold up? Seems like would be a cheaper option the t56?

 

Patrick
Patrick GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/1/19 9:45 a.m.

What’s an ar5 come in?

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE Reader
1/1/19 9:49 a.m.

I looked up the trans- strange to me that GM has been using an Aisin gearbox. What's weirder tho is the choice itself- it can handle ~260Tq., but came in 3 trucks and the Sky/Solstice. Considering what most LSx guys are going for, the only appeal I can see is for those who are swapping them into lightweight cars and want a small box for weight. But that's just what I extrapolate from wikipedia.

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltimaDork
1/1/19 9:49 a.m.
Patrick said:

What’s an ar5 come in?

GM version of the r154. So like Colorado’s, solstice...

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE Reader
1/1/19 9:49 a.m.
Patrick said:

What’s an ar5 come in?

Wikipedia says the Sky/Solstice, Isuzu Trooper, H3, and Colorado. It was available and being made from 1998-2010.

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/1/19 10:03 a.m.

I'm going to say not well... looks like a T5 but weaker.

 

 

Floating Doc
Floating Doc GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/1/19 10:05 a.m.

I can see a potential cost advantage over the t56, but it doesn't seem to me that the junk yards are going to be full of millions of them.

Carbon
Carbon UltraDork
1/1/19 10:40 a.m.

Is it the same bolt pattern as a r series? 

Strike_Zero
Strike_Zero UltraDork
1/1/19 10:42 a.m.

AR5/MA5 have been behind Mallet V8 swapped Solstice/Sky and some fairly high powered 1/2JZ.

AR5 has a longer input shaft and the shifter mounted on the transmission.

Here's a cheeky build with the AR5.

Ranger50
Ranger50 UltimaDork
1/1/19 10:42 a.m.
Carbon said:

Is it the same bolt pattern as a r series? 

My previous research says yes. 

RossD
RossD MegaDork
1/1/19 10:47 a.m.

Didnt a version of those come in Supras, Cherokees and Dakotas?

 

AX15?

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE Reader
1/1/19 10:52 a.m.
Ranger50 said:
Carbon said:

Is it the same bolt pattern as a r series? 

My previous research says yes. 

So could you put that trans behind Toyota's too? 1UZs and such? Does anyone have a pic of the bolt pattern?

dculberson
dculberson UltimaDork
1/1/19 11:11 a.m.

1UZ doesn’t bolt to R series without an adapter. 

rslifkin
rslifkin UltraDork
1/1/19 11:30 a.m.
RossD said:

Didnt a version of those come in Supras, Cherokees and Dakotas?

AX15?

Yeah, the AX15 is a relative of the R series trans as well. 

yupididit
yupididit UltraDork
1/1/19 11:42 a.m.

Are they the same size as the R154?

wspohn
wspohn Dork
1/1/19 1:03 p.m.

The AR5 has held up amazingly well in mild V8 swaps into Kappas,  but if you have drag racing tendencies you might be well advised to go for something a bit beefier.  The T56 is the common choice. A kit has been available for around $3700 (not including trans) to do that swap but it may no longer be current.  It is obviously not a trivial conversion.

 

https://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f101/t56-conversions-back-122113/

G_Body_Man
G_Body_Man UltraDork
1/1/19 2:14 p.m.

TBH I'd rather go with a Nissan CD009 transmission, or even an earlier CD003 if you're on a budget. They're proven to handle big power reliably and they're much, much cheaper than used T56s.

Somebeach
Somebeach Reader
1/1/19 9:47 p.m.

In reply to G_Body_Man :

Hmmm Last time I thought the CDOO9 adapters were a lot more expensive than this.  But I guess it is about $500. 

http://collinsadapters.com/index.php/lsx-to-350z-370z-vq-transmission-adapter-plate.html

buzzboy
buzzboy HalfDork
1/1/19 10:02 p.m.
G_Body_Man said:

TBH I'd rather go with a Nissan CD009 transmission, or even an earlier CD003 if you're on a budget. They're proven to handle big power reliably and they're much, much cheaper than used T56s.

I'd rather go with a BMW ZF320 than either. T56s shift kinda clonky but the ZF is a buttery smooth transmission with great power holding capacity. No OD but first gear is low enough(4.20) to let you run a tall rear end. And there are adapters from ZF320 to pretty much everything.

Carbon
Carbon UltraDork
1/1/19 10:26 p.m.

My buddy's soarer has an cd009 swap, it sucks. Shifts like E36 M3 feels like its full of broken glass, super hard to get consistent shift out of. Maybe it's the kit he used but the result is terrible. 

bluej
bluej UberDork
1/2/19 6:17 a.m.

Bmw trans is interesting. Any proven kits? 

A quick search turned up this guy, but it's just the plate and no flywheel/clutch set up (~$410):

Pmc Motorsport

 

Then there was this kit from Latvia for  7.5" clutches. No pricing listed:

ABC clutch

 

Tyler H
Tyler H GRM+ Memberand UberDork
1/2/19 8:41 a.m.
Carbon said:

Is it the same bolt pattern as a r series? 

You can bolt an AR5 to the Toyota 1JZ-GTE bellhousing, effectively making an R154.  I've seen that 260tq number thrown around, but I've also seen R154s that live just fine behind 500hp 1/2JZ engines.

Guys doing 1/2JZ swaps sometimes go this route because the ~06 Soltice AR5 + the Toyota bellhousing is almost bolt-in option for Mk3 supra and IS300 swaps.  The AR5s are ~$500-800 on car-part.com.  The bellhousing is ~$300.  As seen on ebay.

R154s are blowing up in price and getting old.  They're going for $1500-3k right now.  And god forbid you want a Mk4 Supra Turbo transmission -- they're up to $6-9k used.

Knurled.
Knurled. GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/2/19 8:53 a.m.

In reply to wspohn :

For the expense and effort, a TR6060 makes as much or more sense, though.  

RacetruckRon
RacetruckRon GRM+ Memberand Reader
1/2/19 9:01 a.m.

I have a CD009 and a Collins kit bolted up to a LR4 for my project truck.  Not really impressed with the Collins kit, for a CD00X trans I'd go with the LOJ Conversions kit.

If I were to do it all over again I would drop the money on a T56 or TR6060 for the shifter and clutch options and for the direct bolt in.  The CD009 is just such a stupid long transmission. 

Very interested in the AR5 now I thought they would be harder to source. Off to do some googling.

Daylan C
Daylan C UltraDork
4/27/19 8:05 p.m.

Gonna be the one to revive a zombie here since I found it in a Google search and it isn't *that* old. Strongly considering using one of these in my GTA behind a 5.3. I don't feel like dropping t56 money yet but want a stick with my LS swap. I don't have any drag racing aspirations with the car. Has anybody here used one yet? Is it worth it? Should I just hit the easy button and put a 4l60e in the car?

1 2 3

You'll need to log in to post.

Our Preferred Partners
710FdSS4Xy8e1JLUk2K954jjGpBsgOiPLTxFOxsljTlCMJbjzQh4iDXQqbaPiVfA