ACT 2002 Subaru Impreza XT-M/Perf Street Sprung Clutch Kit
The ACT SB9-XTSS is a street clutch with serious clamp for the 2002 to 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX, the EJ205 2.0L turbo car with the five-speed. It is the kit for a WRX that still drives to work every day but has been tuned past the point where the factory clutch holds in the upper gears. It keeps a full-face organic disc for smooth take-offs and puts all of the upgrade into the pressure plate.
ACT rates the kit at 511 ft-lb at the crank, 50 percent over stock. The work is done by the SB018X Xtreme pressure plate, ACT's highest-clamp single plate, which uses a heat-treated diaphragm built to raise clamp load and resist deflection. The 3000502 Performance Street disc is 228 mm (9 in) with a 1 in input spline and uses organic facings with more copper for heat transfer, bonded to a steel backing for burst strength. A reduced marcel (the wavy spring between the facings) shortens pedal travel to engagement, so shifts happen quicker than with the stock disc.
The sprung hub absorbs driveline shock before it reaches the five-speed, which is worth keeping on a gearbox that does not like hard, abrupt loading. Like ACT's other SB9 kits, it includes Monoloc, a one-piece chromoly retainer that replaces the two-piece wedge collar and wire ring on the pull-type release bearing and keeps it locked to the plate.
Contents per ACT: SB018X pressure plate, 3000502 disc, RB601 release bearing, PB1004 pilot bearing and AT90 alignment tool. A flywheel is sold separately.
There is no trouble code for a slipping manual clutch. Confirm it by test, not by guessing.
Rule out the release system first: check fluid level, look for a leaking slave cylinder, and make sure the pedal is returning fully, since a hung pedal keeps the clutch partly released and can feel exactly like slip. Then, in 4th from about 2,500 rpm, apply full throttle on a safe road. Rpm racing ahead of road speed means the clutch is slipping. The full process is in our transmission slipping diagnosis guide, and shift flare vs. slip explains how to separate a true slip from a boost spike or tuning issue.
ACT lists SB9-XTSS for the 2002-2005 Impreza WRX 2.0L turbo five-speed, 2004-2005 Forester XT and Baja Turbo (EJ255), the 2005 Saab 9-2X Aero, 1991-1994 Legacy 2.2L turbo, the 2007-2009 Legacy GT spec.B six-speed, and JDM WRX models. It is not for the WRX STI six-speed, the 2006 and later WRX, or a naturally aspirated Impreza. If the car has a swapped gearbox, order for the gearbox it has now. Match the old cover and release bearing to the new parts, or send us year and VIN and we will confirm it. Browse more clutch and gearbox parts in our rebuild kits section.
The SB9-HDSS uses ACT's lighter Heavy Duty plate with an organic street disc and is the better pick for a lightly modified car. The SB9-HDG6 swaps to a ceramic 6-pad disc for track heat at the cost of harsh engagement. The XTSS sits in between: most clamp of the street kits with a disc that is still pleasant in traffic, but with the heaviest pedal of the three.
| Brand | ACT |
| Part number | SB9-XTSS |
| Fits | ACT 2002 Subaru Impreza XT-M/Perf Street Sprung Clutch Kit |
| Vehicle fitment | Subaru Impreza Xt-M/Perf (2002) |
| Type | Clutch Kits - Single |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
ACT describes it as moderate to heavy and says its Xtreme plates typically add 50 to 80 percent pedal effort over stock, depending on the application. A healthy master and slave cylinder help.
Yes. ACT recommends it for street and race use and describes smooth, positive engagement. The organic disc behaves like a stock clutch at take-off; the heavier pedal is the main trade-off.
No. ACT lists SB9 kits for the 2002-2005 WRX 2.0L. The 2006 and later 2.5L WRX uses a different clutch.
Not always. A flywheel in good condition can be resurfaced. If it is cracked, heat-checked or below minimum thickness, replace it; ACT offers the 600175 Streetlite and 600170 Prolite for this kit.
ACT recommends 300 to 500 miles of mild, stop-and-go driving for organic street discs before racing or spirited driving.
