TEIN CANCELLER MOUNTING

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Following the release of our coilover kits featuring canceller units and recent claims received we would like to provide an example of properly mounting these units to your dampers.

In the installation manual of damper kits that include a canceller kit, the following page can be found:

By looking at the diagrams in the manual we can see that the rigid components of the unit such as the harness connector and the plug are being utilized when securing the unit. This is to prevent excessive bending and/or crimping of the wiring which can cause damage to the unit’s wiring or coverings as shown in the following images:

Once the canceller units are mounted following the instruction manual, it will look like the following:

By correctly mounting and installing the units as described in the manual or this blog post any damage or malfunction whether now or later can be avoided and longevity of the component can be insured.

2022 Subaru BRZ Products

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We’re glad to report that, for the most part, existing coilovers for the Subaru BRZ will in fact work fine with the latest 2022 BRZ body style (ZD8 chassis code).

So, we’re listing our FLEX Z (VSQ54-CUSS4) and FLEX A (VSTD8-D1SS4) as compatible for both first and this second generation BRZ.

2022 Subaru BRZ on TEIN FLEX Z coilover

However, our STREET BASIS Z, STREET ADVANCE Z, and our S.TECH & HIGH TECH lowering springs will have new part numbers.

As to why our existing FLEX Z and FLEX A coilover lines are still compatible- the spring rate and valving work very well on the new platform. But, these coilovers are a bit more aggressive than the STREET BASIS Z & STREET ADVANCE Z lines. Therefore, we’ll have to determine what changes we’ll need to make for these kits. As well, our S.TECH & HIGH TECH springs will be unique for this car due to different lengths and spring rates.

The only issue now, really, is the supply chain, as we’re still experiencing massive delays in imported goods from Japan.

Currently, the FLEX Z and FLEX A coilovers have an eta of late February 2022, while the HIGH TECH springs have an eta of April 2022.

Please visit our Product Stock Page for more information.

FLEX Z (VSQ54-CUSS4) shown

HIGH TECH Lowering Springs (SKAEA-G1B00) shown

A90 Supra S.TECH Rear Bump Stop Modification

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With the newly released S.TECH lowering springs for the A90 Toyota Supra, we wanted to put a notice out to owners about modifications needed to the rear bump stops.

S.TECH Lowering Spring set part number: SKTJ4-S1B00

Our S.TECH spring kit (part number: SKTJ4-S1B00) includes a pair of bump stops and dust boots specifically for the rear shock absorber. However, it is to be used in conjunction with a modified OEM bump stop.

Please follow along as we show you what needs to be done.

First, the rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed. Then, the the OEM bump stop can be pulled out of the mount. Now, the OEM dust boot is simply press fitted around the OEM bump stop. You can just pull the dust boot out, or you can leave it attached. Either way, the OEM bump stop needs to be trimmed significantly, and the portion to be removed also removes the OEM dust boot. Our included TEIN dust boot will replace this piece.

The rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed from the shock absorber assembly.

With the OEM bump stop removed, you need to measure 20mm from the top of the bump stop (widest portion) down and mark this location. This 20mm piece will be reinstalled in the rear shock absorber mount. You can use a razor blade (utility knife will do fine) to cut the bottom portion of the OEM bump stop off.

The OEM bump stop and OEM dust boot are assembled as one piece. The OEM dust boot is easily removed by pulling it off the OEM dust boot.
The top of the OEM bump stop will need to be remained. This should be 20mm thick after trimming.

Now, the included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed. 10mm needs to be trimmed off the bottom (narrow portion) of the TEIN bump stop.

The included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed, too. The bottom portion needs 10mm but from the bottom, which is the narrow portion of the bump stop.
A utility knife makes trimming of the OEM and TEIN bump stop easy work. Just use caution when cutting.

This picture shows how it is to look on the rear shock absorber (without the TEIN dust boot, for example only) along with the trimmed OEM bump stop.

For reinstallation, hand fit the modified TEIN bump stop onto the piston rod. Then, fit the TEIN dust boot onto the piston rod.

Then, reinstall the rear shock absorber mount (with the trimmed OEM bump stop hand pressed in) onto the piston rod. Now you can tighten the rear shock absorber mount with the 16mm flange nut.

Make sure the TEIN dust boot and bump stop are placed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop (basically you are going to sandwich the top of the TEIN dust boot against the trimmed OEM bump stop and trimmed TEIN bump stop).

The final assembly should look like this. The TEIN bump stop is covered by the TEIN dust boot, and both pieces are pushed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop. The TEIN bump stop is a tight fit around the piston rod in order to keep the TEIN dust boot in place and to protect the piston rod from any debris damage while driving.

The rear shock absorber assembly is now ready to be installed back onto the vehicle.

Rubber Suspension Bushings (and Revisiting Bushing Preload)

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This isn’t the first time we bring this up to you, our customer. Actually, it is a very common problem for people setting up their suspension. Once our suspension is installed, they lower the car back to the ground and notice uneven ride height from left to right side.

We’ve found this to be an issue with a few vehicles, mainly vehicles with a multi-link or “double-wishbone” suspension. And mainly this is because these types of suspensions have more rubber bushings in their suspension arms.

Once you disassemble some suspension arms in order to access the shock absorber assembly, like in a Mazda RX-8 for example, you’ll have to reassemble the arms through their respective nuts/bolts. That’s not uncommon, and this probably sounds relatively straightforward to you.

However, what we fail to account for is the fact that we typically do this when the vehicle is in the air, on jackstands or on a lift, leaving the suspension drooping down (fully extended).

Why is this important to note? Well, once you start to loosen these nuts/bolts at suspension arm joints, you’re essentially removing any tension on the bushings associated with each arm. When that same bushing needs to be reinstalled (by way of connecting the arms with the nuts/bolts you removed), you end up tightening all these bushings while the suspension is drooping down (fully extended). Those bushings that were just recently relieved of the tension they were once under are now at zero preload. Now, when you put the suspension back on and the vehicle back on the ground, these zero preloaded bushings start to twist. The only issue is the twist isn’t necessarily going to be even from any specific corner. This leads to the uneven ride height you might be experiencing.

How can we prevent this uneven ride height? Well, this requires loading up the suspension PRIOR to tightening any nuts/bolts to these suspension arms. Obviously this isn’t easy to do since the best way to load the suspension is to put the car back on the ground. There are 4-post lifts that also serve as ramps. This gives you undercar access to these nuts/bolts that you can tighten. Those with vehicle ramps tall enough to let you creep under the car to tighten any nuts/bolts is also good. However, this is the BEST way to avoid any bushing preload issue. We must note, though, that this doesn’t cure uneven ride height completely, since all vehicles do have a weight bias from one side to the other, and of course from front to back.

Does this mean that rubber bushings are a terrible design? No, not at all. In fact pretty much all production vehicles use rubber bushings. They’re effective in terms of performance and cost, which most OEM companies are very sensitive about. Quite honestly, they’re probably more durable that some aftermarket floating bushing designs since they really don’t require maintenance (periodic greasing), with the exception of sway bar bushings. Once they’re bad, you have to either replace the bushing or replace the arm that the bushing is pressed into (the latter being the most commonly offered for ease of installation).

Again, the difference between rubber bushings compared to typical aftermarket floating bushings is that the rubber bushings have any steel components, such as the crush tube and shell, bonded together through the rubber filling. Floating bushings, typically polyurethane in the aftermarket, simply have the bushing free moving between the shell and crush tube. This is great for having free-pivoting arms, allowing the damper and spring to do their job more effectively, but also requires quite a bit of maintenance to make sure they’re greased properly (you don’t want polyurethane to dry up). Not a big deal if you really enjoy wrenching on your car, and in some cases, aftermarket bushing manufacturers have included zerk fittings to either the steel tube or crush tube to ease the greasing process! Not all bushings have easy access for a zerk fitting to be placed, however, which has led to the development of bolts being gun drilled and cross-drilled and a zerk fitting threaded to the end.

Rubber bushings, again bonded to any steel shell or tube, don’t allow this free pivoting. Instead, the bushing relies on strain, or stretching of the rubber, meaning you have a limited range of motion either up or down, or even side to side. For most cars, this isn’t a problem.

Because most rubber bushings are “maintenance-free”, over long periods of time, they will dry rot and the rubber material will break away. This creates excessive movement of the suspension arms (moving in directions not intended), and can cause poor and unsafe driveability.

CAUTION: Left-Hand Thread

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CAUTION: LEFT-HAND THREAD

We offer a few coilover kits that use a left-hand threaded body or adjustment tube. In other words, the threading for some of our spring seats and seat locks have a reverse thread. That means that what you usually know about tightening and loosening our spring seats and seat locks is now the opposite for some of these left-hand threaded components.

Again, it’s only a few applications. So to make it easier for you, below are the vehicle applications and coilover kits that have left-hand threaded components for the front left coilover.

2001-2005 Honda Civic:

STREET BASIS Z (GSA22-8USS2)

STREET ADVANCE Z (GSA22-9USS2)

FLEX Z (VSA22-CUSS1)

2003-2005 Honda Civic Si:

STREET BASIS Z (GSA22-8USS2)

STREET ADVANCE Z (GSA22-9USS2)

FLEX Z (VSA22-CUSS1)

2003-2011 Honda Element:

STREET BASIS Z (GSA76-8USS2)

2002-2006 Acura RSX:

STREET BASIS Z (GSA28-8USS2)

STREET ADVANCE Z (GSA28-9USS2)

FLEX Z (VSA02-C1SS1)


We’ve also noted this left-hand thread caution on our website search by vehicle:

As well as our coilover boxes for these specific kits:

AND LASTLY, we also note this in our instruction manual included with every kit:

Hopefully this is helpful for some of you owners of the vehicles listed above. Again, we’re not counting on you to read our blog first, which is why we note this on the boxes and in our manuals, as well as on our product search page of our website.

More Applications of ENDURAPRO/ENDURAPRO PLUS Available!

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We’re well on our way with our new ENDURAPRO & ENDURAPRO PLUS premium shock absorber line, launching new vehicle applications nearly every month!

To simplify what we have available, I’m adding our New Product Guides previously sent to our authorized dealers and distributors:

Made In Japan or China?!

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We’ve recently received several calls or emails from consumers regarding the country of origin for our coilovers. So we wanted to clear up the confusion.

In short, coilovers, and our springs for that matter, are being manufactured in both of our facilities- Japan and China.

It shouldn’t be news by now that we have our own factory in China, and it has been operational for nearly 10 years now. Initially, this factory handled our new-at-the-time ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorber manufacturing. But within the first few years, we were also able to get our STREET BASIS Z & STREET ADVANCE Z kits made at this factory. It wasn’t that cut and dried of a plan, though. TEIN Japan was still manufacturing a majority of the coilovers. It is just that TEIN China needed to address product manufacturing for their local market and soon demand increased and we found ourselves needing to increase more manufacturing out of this factory to meet global demand.

Then, the pandemic threw all of us a curveball. If anyone can recall, there was a period of incredibly ridiculous costs on freight. Soon, we hit a problem with getting containers and scheduling vessels from our Yokohama facility. From China, however, shipping wasn’t much of a concern. The only exception being regional lockdowns in China due to the fast-spreading virus, as well as some shut downs due to electric power being rationed (kinda strange). Shipping was still more expensive than usual, yes. But at least we were able to have products shipped. But another problem became apparent- not all of our customers want STREET BASIS Z or STREET ADVANCE Z coilovers. Soon our backorder list was growing by the week, but it seemed to revolve around one specific coilover model- FLEX Z.

TEIN China had yet to manufacture any of our FLEX coilover line. But the shipping concern forced us to retool for FLEX production out of this facility, and we started adding new machines necessary for FLEX Z production. Starting in late 2021, we received only a few part numbers of FLEX Z from China. But to date, they are now making a majority of FLEX Z kits.

This isn’t to say that TEIN Japan does not manufacture FLEX Z any longer. It’s just that TEIN Japan can now focus on product manufacturing for their domestic market, and a few other Asian countries, as well as for USA.

We now have springs being manufactured in China too! This is relatively new, about 1 year or so now. Before, we were having springs shipped to China for the assembly of STREET BASIS Z & STREET ADVANCE Z kits. We were hoping to find a suitable spring manufacturer in China, but several tests of locally manufactured springs didn’t meet our requirements. BUT, by importing coil spring wire from Japan we are now able to have springs made to our specifications. Yes it costs us more to do so, but quality is still paramount to our business. Still, there is a savings in doing so, and ultimately we still want to bring a quality product to our customers, so long as we are in control of that quality.

What Can A Bad Shock Absorber Cause?

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This is commonly addressed by other aftermarket shock absorber manufacturers, but not necessarily performance suspension manufacturers (or coilover manufacturers, for that matter).

Quite honestly, shock absorbers have to be one of the most neglected components on a car. After all, if you’re still able to drive your car after 100,000 miles (as an example), you may have a hard time in telling the difference in ride feel from now compared to when the car is new. We’re not saying you don’t know your car. We’re just saying that many people may not notice small changes in their car over time. If the shock absorber failed from relatively quickly from when it was “new”, for sure you’d notice the difference.

Notice, I’m not saying the 100,000 mile old shock absorbers are blown (gas and oil leaking from the shock). THAT would be completely noticeable to anyone, at least in my opinion. There would be a complete lack of ride comfort and handling quality.

Before I changed out to ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorbers, I knew my original shock absorbers were worn, but not BLOWN. For having over 80k miles, I was actually quite surprised at the quality of the factory shocks.

That’s important to note because not all shock absorbers blow out or fail in very dramatic fashion. Instead, a lot of them will eventually leak their gas (typically nitrogen) charge. Quite honestly, many OEM shock absorbers are built to very high standards. After all, parts manufacturers, especially those supplying car manufacturers, wouldn’t want to deal with such liabilities for defective products.

But still, why is this important to note? If the shock absorber isn’t blown, just drive with them!

Sure, you can do that. But have you ever driven a car aggressively, or had to make evasive maneuvers with worn shock absorbers? It doesn’t feel confidence-inspiring, for sure. And it gets worse if you decide to install a set of lowering springs on worn shock absorbers. The slightly stiffer spring rate can exacerbate poor ride and handling, even with the benefits a lowering spring can provide.

Lowering springs aside, continuing to drive on worn shock absorbers can eventually lead to other parts breakages over time. Tire wear will be inconsistent, CV joints can go bad, bushings and/or control arms can prematurely go bad. But again, most importantly is the safety aspect of your car. Excessive body roll or brake dive can lead to handling limits being severely reduced. Remember what I said about confidence-inspiring? If you start losing control of your vehicle, it’s very hard to make the necessary changes in your driving to compensate for the worn components on your car.

KYB has some fantastic videos you can see on YouTube showing a comparison of driving on good and bad shock absorbers, as well as the effects of having Electronic Stability Control turned off and on during those comparisons. I know, not TEIN related, but still a good and insightful video. Look it up when you have time.

With that, we recommend getting your shock absorbers inspected every 30,000 miles (approximately 2 years). That’s just to make sure your shock absorbers function fine. If you’re using a coilover kit, we recommend an inspection annually. In snowy areas, or areas that use salt on their roads, check your suspension before and after the season. That’s mainly due to the movable components on a coilover (spring seats and seat locks). You want to make sure those are securely torqued to specification, and also that the threaded components are clear of debris/salts.

If you’ve noticed one of your shock absorbers or one of your coilovers being worn, contact us for replacement parts. Luckily we sell replacement parts, or do a rebuild (if you have an older TEIN coilover model).

Lowering Springs on Stock (OEM) Shock Absorbers

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Quite often we’re asked about our lowering springs and if it’s okay to use with factory shock absorbers, or OEM, or even OEM replacement shock absorbers.

S.TECH Lowering Springs installed on 2017 Honda Civic Si factory (OEM) struts

The easiest answer is yes, especially if they’re actual OEM factory shock absorbers. We can say yes as well for aftermarket replacement shock absorbers, but there is somewhat of a caveat. The issue is with the spring perch on shock absorbers or struts that have them. For our ENDURAPRO & ENDURAPRO PLUS premium replacement shock absorbers, we use 3D modeling of actual OEM shock absorbers to make our spring perches, then just modify the design so that it fits over our larger bodied shock absorbers. However, there are some instances where we make modifications for increased strength where we feel it may be necessary. This 3D modeling allows us to make very exacting designs so that it will work with OEM coil springs. And with that, we make sure that our S.TECH and HIGH TECH lowering springs have very similar designs for top and bottom coils to match the OEM coil spring.

Why we say there’s somewhat of a caveat with using our lowering springs on other aftermarket shock absorbers is because we’re not too sure how they model their spring perches. Some may use 3D modeling or a mold to create a negative simliar OEM type spring perch. However, we have seen some differences between some aftermarket replacement shocks and the OEM shocks they’re supposedly modeled after.

S.TECH Lowering Springs installed on 2019 Mazda Miata factory (OEM) shock absorbers.

Besides the design of the spring perch (if applicable), our lowering springs are not intended to be very aggressive in terms of spring rate. This is intentional, as we expect that many customers are planning on installing our lowering springs onto OEM shock absorbers. With that, we have to keep in mind the OEM shocks damper valving and whether or not it can handle a specific spring design.

Another unknown variable with aftermarket replacement shock absorbers is how they’re valved in comparison to their OEM counterpart. Referring back to our ENDURAPRO & ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorber line, we decided to “optimize” damper valving. Now, this optimization may vary by vehicle model. But it most cases we’re actually increasing damping force (slightly stiffer). Again, there’s a bit of a variable, because we may increase/decrease compression or we may increase/decrease rebound damping force, or a combination of both. There’s no set method of how we decide to valve. In some instances we may actually decrease damping force, especially compression, if we feel the ride quality will benefit from that change. But for other aftermarket replacement shock absorbers, we cannot say the same thing. In fact, when we’ve tested some aftermarket replacement shocks to their OEM counterpart, we’ve wondered why some of these aftermarket shocks are quite a bit softer (we’ve yet to see the opposite- stiffer than OEM). This can pose some interesting results in ride quality when comparing certain aftermarket replacement shock absorbers with our lowering springs, regardless of them not being very aggressive.

We’re not necessarily trying to pitch our ENDURAPRO or ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorbers (how can we resist, though?!). But just know that ideally an OEM shock absorber will suit you best since that is what we designed our lowering springs to work with.

TEIN USA, Inc. Will Not Exhibit at SEMA 2021

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SEMA 2019, our last show before anyone stateside had any worry about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) reaching our shores.

We’ve been approached by a few of our authorized dealers regarding this year’s SEMA Show taking place November 2-5, and whether we’d be exhibiting or not. Regretfully we have decided not to exhibit at this year’s show, or any show for that matter until 2nd quarter of 2022.

As a group TEIN decided that, in the best interests of our employees, it would be best to limit travel only for essential matters, as the world continues to work on resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all nations.

Sadly, this has kept us from meeting and speaking directly with many of our customers, whether at trade shows or at race events, or even car shows. However, we’d rather do our best to stay safe and continue working on manufacturing and distribution, as well as customer support through our branches, rather than risk the potential spread of COVID-19, or any of the existing variants, to our patrons.

This is in no way an effort to prevent any single person from attending any shows or events. In fact, we’re glad to see our side of the world open up once again to allow gatherings. We just hope that you’re all doing so in as safe a manner as possible. Your health is just as important to us, if not more so, than your patronage.

To all of you attending this year’s SEMA show, we hope you have an enjoyable time. Our apologies for not being in attendance this year. We do look forward to a better year in 2022, and in seeing you all once again very soon.

Tesla Model 3 Suspension Arriving Soon!

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So we’re a bit late to the party. But better late than never, I suppose. We’ve probably said this many times before.

As Electric Vehicles continue to grow in popularity, and with many nations looking to reduce carbon emissions or become carbon-neutral, it was only a matter of time for the Electric Vehicle market to take off. And it really has taken off.

That’s a great opportunity for aftermarket manufacturers such as TEIN. People may need to rely on their Electric Vehicle strictly for commuting. However, that doesn’t mean they cannot enjoy their car for what it offers at face value. As always, where there’s a vehicle, the performance market is not far behind, and everyone wants that extra bit of performance, whether it be in power or handling, or just to simply have something different or unique.

As many of you have seen by now, the modern Electric Vehicle, namely the Teslas, are quite quick in acceleration. The manufacturer has done pretty well in setting their cars up. But let’s be honest, they’re catering to a global market. You can’t appease each and every person with a “run-of-the-mill” Tesla, regardless of which model Tesla it is.

So, we’re coming out with some performance suspension kits, starting with the Model 3, and soon the Model Y.

For the Model 3, both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models, we’re making our S.TECH lowering springs, ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorbers, as well as our FLEX Z coilover kits.

The S.TECH lowering springs will provide a nice lowered ride height without being too aggressive. These will pair well with OEM shocks and struts, but for sure our ENDURAPRO or ENDURAPRO PLUS shocks will be a better pairing.

S.TECH Lowering Springs for Tesla Model 3 RWD (Standard Plus Model)

Part number: SKGP2-AUB00

Ride height drop: Ft- -1.6″; Rr- -1.4″

MSRP: $385

*Sold as a set of 4 springs
S.TECH Lowering Springs for Tesla Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor; incl. Performance Model).

Part number: SKGP4-AUB00

Ride height drop: Ft- -1.2″; Rr- -1.4″

MSRP: $385

*Sold as a set of 4 springs

ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS (16-click damping adjustable) shocks are true performance replacement shocks. Damper tuning is optimized to reduce body roll and provide better response to fast inputs. But beyond the tuning, the internal Hydraulic Bump Stopper (HBS) in each shock absorber provide increased comfort and safety by reducing a typical shock absorber’s tendency under full compression (bottoming out) to oscillate. This feature also increases vehicle stability in emergency maneuvers, especially in vehicles with added weight. Also, although designed to be a direct OE fitment, we incorporate a lot of features typical of our coilover kits- larger diameter damper bodies (increased damper oil capacity, larger diameter piston rods, and use of ultra high-strength steel in its construction.

ENDURAPRO Shock Absorbers for Tesla Model 3 RWD

Part number:
ENDURAPRO-
FL- VSGP2-A1MS2-L
FR-VSPG2-A1MS2-R
Rear- VSGP3-A1MS2

ENDURAPRO PLUS-
FL- VSPG2-B1MS2-L
FR- VSGP2-B1MS2-R
Rear- VSGP3-B1MS2

MSRP:
ENDURAPRO-
VSGP2-A1MS2-L – $145
VSPG2-A1MS2-R – $145
VSGP3-A1MS2 – $120

ENDURAPRO PLUS-
VSPG2-B1MS2-L – $160
VSGP2-B1MS2-R – $160
VSGP3-B1MS2 – $135

*sold as individual units

**Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor) shock absorbers coming soon!

Our FLEX Z coilovers, on the other hand, are for consumers who need much more than what our lowering springs and performance shocks can offer. FLEX Z coilovers provided full-length adjustability (separate spring preload and ride height adjustment), 16-way damping adjustment, upper mounts for front and rear dampers, high-rate springs, and valved to provide greater handling performance without compromising ride feel. For sure, much more aggressive for street, but not at the ride quality penalty typically associated with aftermarket coilover kits. Lastly, our FLEX Z coilovers are compatible with our optional Electronic Damping Force Controllers (EDFC)- ACTIVE and ACTIVE PRO, giving you the added benefit of damping adjustment from the driver’s seat. No need to have to manually set your damping by hand, and you can also save up to 10 different presets. However in Active mode, you can have damping that changes based on driving speeds or g-force load. This EDFC setup makes the FLEX Z a true adaptive suspension setup.

FLEX Z Coilover Kit for Tesla Model 3 RWD

Part number: VSGP2-C1AS3

Spring Rates: Ft- 9kg/mm (504lbs/in); Rr- 10kg/mm (560lbs/in)

MSRP: $1,200

*Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor) coilover kit coming soon!

So again, we’re late to the party. We tend to take our time on product development to make sure we get it right, and to make sure we have products that fill the needs of our customers. If you need help deciding on what suspension setup suits you the best, please give us a call at 562-861-9161, or email us at tus_sales@tein.com, and we’d be happy to assist you in getting the suspension you need!

Toyota GR Yaris

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This vehicle isn’t anything new, but lately we’ve been looking at pictures of all the different prototype kits that TEIN Japan has made for the Toyota GR Yaris.

In case you’re not aware for some reason, the GR Yaris is the latest hot hatch from Japan. Unfortunately it will not be making its way to the U.S.A. But, we do hear that this car will be available in South America. So, we’re a bit jealous of that news.

Anyway, this car has some pretty incredible specifications given the size of this vehicle. It’s still as compact as any previous Yaris, a bit wider though. But the drivetrain is something else- turbocharged 3-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. Oh, and that turbocharged 3-cylinder engine puts out ~270hp and ~273lbs-ft of torque. That’s pretty crazy.

It leads to my next question- why is Toyota releasing this vehicle?

The production of this GR Yaris is to meet homologation requirements for WRC, which the Yaris is the platform Toyota uses for rally.

All that power going to all four wheels and in a very short wheelbase. That has to be a fun drive.

Next question- why is it not being released in North America?

No answer there. But word is the drivetrain will make it into another compact Toyota for the U.S.A. That’s at least something of a positive. Still, we really do like the styling of the GR Yaris.

TEIN Japan is already hot in the heels to get product available for this platform, which we’ve already done several prototypes for circuit racing, and even some rally suspension based on our Gr. N coilovers. We had the chance to take a look at the prototype MONO RACING coilovers. Here are some of the pics:

Here’s our MONO SPORT coilover prototype for the GR Yaris. Upper mounts included front and rear, with the fronts using spherical bearings in an aluminum housing. This setup uses 12kg front and 16kg rear springs. This one was developed for circuit racing.
The front struts will use a camber washer arrangement, similar to what we already apply for certain racing suspension models. It will include 0.5 and 1.0 degree camber washers.
The front pillowball mounts are unique in that it still retains the OEM shape and mounting. However, instead of using serrated studs to secure the strut to the strut tower, this mount uses a ring nut to secure the upper mount to the strut tower.

TEIN ERROR CANCELLER KITS

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For anyone with factory equipped Adaptive or Electronically Controlled Suspension will know, changing to an aftermarket suspension kit (i.e. coilovers) isn’t typically a straightforward, or plug & play affair. Now, some suspension manufacturers will at least include some method of resolving any warnings or errors that may pop up on the instrument panel whenever disconnecting the OEM Adaptive/Electronic suspension. In some cases, it’s not a problem at all.

This is the error notification you’ll get on the late-model Honda Accord Touring models with Adaptive Suspension.

Over a two years ago, we decided that we had to do something similar, as factory Adaptive/Electronic suspension is becoming standard on entry-level priced cars. No longer is this type of suspension exclusive to luxury marques. This led to the development of our Error Canceller Kits.

Error Canceller Kit show with some accessories, but actual accessories may vary by vehicle application.

Again, with entry-level cars now having either standard or optional (trim level dependant) Adaptive/Electronic suspension, there’s always a need for better handling performance. So, we had to come up with some type of resolution to the aforementioned warning or error on the dash.

Our solution is literally plug & play. Each Error Canceller unit uses a OEM style plug that connects to the factory wiring harness for the suspension. All that’s left is to mount the canceller securely to the damper, and you’ll be good to go!

To date, we’re still limited on which vehicles we make our Error Cancellers for, mainly because there aren’t too many Japanese entry-level priced vehicles with Adaptive/Electronic Suspension. However, as we’re getting into product development for European vehicles, it’s only natural that our Error Canceller Kits will continue to grow in vehicle application.

Currently available and upcoming Error Canceller Kits:

Backordered Items and Increased Delays

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It’s a matter of fact that nearly all industries are being faced with several problems ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it is delays in receiving goods, orders having to be cancelled due to unknown ETA’s, or price increases for raw materials or freight (which is a big one), we’re all experiencing the effects.

We’ve done our best to be on top of our inventory, but clearly the pandemic caught all of us off-guard. Not only that, but due to mandatory business shutdowns in efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, it has put some of TEIN’s materials suppliers behind on manufacturing and, in turn, has put us behind on manufacturing.

TEIN Japan and TEIN China facilities were back to running nearly non-stop just to keep up with demands, and even with price increase on raw materials and freight, we’ve decided to hold off on passing the expenses down to you, our customer. But even then, this isn’t without it’s hiccups.

Again, I mention freight being a big factor in slowing us down. Not just the importation of our goods from Japan and China, but all intermodal freight. It seems that either there isn’t enough manpower for the day-to-day operations, or these freight forwarders are also facing severe pricing increases, such as fuel and operational costs, that cause companies to halt shipments. Everything is being affected.

This isn’t a post regarding bad news of a price increase. Rather, it’s a post to let you, our patient customers, know that we’re doing everything possible to try to get the products to you as soon as is humanly possible. So, we ask kindly that you please hang on just a bit longer, and know that we, as well as our authorized dealers and distributors, are doing the best they can to get you the products you want.

Here are some lovely pictures from the past couple of months of how the Port of Long Beach looks, with container ship after container ship just anchored out at sea.

Out there, in that mass of over 100 ships, are a few of our containers awaiting to be unloaded. Hang in there, guys. We’ll get our hands on your products soon.