BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY SALE

Yes, it is that time of year again where you take all that money you saved for gifting others and you end up gifting yourself!

Don’t feel bad. We all do it anyway! At least you don’t have to stand in some crazy line with a bunch of wacky people bumping into you or taking goods right out of your hands! Or even fighting with them? Hopefully that’s never the case.

We’re launching our sale items through our eBay page. Sales start at midnight on November 28th and runs through December 1st (Cyber Monday)! Be ready… Be very ready…

TEIN Coilovers at super low prices!!!!

Black Friday SPL 2014 page 1

and some Defi, Carbing, Takata, and ATI products!

Black Friday SPL 2014 page 2

Happy shopping!!!

 

 

Super Lap Battle by Global Time Attack Results

We’re glad to see some of our friends back at it at this past Friday’s Super Lap Battle by Global Time Attack, which took place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park!

As far as TEIN-equipped cars go, we had Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R on Super Racing dampers, which ran a 1:52.886 just last year. We also had Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX on our Mono Flex dampers, who had ran a 2:01.314 last year, and Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord on Mono Flex dampers (1:59.158 last year).

During the off-season, if there even is one, we hadn’t received any special requests from these guys. Normally, we’ll at least get a damper refresh/rebuild request. Instead, they all focused on a few other modifications to get their car ready for this year’s event. With the exception of Sportcar Motion, who hadn’t really touched their Type R since last year except to rebuild their transmission and try a different rear diffuser.  They are using a different tire for this year, however.

Anyway, it was still an event for us to attend with our in-house engineer, in hopes that we could provide some trackside support to these guys and any other teams/drivers using TEIN dampers.

Just like previous years, we ended up just looking like the Maytag repair man with nothing to do except take notes on each vehicles suspension setup.

We were absolutely impressed with each teams performance. Their results are as follows:

 

Sportcar Motion’s Integra Type R (Limited FF class)- 1:51.916

2nd Place Finish!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 041 (Custom)

 

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX (Street FF class)- 1:59.639

2nd Place Finish!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 021 (Custom)

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord Limited FF class)- 1:55.241

3rd Place Finish (behind Sportcar Motion’s Integra)!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 057 (Custom)

 

Each achieved personal best times, which was great news! As you can expect from their placement in their respective class, competition was stiff. In Limited FF, Point Zero Autosound and Performance trucked their Acura RSX all the way from Ontario Canada for this event! They finished in 1st place with a 1:51.789! Just a narrow margin between first and second place!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 010 (Custom)

*We must note that the Sportcar Motion looked to be on pace for an even better time. But, on the last stint out on track, a brake failure caused the Integra to spin. Fortunately, driver Tim Kuo was able to recover from the spin without any further damage to the car. However, the damage to the brakes was all that was needed to prevent another fast lap.

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 047 (Custom)

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto had one goal in mind- a sub 2 minute lap. Why? He’s one of the few Street FF cars that is a legitimate street car. He retains full interior and air conditioning (you gotta maintain some amenities on the track!). Last year, he was under Enthusiast FF with a 2:01. Now under the Street FF class, he clocks in a 1:59, and not much else has changed to his CSX’s setup!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 001 (Custom)

Bobby Lane Racing also kept their car relatively the same. Last year, we revalved for much stiffer springs to compliment their new aero package.  A 1:59 was a very respectable time last year. This year’s 1:55 is even more impressive!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Nov 2014 054 (Custom)

Overall, we’re very happy for these guys. Of course, we’re impressed with the out-of-the-box performance our Super Racing set for Sportcar Motion’s Integra and Mono Flex set for Ping’s CSX did. But, it always comes down to overall vehicle preparation, which each of these guys did a stellar job at! We won’t be satisfied until they stand atop the highest podium. So you can bet we’ll do what we can to get them there next year!

It was also great to see some of our other friends, such as Evasive Motorsports Scion FR-S and Will Wattanawongkiri and his S13 at the event. Unfortunately for Will, mechanical issues plagued him from staying in competition.

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Evasive FRS (Custom)

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) WWR S13 (Custom)

We also fancied the Spoon Sports Civic Type R being piloted by Dai Yoshihara! Ran a super quick 1:48 in Unlimited FF!!!

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) Spoon CTR (Custom)

And this year’s overall winner- GST Motorsports’ GC8 piloted by Jeff Westphal! 1:38!!!!! Whoa

Super Lap Battle (Buttonwillow) GST GC8 (Custom)

TEIN MONO SPORT DAMPERS

Recently TEIN has been releasing there new updated version of our already popular coilover kits.

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The BASIC coilover kit has been updated and released as the STREET BASIS.

The Super Streets have been superseded by the STREET ADVANCE.

And our Flex damper has been superseded by the STREET FLEX.

All of these have been updated with new internal components and some minor changes to the outer portion as well. We’ve also been able to reduce MSRP a significant amount to make it much more affordable for our customers! You can find all the new product information through this link http://www.tein.com/products/index.html

bumprubber

Well now it’s time for the Mono Flex to have a change as well.  They have been finding new ways to have one of the best suspensions in the market for a very reasonable price.  Starting in 2014 TEIN will be releasing two variations of the MONO Sport.

clearmodel

The MONO SPORT and the MONO SPORT TOURING Coilovers. Both lines will carry our newly designed Upright Strong Tube for strut type suspensions. With this newly design, it reduces friction using a revised internal lubrication method. With this design we are able to have the click assembly for the dampening force adjustment on the top, making the adjustments or installation of the optional EDFC/EDFC Active much easier.

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The system still offers the 16 levels of compression and rebound together, but now it is equipped with exclusively-designed “ADVANCE M.S.V.” With the use of “ADVANCE M.S.V.”, damping force adjustable range is made about three times wider, yet superior damping force characteristics are maintained in all parts to improve steering response, road ability and traction performance.

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These are just some of the few revisions done to the MONO Sport line for further information on the system please follow this link. http://www.tein.co.jp/e/products/mono_sport.html

Tech: EDFC Active Guide Part 1

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New to 2013, our EDFC Active system brings forth a higher and more enjoyable experience we expect on all of our products.  Not only can users adjust dampening levels instantly while sitting in the driver seat, the EDFC Active is also capable of automatic damper adjustments based on speed and G-forces making it truly one of a kind.  However, in order to properly utilize the maximum capabilities of this system, parameters must be set so the computer will know what to do at any given times.

Continue reading

Super Lap Battle/Global Time Attack 2013

Another year has passed, and we were waiting in anticipation to see what every competitor for this year’s Super Lap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway Park will bring.

Just like last year, TEIN staff attended to be able to assist any of the teams and drivers on TEIN suspension in any way possible. For us, it is great to get their feedback on our suspension and how it is performing for them. It also gives us plenty of insight on what vehicle modifications are being made and how we can help adapt their suspensions to their specific setups.

In total, there were seven vehicles using TEIN suspension. In no specific order,

Limited AWD Class- Evasive Motorsports’ Mitsubishi Evo VIII (Super Racing coilovers)

Super Lap Battle 2013 016 (Custom)

Limited FWD Class- Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R (Super Racing coilovers)

Super Lap Battle 2013 003 (Custom)

Limited FWD Class- Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord (CL7 Mono Flex coilovers)

Super Lap Battle 2013 (iPhone) 022 (Custom)

Street RWD Class- Will Wattanawongkiri’s Nissan 240SX (Flex coilovers)

Super Lap Battle 2013 009 (Custom)

Enthusiast FWD Class- Pradana Wilianto’s Acura CSX (FA5 Mono Flex coilovers)

ping csx (Custom)

Street FWD Class- Ken Suen’s FB6 Honda Civic Si (Mono Flex coilovers)

Street RWD Class- Ryan Houck’s Honda S2000 (Super Racing coilovers)

Fortunately, once again, each team and driver had their cars setup very well, with only little input from us. A majority of time was spent with Evasive on their Evo to see if we can get the most out of a minimally tested new setup they’re running (upgrades to power; different tire). So, there was a bit of a learning curve with this car.

The best part of the event was that many of these guys logged their fastest times in early sessions.

Sportcar Motion’s Integra, with driver Tim Kuo returning again for this event, was able to shatter their old record of 1:54.xx with a 1:52.886, and that time held throughout the day giving them the win in the respective class! Mechanical issues prevented any further sessions for them, but the damage was already done. A new benchmark for Limited FWD has been set!

Evasive’s Evo, plagued with some turbocharger issues (failure) and transmission problems, still locked in a respectable 1:49.102, taking the Limited AWD class win and getting very close to taking the overall win. Hopefully, with more testing and developing in 2014, this car will take top honors. It must be noted that this car skipped over a full year of development, as they focused on their Scion FR-S and Honda S2000 for last year’s event. So, with that said, this year’s finish is an impressive result. We were glad to speak with driver, and Evasive Motorsports co-owner, Mike Chang, to get his feedback. We’ll be working with them more on this car, as well as a few other project cars in their stable, for 2014!

Super Lap Battle 2013 026 (Custom)

Will Wattanawongkiri’s S13 240SX was able to clinch top time in the Street RWD class with a 1:54.969. He’s been able to dial in his out-of-the-box Flex coilovers to work well with his vehicle, enough so that he could take the championships in various other Time Attack series’ this year.

Super Lap Battle 2013 054 (Custom)

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord sported updated aero (larger front splitter and wide fender to fit wider tires; side skirts; rear diffuser). They also had revalved their CL7 Mono Flex dampers for much stiffer springs. Prior to this event, then were hoping to get some testing done with this new setup, but a catastrophic wheel failure prevented them from making final adjustments leading to Super Lap Battle. Didn’t seem to matter as they logged a 1:59.158 time, approximately 3 seconds better than 2012. Although unusual to see an Accord at a Time Attack event, Bobby Lane Racing showed that it can still be plenty fast for track duties.

Super Lap Battle 2013 039 (Custom)

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX dipped into a 2:01.314 ET. That’s about two seconds faster than his time last year. He also got the win in his class!

Ken Suen brought out his new FB6 Honda Civic Si. Still a street car with full interior, modifications were minimal. In fact, he used the Mono Flex from his infamous “Big Red” FA5 Civic Si on this new car (had some modifications done to make it work. Other than that, front aero, larger wheel and tires, and brake upgrades were all that this car had. Not looking to break a new record, he still recorded a 2:06.271 lap time!

Ryan Houck’s S2000, which was backed by our friends at Counterspace Garage, sported custom valved Super Racing dampers, along with some simple aero upgrades. His times during the first few sessions were looking very favorable for the Street RWD class. However, a major driver’s side front brake rotor failure prevented any further outings. Quite unfortunate. Without a doubt, he’s on pace to reset the current record. We’ll see him next year!

So, that makes it 4 class wins on TEIN (Limited AWD, Limited FWD, Street RWD, and Enthusiast FWD)!

That’s really good news for us. Once again, we went back to the office happy with the results for these drivers and teams. A huge congratulations to each and every one of these people, especially for their continued support for TEIN! In turn, we will be there to assist them as best we can, in the same way we strive to assist all of our customers, including YOU!

Until next year!

Oh, and apologies to our engineer, Shuichiro…

Super Lap Battle 2013 033 (Custom)

Super Lap Battle 2013 032 (Custom)

As you can see, we prevented him from watching any racing. Instead, we put him to work! SOWWY!!!

Congrats to Ken Suen of Sportcar Motion!

Redline Time Attack had their season opener this past weekend (February 16th & 17th). As always, teams that compete in other Time Attack series such as Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle, find their way into this series to best their times.

Sportcar Motion’s Ken Suen, owner and driver of the FA5 Civic Si lovingly referred to as “Big Red” was out for blood. Last time we covered this car during last November’s Super Lap Battle season finale, mechanical issues prevented him from doing any better that 2 minutes around Buttonwillow’s 13CW road course.

With some new front aero work, as well as a new powerplant, Ken was sure to make this event count. And that he did!

Under the Street FF class, Ken was able to stop the timer at an amazing 1:58.921! Yes, Street Class, Front-wheel drive! Super fast, and most importantly, the new record to beat!

Ken Suen (Custom) (Custom)

We’re glad to report that Ken continues to use an out-of-the-box Mono Flex setup for his car. We’ll see if any changes need to be made as he continues to cut his lap times down. SCM Big Red 2 (Custom)

Once again, congratulations to Ken Suen and the team at Sportcar Motion for yet another memorable run for victory!

Hub Swappin Brackets

Hey everyone. Ever purchase a set of TEIN full length adjustable coilovers that can be swapped onto other applications but when installing them you find that the lower bracket mount differs from that of the kit? Well, I’m here to put your mind at ease.

With the release of the Specialized Damper Program allowing the consumer create their own custom coilover kit to their specifications, the option of having just a custom lower bracket manufactured is also be available.

We always get consumers and shops inquiring about lower brackets for a hub conversion on any application ranging from the Subaru STI (from 5×100 pcd to 5×114.3 pcd knuckle) conversion to Nissan 240SX/ 300ZX rear end conversion.

 

Although we can have the lower bracket manufactured to your specifications, keep in mind that  it would be done at the consumers own discretion, as the coilover was not originally designed for the modifications. Changes to the original design can create different stresses on the damper body or components causing the damper to fail. Be sure to exercise caution.

With that said, the costs for a set of brackets can range anywhere from $100 and up each from current manufactured kits to custom brackets with desired features. For inquiries, please feel free to contact us for a quote. (562)-861-9161/ tus_sales@tein.com

 

Super Lap Battle 2012 at Buttonwillow Raceway

Yesterday was the final Super Lap Battle (in conjunction with Global Time Attack) for the year. Taking place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA., it has proven to become one of the most anticipated events on this side of the U.S.A.

We were in attendance assisting any of the driver’s on TEIN suspension. For us, it was a narrow group- Evasive Motorsports with their S2000 (using our Super Racing dampers), Sportcar Motion with their Integra Type R (also on Super Racing dampers) as well as an FA5 Civic and Canadian Acura CSX both using our Mono Flex dampers. Another entry we came across was Bobby Lane Racing in their Accord (their Mono Flex damper setup is from a CL7 Honda Accord Euro R).

We arrived really early (7:30a) to meet with the teams and see if they needed any assistance from us. As experienced as these teams are in setting up their cars, there was very little for us to do except take some setting measurements and click settings the teams are using for reference.

TEIN Engineer, Shuichiro, getting data from the Sportcar Motion team.

Working with the Evasive crew and their driver, Robert Walker, to get their car dialed in.

We stumbled upon the Bobby Lane Racing team and their Accord using our Mono Flex dampers.

With each practice session having at least one TEIN-equipped car, we kept close to the hot pits. Our engineer, Shuichiro made sure to get as much feedback from the driver to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Again, maybe only a few click setting changes were done to the suspension, while some of the teams adjusted tire pressures. Lucky for us, Evasive Motorsports uses EDFC for their S2000’s Super Racing dampers. I’m sure our engineer appreciated that! Rather than having to lie down on the ground or get under the hood or rear trunk to make any damping click setting changes manually, the driver can make real-time adjustments to the dampers and stay out on the track.

Robert Walker pulling into the hot pits with the Evasive team standing by.

The morning sessions gave some of the best lap times. In Sportcar Motion’s case, their Integra Type R laid down a 1:54.2 lap time on the #13 track configuration that has become the standard for this event. That was a really good pace, and it looked like the car could even do better than that. Driver, Dr. Tim Kuo, was in pursuit mode the whole time, having very little issue with the Limited FWD class car. A broken 4th gear prevented any chance of getting in a faster time, but their time held as fastest of the day in their class.

Sportcar Motion’s red FA5 Civic Si piloted by Ken Suen was also on pace to beat their personal best. Mechanical issues brought the car in and prevented any futher timed sessions out on the track. Final time was 2:04.3 which netted a second place finish in Street FWD.

The Acura CSX also under Sport Car Motion’s stable clocked in a 2:03.

The Sportcar Motion trio all on TEIN dampers.

As for Bobby Lane Racing, they were hoping to best their 2:05, and in the end a 2:02.2 for the Limited FWD class. It was a great event for this small team!

That’s a familiar face! Dampachi along for the ride with Bobby Lane Racing.

Evasive Motorsports’ revamped Honda S2000 (newly boosted with the HKS GTSupercharger) went all out. New record for the Street RWD class now sits at 1:53.9 thanks to the newfound power. This car has 7 years of development into it, which has paid big dividends for all that hardwork. We’ll be working with them closely to help and develop the car for even faster times. Until then, a 1:53 lap will be the new mark for teams to achieve.

Evasive’s S2000 into the hot pits for some driver feedback.

Bobby Lane Racing Accord into the hot pits to discuss any changes in handling.

The Integra Type R from SportcarMotion was relatively trouble-free, making our engineer’s job a bit easier!

All in all, it was a good event with very little in the way of mishaps on the track. As the day temperatures got higher and as more cars went out for timed sessions, it proved to be harder for the teams to try and get faster times. It was great to see many of the teams socializing amongst themselves. I found it hard to differentiate whether these people were competitors or best of friends. We were thankful for the hospitality of each team. Bobby Lane Racing was nice enough to provide the TEIN staff with lunch- they came with their own grill to make burgers and hot dogs! Thanks, guys!

We look forward to next year. If the saying “Records are made to be broken” holds true, we may very well be seeing these guys best their current times.

Bobby Lane Racing’s owner and driver with TEIN Staff.

Evasive Motorsports crew with both of their race cars.

Congratulations to each of these teams for all their hard work and efforts. We’re glad we can be a part of it!

FR-S madness

As we had wrote the previous entry before, we have been testing our product for Scion FR-S.

Usually, we spend about a week to test fit and take data for each product.

But, since Scion FR-S will be an ultra hot vehicle in the market for this year and some new FR-S owners are already getting delivery of their vehicles, TEIN USA boosted up the speed of the development schedule for Scion FR-S!

Yes, TEIN USA R&D dept worked hard past week to develop product for Scion FR-S as soon as possible to send out to everyone! As Jon had mentioned in his previous post, we have tested S.Tech and High Tech lowering springs and Type Flex dampers, with more product to come later this year. In fact, a few dealers have already pre-ordered sets of High Tech lowering springs, which are set to arrive towards the end of June! In case you want to order, the part number is SKSA0-G1B00. This will give the FR-S a -25mm front and -20mm rear drop. Great for owners that may eventually plus-size their wheels!

High Tech, S.Tech, and Flex products ready for fitment.

By this point, we've probably spent as much time under the hood as Scion R&D!!!

Fortunately the Type Flex dampers bolted up fine for our first test! And the handling is great, btw 😉

Our tests include highway driving...

...and also some local road driving. Or, in this case, very boring traffic.

Stay tuned as springs and damper-kits are soon to be out for everybody!! Up next is testing on the Subaru BRZ! We’ll keep you up-to-date on that testing!

 

TEIN’S Black Box

In previous blogs we have discussed the difference between the old and new EDFC unit and motors, how to install the EDFC, how to read the error codes on the EDFC and featured vehicles with the EDFC installed.  However we have not discussed what this little black box does.

The EDFC, which stands for Electronic Damping Force Controller, controls the stiffness and softness of your suspension on the fly.  Whether you are on the track or on the street you can change your settings accordingly.  The unit has three presets for quick adjustments.  It has separate control buttons for front and rear adjustments, the ability to switch from 16 way adjustable to 32 way adjustable.  You can even change the brightness and volume of the control.  The EDFC DOES NOT lower or raise the vehicle.

If you have a Super Street (select applications), Super Street kit with Upper Pillow mounts, Flex, Mono Flex, Super Drift, Comfort Sport, Euro Damper and Super Racing Dampers the EDFC is compatible with your kit.

MSRP for Controller (EDK04-K4469)  $253.00

MSRP for Motor Kit (model depending on vehicle) $165.00

MSRP for Strut Kit (Recommended for vehicles with Strut type front only)  $33.00

EDFC Controller in Gordon Ting built Lexus ISF