WRX Solid mount vs. Group N transmission mount comparison

[@MyManDan]

I just installed the group N trans mount and pitch stopper, and whiteline crossmember bushings on my '18 WRX. Definitely noticed a difference right away. The whole drivetrain just feels much more solid. One thing I noticed starting in 1st from a stop is that the power seems so go straight to making the car move; starting off with the stock mount, it was almost like a lot of the power just went to moving the transmission around, like the power to the wheels would dip really hard and I would feel like I was going to stall the car very often. With the new mount the car just starts right off moving, power goes straight to the wheels, it's much easier to drive with. I also noticed that the shifter doesn't rock back and forth while driving like you said. Definitely recommend doing these mods they really improve the driving experience in this car.

[@747Durango]

This is a great review and comparison vid. I like the fact that you are willing to change your mind and be honest about it. That gives you more credibility in my book. "Granny shifting," that cracked me up.

[@TheShaddix]

Missed this comment completely. Thanks man!

[@kingrick4420]

YES such a great honest review

[@robbiexiong3508]

I can definitely hear the gear whine. I dunno if I can deal with that noise. So glad to see your reviews. Thanks

[@TheShaddix]

For daily driving group n is a must. For weekend drives, mostly on the street, a solid mount with bushings is great. And a completely solid mount is only good for track or if you don't care for noises. I do like the feel of it though! But the high pitched noise got to me

[@KuyaPow626]

Thabk you so much for doing this long comparison, I absolutely love your reaction at first but then your weeks later review surprised me because you immediately reverse what you appreciated and you got tired of the whine. I just installed the Group N and whiteline positive shift kit am disappointed I dont hear as much whine as people have said..

[@TheShaddix]

I actually now run the stock mount. I don't care anymore for any of these mods, all they do really is make the car more annoying.

[@Smljhndnsmr]

I have a Perrin pitch stop, Perrin engine mounts, and Perrin transmission mount in my 2021 WRX. All four pieces came equipped with heavy-duty polyurethane bushings. After installing them, I was hoping to replicate the NVH and drive feel I had in my 2006 WRX. Surprisingly, very little changed when compared to the OEM NVH. I really enjoyed the transmission whine of my 2006 WRX, so I was a quite let down to find out that the Perrin parts completely mute out the NVH changes I was expecting.

[@TheShaddix]

all you have to do is get a solid transmission mount that has zero play (no bushings at all). You will get exactly what you're after!

[@Smljhndnsmr]

​@@TheShaddix Good to know. If my memory serves me, it was the Group N Transmission Mount and Group N Engine Mounts that I had on my 2006 WRX, so that would make sense why it had a much more "exciting" NVH profile compared to my 2021's current configuration.

[@TheShaddix]

@@Smljhndnsmr you'll totally get that feel with a solid mount. That's what I had and it was amazing as far as the vibration and noise go. You feel it right when you start the car.

[@mrdiddleshot]

Quality racecar impression

[@xDynames]

Honestly out of all the WRX modders I prefer your videos the most. Very detailed so huge props for that. I'm sure many people share that opinion. Reading some of your comments, which transmission mount did you end up with? I don't think I'd like the whine or anything so would the group n be the one to go for? Or is the torque solutions billet one the best of them all?

[@jayhow997]

There's also slop in the prop center bearing bracket bushes and in the rear diff support bracket they do the polly Bush rear diff bushing but can only find ally bushes for prop bracket which will be noisy as sin.

[@MY1PATH]

Very thorough! Glad you compared the 3 options in one vid. Yes talking about shifting (separate from the mount) should be a separate vid.

[@TheShaddix]

Check my shifting video

[@mike_zander]

Really helpful review! I have that gravely feel when shifting from 1st to 2nd and sometime a clunk. I think the shifter bushing might fix that, gonna look into the shift stop and mount as well..Where'd you get that steering wheel cover?

[@TheShaddix]

nah, the shifter bushing won't do anything. You need the boomba shift plate and a heavy shift knob to fix that feel. Just copy my setup and you won't regret it.

[@earlyriser5220]

Is the Group N mount only available for the 5speed manual WRX or can I get it for my CVT?

[@TheShaddix]

It won't do anything for a cvt.

[@TheObiwantoby]

In the same boat right now. Not crazy about the shifting on the 2018. The solid mount obviously was too much NVH, but any comparisons from stock to group N? Group N compared to solid sounded like a great improvement, just unsure of what is 'lost' when going from the gummy mount to group N.

[@TheShaddix]

TheObiwantoby totally worth it going from stock to group n. Just for the added rumble alone, makes the car feel more alive so to speak. What's lost? You won't be able to tell unless driving aggressively. Main difference is the stick doesn't move back and forth anymore when you let off throttle. If you get under the car, take off the brace, and wobble the tranny a bit, you'll see how much it moves about. That will motivate you to get rid of the stock one. I'm too used to mine and went from solid to this, so hard for me to say. Going from stock to solid is super obvious. You can always sell the mount if you don't see any difference. Also, if you hate the shifting now, get the mods I suggested in the video. Also adjust your clutch a bit to remove dead travel and add a bigger clutch pedal stopper. Won't regret it

[@nabaddame5726]

I have Perrin engine mounts and group n trans Mount but I’m still feeling the engine/trans rocking back and forth when shifting or just when coming off and on on the gas pedal. The mounts are solid and tight so not sure if the solid trans Mount would fix my problem. But when you say the whine is loud do you still even hear it over your music? I never have the music off so I don’t think it would bother me but as long as I can’t hear it over the music

[@TheShaddix]

I ditched the group n mount and went for a billet mount with bushings by torque solutions.

[@nabaddame5726]

@@TheShaddix what was the reason you ditched the group n mounts? I can't make them budge when prying on them with the car on jackstands but I feel like the car is rocking back and forth. The engine mounts to my understanding can't rock back and forth only side to side. My understanding is the front to back rocking are either the trans mount or the pitch stop mount

[@KingDilanco]

Awesome vids and content! Would you mind sharing if your steering wheel has suede wraps and whered you get it?

[@TheShaddix]

thanks! The wrap is alcantara and it's just a generic wrap someone made for me. It has gaps and stuff, i wouldn't really recommend it. Try redlinegoods as their wraps fit 100%.

[@samuelg3586]

That's vista! Haha hell yeah. Dude I love that solid mount sound

[@thomasjohn5133]

Hey man, i love your videos! I also got 2018 wrx (about 2 weeks go). I would like to start doing some work on it as well but I do not have any experience with working on cars. Do you have any advice for first timers?

[@TheShaddix]

Thanks Thomas! My advice is just to start on small stuff first and get used to working on the car. It's easy to jump over your head, so take it in small steps. Also depends on much you want to mod on it and what your budget is overall for mods. Assuming you don't have a tool arsenal built up yet, I would recommend starting with that. You'll need a socket set, a set of ratcheting wrenches, some decent screwdrivers, a plastic clip removal tool, a torque wrench (for wheels mostly), and a good tool case for all of this to keep in your trunk. You will also need a good jack (craftsman is great, mine is 10 years old now and still works perfectly) and 2 jack stands. All my tools (except for the jack) are always in the trunk so I can work on the car anywhere. Line your tool box with foam so the tools don't make any noise. The brand and quality of tools depends on your budget and amount of wrench time you'll actually see yourself doing. I always recommend craftsman or snap-on, but cheaper brands like husky and cobalt are great too. Just avoid anything super cheap as you'll only end up replacing it later. Once you get organized, pick a small mod to do and work your way up. You should also get a set of ramps. I'd recommend rhino ramps but they are useless when you lower the car (too high), so get something lower. Cusco makes awesome ramps but they are a bit pricey (over 100). Just pick something on the car that you don't particularly like. For me it was easy. Like I said in the video, the shifting was terrible but mostly because I got my car with an STI short shifter which is worse than stock and is gravely as heck. The shift mods were the very first mods I did. Next thing was the sound as it was dead silent and boring, so I got an intake, but realized I needed a tune too, also to fix that crazy power dip in the middle of rpm, so a cobb ap was next. Then I went stage 2 with maperformance intake and jpipe... Anyway, it won't stop once you get started. I've had my car for only 5 months or so but it's so different from how I got it, just crazy what some mods can do to the experience. The car in stock form is really only fun for a few days, then you start to see what's missing. With every proper mod you will dig it more and more and eventually you will gain a lot of confidence working on larger mods like exhaust, suspension, etc. Your first mods should probably be the boomba transmission plate, solid bushing, and a group N mount with positive shift bushings. They are the most user-friendly things to install. But once again, only if you don't like how the shifts are now. If you're happy with the car as is but itching to wrench on stuff, get a strut bar!

[@thomasjohn5133]

Wow that is such a helpful response. Thanks a lot! I think I will also do the transmission mods first as well. I think it is a really good idea to start with smaller mods too.

[@gere4769]

What is the Subaru part number for the group n? Thx :)

[@jdmkike12]

What's the part number for the torque solutions positive shift kit.

[@paulvincentlagazo4757]

do you have a video of front and back shifter slop or bushing install

[@TheShaddix]

tons of videos online on that

[@TheShaddix]

As far as front and back slop, you won't get rid of that. That's due to other factors that aren't adjustable

[@teeheenoob123]

I heard you got rid of your ES a while back due to its crappy, soulless DCT. If you were to have gotten a manual, would you have kept it? What made you choose the ES from the start, compared to a Civic Si, or any other car in its class?

[@TheShaddix]

Gatorade and Rice yeah I think I would have kept it. But can't say 100%. I picked it due to the price. Had an si, didn't want another one. At that time I wanted a dct and a turbo, my two main prerequisites. But I quickly realized how bad the dct is in that car. Probably the worst ever. Anyway, I would not recommend an elantra sport regardless of the transmission.

[@teeheenoob123]

TheShaddix what car would you get then for about $25k? I was thinking Si or ES, maybe a used GTI, but now I’m all over the place

[@TheShaddix]

Actually, I'll take what I said about me possibly keeping my ES if it were a manual - I wouldn't have kept it regardless. I thought about it some more and remembered many more annoyances like weird noises, terrible intake sound with anything aftermarket, really weird power delivery (inconsistent over rpm range), on and on. An ES should not even be on your list, you'll regret getting one within a few months and want something else. Took me about 3 months to regret mine (if not sooner). A GTI would be my pick hands down. I've had one 5 years ago and drove a few new ones and every single time I walked away impressed. The nice low-end torque, the awesome gearbox, dsg or manual (both amazing!), the interior, etc. The exterior was the only thing that always stopped me from getting another gti - it just looks like a daily driver and not what i wanted for a true project car - too practical looking. The new civics are great, driven one too. Wanted to lease one at some point but strictly as a second (practical) car, not main project car. The cvt is good in that one but really boring. I'd get a manual for sure. In fact, any car you get should be a manual. In your price bracket, why are you not considering a wrx? Clearly i am biased since that's what I chose.

[@teeheenoob123]

TheShaddix I’m in the market for something I can drive the next 5-6+ years comfortably. This means I plan on getting the newest, lowest mile (preferably 0 miles on the lot) sonI can assure it being newest as possible for then upcoming years. A new WRX is atleast low 30’s OTD and I just can’t afford that. I’m looking for cars around $28k MAX OTD, hence why a GTI, Si, BRZ and etc are on my list.

[@TheShaddix]

From that list, GTI for sure! You'll be bored with a BRZ within a few days as it's really slow without a turbo. I drove it and my verdict was: handling and steering are the best, looks are ok for stock, power is embarrassing... Unless you plan on hitting the canyons every weekend and throw it around where you see its pros, there really is no fun in it for daily driving unless you don't care for power whatsoever. It's totally opposite of the GTI where it throws you back nicely every time you give it throttle regardless of the rpm. Can't compare! Both get incredible mpg. Anyway, decide well as if you choose wrong, you'll either be unhappy for the next 5-6 years or be upside down financially as you'd be trading one for another. A BRZwould be great for when you plan on modding the crap out of it like TJ hunt did. A civic Si is kind of neither here nor there but I'd still pick it over a brz any day since they went turbo. I hope this helps. I am also biased towards gti's because it's the best bang for the buck. Check out lasthumansgarage, he's had like 8 already and just got a brand new one after having a wrx, a charger, etc. That tells you something.

[@Scorpion7substance]

Yes that's what I want thank you for the review.

[@allena5702]

Nice video - I'm late to the game but I was also looking at a transmission mount, the IAG one with the stiffer 90 durometer bushings. I also have the Beatrush transmission member bushings to go along with it.

[@TheShaddix]

I just switched from the group N mount to a billet one with bushings made by torque solutions. I like it a lot. It's right in the middle between a solid mount and group N.

[@sneakyfoz3692]

I did the full Group N mounts on my 04 XT, Engine, Transmission, pitch stop and cross member bushes and I really think that is the best compromise for an everyday driver. In fact using the full array of Group N mounts transforms any Subie.

[@nausea86]

Had no idea this mount caused the whine sound. Lol thought my transmission was going out.

[@luisb3786]

Are you based in Socal? the area you were driving looked familiar.

[@TheShaddix]

Yes, near oceanside

[@mikemeyers336]

Which part number did you get for the Group N? The 020 or 000? Not 100% on the fitment reading through various website comments lol...

[@TheShaddix]

020. The other one is too short

[@marcell17]

Is that a s209 wheel or just a wrap?

[@TheShaddix]

Just a wrap. Old video though, I hope you realized that.

[@marcell17]

@@TheShaddix yes sir, I did. I just installed the group N trans mount thats where the video popped. Love your work btw

[@bryan120000]

Could you make a list of parts that you used for your setup?

[@TheShaddix]

My setup for this or you mean the full mod list? For the mod list just check any of the latest videos in the description.

[@bryan120000]

@@TheShaddix just for the stuff you went over in this video.

[@TheShaddix]

@@bryan120000 What I did was a group N transmission mount plus a positive shift bushing kit. The parts that I have for the actual transmission are the boomba shift plate, boomba short shifter, a generic stopper (perrin style), a metal bushing, and a heavy shift knob. On the engine side I got the pitch stop mount but that didn't make any difference.

[@ericnguyen7272]

What kind of jack stands are those? Keep up the great content!!

[@TheShaddix]

craftsman stands

[@Anthrillist]

solid mounts contribute to NVH, but some people (incl me) like that in modded cars. only thing i would be careful of is rough roads/dirt raods. with solid mounts the trans case is absorbing much more drivetrain shock that would normally be softened by the non solid mount. same thing goes for engine mounts or pitch stop. increased feel and connection to car, but increased risk of cracking trans or engine case.

[@tn7778]

wow didnt know that :O

[@jmj5150]

great review... buying n1 now

[@arizonacitizen3383]

All the new noises, not for me. But great review.

[@pwitoslaw]

I realized you never supported the transmission case I heard that is very dangerous as the case can crack or fall on you. I also did mine the same way and after poking around realized it's very important to support the case before you remove the x member support....

[@TheShaddix]

Thanks for the info, I'll keep this in mind next time.

[@JD-np3gz]

0 dislikes lovely 🔥👊🏾

[@DC5RParts]

Great video brother, I am already collecting all the parts I need to fix the shift on my 18 STi, I love your car man, I comment a lot on your videos. my name is Luis Brito. but this is my YT channel! check it out.

[@TheShaddix]

Thanks man! To make the shifting feel really good in these cars you should go for the boomba plate and shifter, plus heavy shift knob, stopper, bushing, positive shift bushing kit, tranny mount (best is a solid one if you don't mind the noise). I thought the solid mount was too much, but I miss the rumble it added. You'll dig the car so much after you do all these. The problem most people run into is that they do some of those mods but not all, then expect miracles... It's really one of those package deals, so get all of the above and have fun with the shifts. I hated mine stock (sti sts), and now I can't get enough when I drive it. I don't daily my car anymore, so when I do drive it a few times a week it's really a joy.

[@vlaadbrain]

more whining like race cars please

[@TheShaddix]

Sounds good in theory until you drive the car with the whine for a few weeks and realize it only sounds good in video games and racing videos. The group N mount also has a very subtle whine. It's not just the whine though, it's also this high pitched noise on the freeway from the solid mount that drove me kinda crazy.