Tag Archives: Specialized Damper

Rally xD Takes to the Susquehannock Trail Rally

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After suffering from a grueling race at the Oregon Trail Rally earlier this month (finishing 3rd in class), the Sparco Rally xD is rebuilt and ready for the upcoming event, the Susquehannock Trail Rally.

For those that have been following, you may remember seeing some pics of the rear end with the rear twist beam axle being ripped out from both sides. Lessons learned, my friends, because they’re ready to attack again.

Where they're going, they don't need roads.... Oh wait, actually, yes, they do.

Where they’re going, they don’t need roads…. Oh wait, actually, yes, they do.

After suffering from that rare DNF last year, leaving the car looking somewhat like a DeLorean Time Machine, the crew made some revisions to the rear suspension, reinforcing some key areas as to address the axle beam fatigue that rally racing brings.

To think, previous season of racing were on a completely stock axle beam. I still find that pretty impressive, considering how many well-funded teams use some beefed up components.

Oh, and while doing some testing in preparation for this event, the team had a minor setback. Seriously,,,,,, minor

whoops (Custom)

Whoops

But the car is right side up again, running, and doing some sweet jumps

jump (Custom)

We’re sure this time around will be just as eventful, but in a much more positive way. I expect to see this car race from start to finish, and you should too. Please be a pal and cheer these guys on directly on their Facebook page!

Susquehannock Trail Rally 2013 is May 31-June 1.

 

Rally xD Makes an Appearance on Car and Driver!

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Yes, yes. Another post about one of the best built FWD race cars. NO, AGAIN, THAT IS NOT AN OXYMORON. FWD race cars can be pretty damn fast.

You gotta hand it to these guys- this year’s Rally America competition Scion xD is quite amazing. As I stated in my previous post, it may look very similar to the previous cars, aesthetically speaking. But, when you get to the finer details of this car, that is when MINDS GET BLOWN.

By the time you’ve read this, the Rally xD will have already completed its maiden voyage at Sno*Drift in Michigan and 100AW in Missouri. Results which you can find on

http://www.rally-america.com/

Again, aesthetically, it isn’t a far cry from how it’s looked in previous seasons. Love the new Baja Designs lights fitted into the bumper!

I’m not sure if Andrew Comrie-Picard’s legs got longer over the off-season, but that seat is pushed back pretty far… You can see where the B-Pillar is  in reference to the seat, just at the bottom right of the pic.

Looks like driver and co-driver have extra security sitting right inside of the B-Pillar section. That, in conjunction with the fabricated safety cage makes for an extra safe section of the car to be seated in.

Catalytic converter mounted as far rearward as allowed.

How blinding?!

Check out Car and Driver’s article on the Rally xD online

http://blog.caranddriver.com/scion-shows-off-latest-xd-rally-car-for-rally-america/

For starters, they continue to use quality products from quality aftermarket manufacturers. We’re quite flattered to be considered one of those manufacturers!

Sponsors this year are (in no specific order)

Sparco

TEIN

RAYS Wheels

GReddy

Motul

Brembo

Baja Designs

TRD

Exedy

KAAZ

RÄZO

and of course Scion Racing!

I’m sure I missed a few key sponsors, unintentionally. Please forgive me. I’m just really glad that TEIN can be a part of a great team. We feel they’ve helped to represent us very well!

Anyway, keep track of these guys on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@RallyxD).

You can also track their progress during this year’s Rally America series at the following link

http://www.rally-america.com/

Another Win for the Rally xD Team!!!

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Congratulations to the Rally xD Team for another win. Their victory in the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood makes it two in a row! They took first place in the 2wd class clocking an excellent lead over second place with a commanding 2 mins and 14 second gap. We tip our hats to you and keep up the great work, guys.

BD-A_zMCIAEzVOy[1] (Small)

More information on this event can be found at Rally America

As well as on Rally xD’s Facebook page

Just Another New Year,,,,, FOR RACING!

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Not only is 2013 an exciting year for TEIN in regards to new products, but we are also prepping for a great year of racing. One of the teams we assist in Rally America, and who we are quite fond of writing about, the Sparco Rally xD team is starting to put the finishing touches on this year’s chassis.

Aesthetically, it may look to be just about the same. But, as the saying goes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And this chassis lives up to that saying!

Much more fabrication is going into this new car. As it is, the Rally xD team are facing some serious competition. Some of which are tried and trued platforms used internationally. The Rally xD is one of few cars that doesn’t have that sort of background. For the past 4 years, this team has been the guinea pig in getting a Scion xD into a competitive vehicle. As I’ve stated  before, and as I say again, these guys are doing such a great job at it.

Although I don’t feel at liberty to cough up the details on the new car, I will say that their TEIN dampers for 2013 are a big step up from the HG-based dampers of years prior. This year, they’re using 2-way adjustable dampers based loosely off of the Group N. dampers. Basically, it is height adjustable and compression and rebound adjustable. This damper project was completed through our Specialized Damper Program- a program also available to the public!

Below are a few photos of the team’s progress on the vehicle, as well as their new TEIN dampers.

I’m sure I can dig up a few more photos of the car build. But I’m sure they’d appreciate if you gave them a follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@RallyxD,,, easy enough to find!), which they are very active on. Tons of photos for all of you to see! So, please do so and be sure to wish this hardworking crew the best of luck for 2013!

Other than this team, we look forward to another great program of events for the year ranging from Time Attack to the Formula Drift series. As always, we’re glad to be involved!

The Little Engine That Could/Can/Will

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I seem to never get tired of this car. It’s proven to be quite a competitor in Rally America. In a sport largely dominated by high horsepower, all-wheel drive platforms, this little box has really held its own.

The team is relatively young in comparison to many competitors within the series, regardless of vehicle class. But their professionalism really stands out. We are more than happy to be a part of this team, as their suspension provider, as well as Philip Chase, our Marketing Director lending a helping hand as a Crew Chief.

And this team only seems to be getting better! Check out their up-to-date blog

http://rallyxd.com

As if running a rally team wasn’t enough, they make sure to update their blog with the latest information- rally events, vehicle development, as well as awesome in-car video clips and amazing rally footage.

Here’s one of my favorite pics of our suspension. I think it looks better with the dirt on it. How say you?

In case you’ve missed out on previous posts on this car, our HG damper kit was a custom setup, developed through our Specialized Damper Program which is also available to the public.

And with some newfound turbo power, they’ll sure to be hard to chase.

Testing at DirtFish Rally School in WA.

Ready for the Olympus Rally to start in Ocean Shores, WA. New driver Andrew Comrie-Picard (ACP) and co-driver Robbie Durant.

We wish the Scion rally team the best in their efforts in 2011! Oregon Trail Rally starts tomorrow at Portland International Speedway.

One Happy TEIN Family

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This post is on my wife’s car who is currently using the TEIN Super Street Damper kit. She drives a 2007 Honda Accord Coupe EX  4Cyl. It is just about stock with very few mods which include: 19×8  Racing Hart T5 wheels with 36 offset, Super Street without pillowball Mounts, and SPC Performance camber correction kits. She loves it.  She never had experience with a damper kit before on previously owned vehicles, only using lowering springs.

” I have only used lowering springs from different companies and was happy with the ride feel and drop they offered. I never really knew what a coil-over was and I think that I would have been surprised to find out that a car had coil-overs as I would have not paid much attention .”

When I got her a set of Super Streets for her car she was psyched and interested in how the car would ride. She wasn’t familiar with the adjustments can do on any shock absorber.

” My first thoughts of the Super Streets were that they felt great but I was expecting them to be a little firmer. Then my husband let me know that the adjustment was set at full soft and he adjusted it to the half way point. Right away I felt the change in the cars ride and the feel during turns. He then set it to the full stiff setting which I also immediately felt. The cars reaction on turns was drastic. It felt very planted and not like it was gonna flip. The car has greater control with the coil-overs in comparison to my old lowering springs. My husband was surprised to find that I preferred the stiff setting over any of the others.”

I couldn’t help but too slam her car prior to the test drive but she was uncomfortable with height and insisted I raise it a little. The current ride height is great for daily use – looks good and rides well.

“ In my personal opinion with no influence from my husband (even if he works for TEIN), the Super Street coil-overs are a great kit to use on the streets. Its a cool kit because I can have my husband set the ride height and ride quality to what I want. I would recommend this kit to anyone who wants a specific drop since you can adjust it. Not saying anything bad about lowering springs as they are great but you are limited to the drop.”

Her understanding of the coil-over kits is greater now but if she can only understand the slam. LOL. Her car goes to show that even if I’m currently not sporting TEIN Suspension, someone in the family is. H

opefully I’ll have a Specialized Damper made for my next project. Time will tell.

Not our Normal product applications

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Many people associate TEIN with Japanese Imported cars but we have some product applications that might surprise you.

Porsche 996 N1 kit.

Porsche 996 GT3

Japan Super Endurance Race 996 GT3

TEIN N1 for 996. 2-way 20 position damping force adjustment, full length adjustment.

TEIN 4×4 Damper for Toyota FJ Cruiser

Toyota FJ Cruiser in Dubai

4×4 Damper kit. 2-way 16 position damping force adjustment, ride height adjustment.

Specialized Damper Kia Forte N1 (custom made)

China Touring Car Championship Kia Forte


Specialized Damper Kia Forte Rear Dampers. 2-way 20 position adjustment, ride height adjustment.

Specialized Damper Program

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Although this isn’t the latest offering from TEIN, it is a fairly new program now offered by TEIN USA.

The Specialized Damper Program allows customers to design a one-off kit built to their specifications. Click HERE to link to TEIN Japan’s Specialized Damper Program page.

With a wide variety of options available for the customer to choose from, we are able to create a kit unique to each customer’s request. Options include, but are not limited to

  • Twin-Tube or Monotube construction.
  • Pillowball Upper Mounts(Optional camber adjustment on MacPherson Strut-type), if applicable.
  • Custom Coil Spring for non-height adjust kits.
  • Use of new steel components or reuse of OE steel components( OE spindles may be required if integral to the OE strut)

and many other options.

OE suspension design may be the only limiting factor( we base the design strictly off of the stock mounting points). So this may exclude the use of a coil-over type dampers, pillowball upper mounts, custom leaf or torsion spring, etc.

Lead time to have such dampers made may vary, depending on the options, complexity, as well as the manufacturing schedules of TEIN Japan (all suspension components are manufactured and assembled in our Yokohama plant).  Expect an ETA of 3-4 months from start to completion of manufacturing (excludes shipping ETA).

Here are a few examples of damper kits requested by a few customers.

KPGC10 Skyline 2000 GT-R

Lancia Delta Integrale

Kia Forte

Hopefully this opens up a new set of options for you, should you not find what you’re looking for.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call!