6 speed gear box strength vs 5 speed

[tomo1985]

I heard that the 6 speed is alot weaker then the famous 5 speeds strength. Is this true? I have never seen a fwd 5 speed break in a corolla is this about to change?

[rallymazda]

my 5speed is breaking!!!!!

but i think the difference isnt really that great,still a good box

[rolla_fxgt]

All boxes break, but yes the 5spd is stronger than the 6.

My 5spd in my levin needs a new 2nd gear syncro when i can be bothered getting round to it, believe its a kinda common toyota gearbox fault

[sergei]

I had 5 speed C52 a have 6 speed C160 in my AE101, 6 speed defenetly has weaker synchros, but saying that 5 speed is not better. If you want a strong gearbox use E5X off GTZ, becuase internally 6 speed and 5 speed are very similar, I destroyed my 5 speed by "loading" it up in the corner, the spyder gears shat themselfes, at least I will not have that problem with 6 speed due to torsen lsd does not have spyder gears... but with my current 6 speed 2nd and 5th syncro is on the way.
To compare those to E154 wich is in my celica, well E series gearboxes are way stronger, and with my E154 the syncros are just amasing, does not have that "don't want to go in the gear" feel.

[Mr Revhead]

so u broke the diff, not the gears

no real strength difference in them, i know of ppl using 6 speeds in 4agte aw11s with no problems. but u have to consider driving style etc

[Cahuna]

IMO opinion the 6 speed (C60) diff is definitely weaker than the 5 speeds (C52, C56 etc) - just ask Bad20v! My 6 speed is yet another with a blown diff...

When I broke my 5 speed (a loos bolt decided to wander through 5th gear ) I took both my 5 speed and 6 speed to my mechanic to see what could be done with them, he pulled both apart and spent some time poking around to see what fitted where. He found that the gears for the 6 speed are slightly narrower than on the 5 speed, necessary to cram the extra gear into the same space. Probably not enough to affect the strength of the gearset too much. More significantly the 6 speed pinion driving the diff is 5-6mm thinner than that in the 5 speed (again so that everything will fit in), making the diff weaker - all the broken 6 speeds I've heard of are due to the pinion stripping itself.

[bad20v]

shut up!

Two broken 6 speed gearboxes and counting....

[barryogen]

inherently, if made with the same material, and made to fit in the same space, a 6spd box will be weaker than a 5spd box... however if you don't drive it like a fscktard, both should see out the vehicle. following this back about 25 years, you'll find that the first 5spd boxes were weaker than the 4spd boxes(of the time), and so on and so on.

if the boxes have different materials in the steel/what-ever-they're-made-of, then then you'ld have to investigate it further, probably with the help of some very expensive testing.

[vvega]

IMO opinion the 6 speed (C60) diff is definitely weaker than the 5 speeds (C52, C56 etc) - just ask Bad20v! My 6 speed is yet another with a blown diff...

When I broke my 5 speed (a loos bolt decided to wander through 5th gear ) I took both my 5 speed and 6 speed to my mechanic to see what could be done with them, he pulled both apart and spent some time poking around to see what fitted where. He found that the gears for the 6 speed are slightly narrower than on the 5 speed, necessary to cram the extra gear into the same space. Probably not enough to affect the strength of the gearset too much. More significantly the 6 speed pinion driving the diff is 5-6mm thinner than that in the 5 speed (again so that everything will fit in), making the diff weaker - all the broken 6 speeds I've heard of are due to the pinion stripping itself.

interesting
the diff is the same as the 5 speed

so is it the diff thats dieing or the output shaft final drive

thinner does not mean weaker


v

[Cahuna]

Not 100% sure but I think on my gearbox the mechanic told me it was the final drive out of the gearbox that had stripped, and that this was the part that was thinner on the 6 speed. Looked to me like the part that drives the crownwheel - the crownwheel was also stuffed.

(To be honest when I look at a gearbox innards it just looks like a whole pile of cogs, bearings and funny unidentifiable bits - the best I can do is identify the parts that got munched! )

[RXI_Rola]

It's interesting what very one has to say about there comparisons between the 5 speed and 6 speed.

I have now had my 6spd for almost 6 years. Got it with 67000kms and only started giving me hassles at 167000 only one bearing collapsed. I race every chance I get been on puke a few times also ran meremere a few times the cars now @ 190000kms. Still going strong done burn outs and that to. Also my box has no LSD only open diff. The box’s is still holding up.

But in turbo’d or any charged application I would second the choice of getting a GTZ box.

[vvega]

a lsd will put more loading on a final drive than a open diff

v