Ok here is my situation. I have a 92 awd and I have been moding it since I bought it(stock) about 1 year ago. I bought it with a busted center diff and I havent fixed it yet. It still shifts ok but it is hard to put into reverse sometimes. I have money and sometimes I have seen shep or tre trannys go for about a grand on here or the trader. If you look at my mods they are up-to-date. I will be happy once I hit 400 hp. I got a line on a red-top tranny with the transfer case to my door at 550 dollars. the tranny has about 40,000 miles on it. I plan on getting a act 2900 clutch and fidenza flywheel. Do you think the tranny will take the abuse? I drive the car pretty hard and it is my DD. What tranny should I go with for about 400 hp?

If you're planning on having your tranny rebuilt, both companies do fine work. Just depends on who you wish to endorse.


I'm partial to Shep, but that's just me.

I highly recommend shep. I have a shep stage 1 in my fwd and a Shep stage 4 in my awd and never have had a problem with them and they shift butter smooth.

So... you dont think a good stock tranny with a aftermarket clutch would hold up to my power goals?

It's not so much the power that it needs to hold up to, it's the repeated high rpm shifts that tear these trannys up. Sheps mods help them to hold up to this abuse, and shift better than even a brand new factory tranny can in this situation.

I luv the TRE. TRE does a few extra things that shep doesn't as per shifting quality. Jon at TRE straight told me I don't need double syncro 3/4 and that his HD 3/4 will shift faster and better than a double syncro.

project_tsi said:

I luv the TRE. TRE does a few extra things that shep doesn't as per shifting quality. Jon at TRE straight told me I don't need double syncro 3/4 and that his HD 3/4 will shift faster and better than a double syncro.

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Did he disclose to you why exactly this is?

shep stage 4... oh and TRE? dogbox? huh? didn't think so... there's a reason shep's #1... just my 2 cents though (oh FYI I've made over 700WHP with a shep stage 4, shifts awsome even after 52K miles!)

I luv my TRE.

I would not buy a used built tranny. You do not know what you are getting (unless you are buying from someone you trust alot). Heck I could sell my old stock tranny and give you a copy of my TRE receipt, to prove to you it is a TRE. How would you know untill it was to late?

DSMunknown said:

Did he disclose to you why exactly this is?

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No he didn't. I know he spends a few hours modifying the syncros and the gearsets though.

TSisleeper said:

shep stage 4... oh and TRE? dogbox? huh? didn't think so... there's a reason shep's #1... just my 2 cents though (oh FYI I've made over 700WHP with a shep stage 4, shifts awsome even after 52K miles!)

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Theres a reason shep's #1. Great point.. Does Jon at TRE drag race? Didn't think so, so I really doubt your going to find a TRE trans faster than shep duh.

My TRE stage 2 plus a few extras has everything plus more than a shep stage 4 has.


Either way, both companies offer great trans services. This thread was obviously heading in the way of shep only and I wanted to jump in and offer my TRE info.

I love it when everybody starts spouting off about TRE this and Shep that. You never know what your going to get with a used trans. If it already grinds and is a pain in the ass to shift it won't even be up to the task of the stock hp let alone your 400 hp goal. If it was a good used stock trans and shifted well I think it would be fine for your goals. Don't expect it to last more then 40k miles though. A Shep or TRE trans will last longer but "Shep is faster" so he must be the best. I just sent mine to TRE because I suck at life.

I would like to start out saying that I have a shep stage 1 build and loved it until something went wrong what I dont know as of yet. I am now in the situration of money and what route I should go but not sure as of yet so I figured I would ask some of ya'lls opinions.

I really would like to send the tranny back to Shep to have him to fix it but as others mentioned TRE does do a few more things but I have always heard a read that the turn around was not that great. No I was doing more reaseach on possible rebuilding the tranny myself I came across a company "http://www.jackstransmissions.com". From what I have read I thought about just sending him my tranny and let him send me a per built tranny that he has but here is where the problem occurs I dont know much about the company as Shep/TRE. Have anyone heard or even can speak of the work and reliablity of the tranny he builds?