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hello everyone!
I recently just ordered these simple mods for my Evo X: mind you it is completely stock with about 10k mi. got it about 4 mo ago. All of these serve to improve the driving aspect of the car. giving it that "warm knife slicing through butter" feel.
1) Krackas Shifting Package which includes a variety of goodies that will help with the notchiness and clunkiness of the car while shifting.
2) a 485g Lathe Werks Steel sphere knob for better throws.
3) Torque Solution Differential Inserts
Next on my list are either AMS 70A 3 piece (front mount, cam, and transmission) insertsOR Torque solutions 3 piece (front mount, cam, and transmission) aluminum billet mounts. if anyone can tell me what would be better between inserts vs billets. effective wise that would be great. also, im aware that this can cause NVH and im ok with that. I've read that the three mounts cancel each others vibration and its the rear thats a ***** when it comes to vibrations.
With all that being said, this is where you guys come guys come in. Im looking to get more little mods like the ones mentioned above before getting the serious ones like bolt ons, suspension, wheels/tires. if any of have any other recommendations that are similar to those mentioned above that will be very helpful. cheers
I only have the AMS transmission mount but I can tell you the car gives you that cheap "massage" function where the whole seat vibrates your back and butt nicely at idle.
Now you say you aren't ready to get serious yet (i.e. The really good stuff 😁 but you are asking super detailed questions. I guess I can tell you the stuff that I thought made the most noticeable difference in just driving around. Not necessarily "better" but most different. Where you realize it's not a stock Evo anymore. If any of these sound like something you want your car to do then have at it.
Most noticeable
Trans mount - she's giving me good vibrations...
Short shifter - um, shorter shifts
Exedy upgraded clutch - stiffer to push in
Tomei Expreme catback - EXPREME SOUND!!! Don't do this!!!
A tune - more thrust, low range, mid range, and upper range
Intake - wooosh chhhh
Weighed knob with extender - doesn't even feel springy anymore. Shifts require almost zero effort. Careful not to bend shift fork or melt synchros!
Tires - A7's, rally tires, snow tires, all seasons. They all transform the car into something different, can be bizzare going from one to the other. Most aggressive summer tires will feel similar to stock.
Harness - it harnesses you
Not as noticeable everyday
Sway bars - slightly rougher ride
Coilovers - slightly rougher ride (depending on what you do I've used 6k and 10k springs)
Downsized Wilwood brakes with Polymatrix A pads - squeals a lot but still stops like a fat chick at the Little Debbie aisle. Everyday driving feels like the Brembos.
Shifter base bushings - gives a more solid thunk when shifting, less flex in shifts, but overall it's a minor change.
Barely noticeable or not at all
Lighter battery, removing rear seats, etc.
Intercooler, Downpipe - all good stuff but needs a bigger turbo to get much out of it. (I has stock turbo)
Different fluids/oil
Ride height changes
Minor alignment changes (like the difference between 1.5 and 2.0 degree camber)
My bumper falling off
Rock chips
plastidip
My plan of improving the shifter
Kracka's Ultimate Shifter Package - this has a short shifter included TWM shifter cage[1]
Red Line MT-85 - this greatly smoothes out the transmission and shifter feel. Fluid change every ~10k miles according to my own test.
Reliability upgrades
Cam sensor heat shield
Silicone 3mm ID vacuum hose to replace stock rubber FPR hose
Updated orange fuel pump relay
Undercoating (Ziebart, Amsoil, Fluid Film, Cerakote air cure etc)
AMS clutch master cylinder - stock CMC is plastic
Hyundai metal pulleys and Gates Micro-V (RPM version or not) accessory belt - Factory revised version looks strong, as mine has a lot of life left after 60k miles. But if you have the old version, you need to upgrade.
Comfort upgrades
Dynamat SuperLite sound deadener - greatly reduces interior noise, and makes audio sound better. Applying on truck floor will reduce exhaust drone.
Huper Optik window film - blocks UV and sunburn and makes A/C colder
Sliding armrest
Backup camera
3-pole 3-throw switch to cut off vehicle speed sensor (VSS) and GPS (in/out) feed to headunit, so you can change songs on the go
Wheel locks - you can go from mild (special orders) and wild (custom-fabricated ones)
AL Priority - savings pay for itself
Power
3-port EBCS and protune - I think these two should give you about ~310whp, fairly close to those "full bolt-on" Evo's
massages are always a good thing but joking aside the reason im being specific about this is because I don't really see people with evos beginning with mods like this. also, thereat aren't many threads like this one either so the more specific the better. if it were bolt ons then there are tons and tons of information out there regarding that.
I appreciate your feedback though and it is super helpful. I guess I should start by saying that I should have been more specific about Krackas shifting package. He is a member of this forum and pretty much made a set list of things that will help the cars drive-ability. the package comes with:
Works 5 Speed Short Shifter (on your lists)
Works Hybrid Shifter Cable Bushings
Works Shifter Console Bushings (on your lists)
AMS 5 Speed Gate Selector Bushing Kit
Torque Solution Drive Shaft Carrier Bearing Support Bushings.
Beatrush Rear Differential Mount Spacers.
Redline Transmission Fluid Cocktail (on your lists)
Your Choice of Shift Knob (on your list)
out of the things you provided I think im looking at the the AMS/TS mounts (just don't know whether to do inserts or billets), exedy clutch, (not mentioned) lighter flywheel, sway bars, tires when the time comes (was looking at AD08R's but will also look into A7 now). I've heard bad things about harness saying that they should be connected to a bar in the back seat and not just the seats themselves. I think tune, intake, exhaust, coilers I would classify them as "serious" mods and would hold off on them.. haha. I really appreciate the help though. hoping more people can chime in. Thanks!
I think im looking at the the AMS/TS mounts (just don't know whether to do inserts or billets), exedy clutch, (not mentioned) lighter flywheel, sway bars, tires when the time comes (was looking at AD08R's but will also look into A7 now).
Exedy clutch - usually Exedy Stage One HD before turbo upgrades. Exedy is no OS Giken. This is a very heavy clutch, and I am personally not fond of daily driving with a heavy clutch.
Lightweight flywheel - know what you are getting into. It can make daily driving an ordeal and you will stall the engine all the time.
Edit:
Fast-forwarding to 2022, we have better choices for the clutch now. The stock clutch is still the best for full bolt-ons before turbo upgrades. One step above, traditionally we have Exedy HD twin-plate clutch kit (~600 lb-ft limit) which is a daily-drivable choice for TF06-18K or similar turbos. Nowadays, for this power level, we also have the ACT clutch kit using HD pressure plate but combined with a street disc (~530 lb-ft limit), which is really popular among Evo X owners.
Last edited by Lightsaber; May 4, 2022 at 03:28 AM.
My plan of improving the shifter
Kracka's Ultimate Shifter Package - this has a short shifter included
TWM shifter cage
Red Line MT-85 - this greatly smoothes out the transmission and shifter feel. Fluid change every ~10k miles according to my own test.
Reliability upgrades
Cam sensor heat shield
Silicone 3mm ID vacuum hose to replace stock rubber FPR hose
Updated orange fuel pump relay
Undercoating (Ziebart, Amsoil, Fluid Film, Cerakote air cure etc)
AMS clutch master cylinder - stock CMC is plastic
Hyundai metal pulleys and Gates Micro-V (RPM version or not) accessory belt - Factory revised version looks strong, as mine has a lot of life left after 60k miles. But if you have the old version, you need to upgrade.
Comfort upgrades
Dynamat SuperLite sound deadener - greatly reduces interior noise, and makes audio sound better. Applying on truck floor will reduce exhaust drone.
Huper Optik window film - blocks UV and sunburn and makes A/C colder
Sliding armrest
Backup camera
3-pole 3-throw switch to cut off vehicle speed sensor (VSS) and GPS (in/out) feed to headunit, so you can change songs on the go
Wheel locks - you can go from mild (special orders) and wild (custom-fabricated ones)
AL Priority - savings pay for itself
Power
3-port EBCS and protune - I think these two should give you about ~310whp, fairly close to those "full bolt-on" Evo's
im dying with the Michelin meme
just as I replied to the post above me, you comment this haha. this is awesome!! thanks a lot!
cracks package is exactly what I got! order should be coming in next week Thursday! question, do you really think the TWM cage is worth it? although it would be nice to have, ive read the short shifter alone is good along with the bushings. ill most likely be getting it though, not fooling anybody. haha. will be adding the CMC to the list along with the upgraded FPR hose.
about the relays, ive read on here that the orange ones may not be the best for our car and that its the black ones. but if they're selling them then that must not be true right. like why would a company give us faulty parts only for us to spend more money to fix. haha!
ohlins are part of the plan when I save up that much money. along with the sexy ce28n wheels that come on the 311rs. im a sucker for the blue. will look into the strut bar and s for the alignment I will get that when I get a new set of tires. again, thank you for this. I appreciate you!
Exedy clutch - usually Exedy Stage One HD before turbo upgrades. Exedy is no OS Giken. This is a very heavy clutch, and I am personally not fond of daily driving with a heavy clutch.
Lightweight flywheel - know what you are getting into. It can make daily driving an ordeal and you will stall the engine all the time.
I will do more research before deciding to pull the trigger on the above mentioned. comparing the clutch to other MT cars ive driven, the stock Evo clutch is heavy to begin with. ao how heavy would you say the upgraded cloth is. also, I can imagine it being dreadful getting the car to roll while on a hill with the upgrade flywheel and clutch...
This is a tough question. I will say the TWM cage is good, making getting into gear easier. Whether it is worth it could be open to everyone's interpretation.
Originally Posted by Blue_Lion
the upgraded FPR hose
I forgot to mention above that you also need to secure the ends. Factory nozzles have no grooving teeth. Turbosmart makes these spring clamps for their 3mm ID silicone hose, which can secure the two ends.
Originally Posted by Blue_Lion
about the relays, ive read on here that the orange ones may not be the best for our car and that its the black ones.
I will do more research before deciding to pull the trigger on the above mentioned. comparing the clutch to other MT cars ive driven, the stock Evo clutch is heavy to begin with. ao how heavy would you say the upgraded cloth is. also, I can imagine it being dreadful getting the car to roll while on a hill with the upgrade flywheel and clutch...
No need to stress out. You can keep the OEM parts in your garage, so if you don't like your new Exedy clutch and lightweight flywheel, you can always switch back, right?
I have the Exedy stage 1. It's still fine for DDing. I don't even notice anymore, but when I first swapped it in I was like WHOA.
It does sound like most of the mods you are looking at are not the "bang for the buck" mods. They are more quality of life mods. The upside is you can really tailor the car to your personal preference, the downside is it costs a lot. That's why I was trying to make the point that sticking with the mods you REALLY notice is nice. Every time you drive you will remember where your money went.
My first mods were shifter related. Short shifter, base bushings, redline fluid, different knob. I hadn't worked on the car much yet and it was a good way to get used to opening up a practically brand new car and removing perfectly good parts! Also I am in favor of shifter mods in general, I mean you have to interact with it every time you speed up or slow down. Definitely a nice quality of life mod.
But in the back of your mind just remember that like $500 = 80 instant horsepower.
But in the back of your mind just remember that like $500 = 80 instant horsepower.
I totally understand what you're saying about this. and it makes sense. one can easily obtain said HP with the money im spending on "little" mods. what I could also have done is save more and wait to get say, intake, EBC, exhaust and a tune. what everyone wants to go for right? haha. is there something wrong with that? of course not. by all means. I want to start from the ground up beginning with these "quality of life" mods, touch upon handling, and ultimately make my way to the power. This car is long term for me. I want to take it slow and enjoy it as much as I can while its still new to me. im fortunate to be able to DD my (affordable ) dream car. haha. im happy you and I were on the same page and started where we did. nice knowing I wasn't the only one haha. again though, a big thank you for contributing to this thread!
I cant speak much to how the car drives with the stock sawybars as i just got my car a few weeks ago. It already had the whiteline sway bars on it and man does this thing handle better than my 9 ever did.
I cant speak much to how the car drives with the stock sawybars as i just got my car a few weeks ago. It already had the whiteline sway bars on it and man does this thing handle better than my 9 ever did.
Nice! I've read a couple conflicting comments saying only the rear is necessary for the X. others say both. by any chance do you know if both front and rear were switched and if you're on stock suspension? As it stands there's quite a bit of body roll with stock suspension and sway bars.
Nice! I've read a couple conflicting comments saying only the rear is necessary for the X. others say both. by any chance do you know if both front and rear were switched and if you're on stock suspension? As it stands there's quite a bit of body roll with stock suspension and sway bars.
It has both front and rear on stock suspension i just got my whiteline springs in hopefully getting them on soon!
Jul 5, 2018, 08:26 PM
but you are asking super detailed questions. I guess I can tell you the stuff that I thought made the most noticeable difference in just driving around. Not necessarily "better" but most different. Where you realize it's not a stock Evo anymore. If any of these sound like something you want your car to do then have at it.
