Tag Archives: TEIN

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!

TEIN EDFC ACTIVE

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What’s up guys?

As previously mentioned in a post last month, we are glad to announce our new EDFC ACTIVE.  I know, I know, you’re all excited as much as we are. So to ease the anxiety we are detailing all the features on the new product. Feel free to visit our Facebook page, our website, or take a look at last month’s post by Paul to get the full details.

Besides the new EDFC having wireless capabilities and all those extra bells and whistles, did you know that the actual display color can be adjusted to your liking? If not, then as I once heard in a song “If you don’t know, now you know” lol. You can choose from white, green, amber, & blue. In addition to those colors, fine-tunable custom colors are also available.

 

This is a great feature that was not available in the previous model.  So to all who’s pet peeve is not being able to coordinate the color of your controller unit  to your gauges or interior. It’s safe to say that you can now see the colors of the rainbow by tapping a button as if you where sending a text on your phone.

 

 

 

 

 

Hub Swappin Brackets

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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

 

Introducing The New TEIN EDFC ACTIVE!

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If you follow us on Facebook, you’ll know that we’ve posted a few hints toward some new product. This past year, TEIN Japan has been hard at work at developing a new EDFC (Electronic Damping Force Controller).

If you asked me earlier in the year as to what kind of features will make the current EDFC even better, I’d probably tell you that I don’t see how it can get any better- we already receive great feedback on this item, and most end-users find the current features to fit their needs very well. Shows what I know! The TEIN engineers have outdid themselves once again!

The new EDFC Active is the result of several concerns our engineers felt needed to be addressed. The “Active” part of the system is what makes this so unique.

Imagine having a suspension that is adaptable to your driving conditions, whether it is based on speed(rate of travel), or by g-force. That’s what this new product has to offer.

Using a supplied g-force sensor, this new EDFC Active can make real-time adjustments for vehicle pitch under acceleration and braking. It allows the end-user to adjust/set damping to a predetermined click setting for every 0.2g increment. What this translates to is a direct change in damping force (to your preset) based on the amount of g forces you are pulling under acceleration and deceleration.

Here’s an example using 32-way adjustment for click setting at different g loads

In the G Linear mode, you are able to make a much more seamless damping force change as g loading increases or decreases

Combine the available GPS sensor, and you can have automatic (again, to your desired presetting) based on the vehicle’s rate of speed. For example, if you want to run damping much softer for street driving (ex. 25 miles per hour), that is completely possible. Then, if  you want increased damping force for highway speeds (ex. 65 mph), you can also have that saved. In fact, you can have up to 10 preset speed/click settings saved.

With the GPS sensor, you can use S-Arrange mode to set damper click setting to your predetermined speed (vehicle rate of travel)

Or you can use the S-Linear function to make the click setting transition much more smoother as vehicle speed increases or decreases.
Just like the G-Linear mode, this translates into damping control fine setting for smaller incremental changes in vehicle g loading, instead of the much more direct change of G-Arrange mode.

There’s the obvious benefit of combining both the included g-sensor with the optional GPS sensor- since both speed (rate of travel) and g force are not directly related, your car is now completely adaptable to the driving conditions it faces. Imagine having to panic brake at highway speed (and that you have a preset speed/click setting), the car will now react to the rate of speed it is already traveling, and now factor in the amount of braking force you’ve applied. The EDFC will now compound the two settings (one for speed and one for g force).

ALSO, with the new EDFC Active, you still have the ability to change from the 16 click setting to 32 click setting (finer setting). But now you have an available 64 click setting (extremely fine setting), making for a much more seamless feel in damping change.

All EDFC’s are calibrated to have 16-way damping adjustment, just as if you did this manually with the click knob. EDFC always had the 32-way fine setting adjustment as an extra feature. Now there’s an available 64-way setting for even finer, seamless damping change!

That’s just a little insight as to what new products we’re working on. We’ll do a follow-up installment with more details on the new EDFC Active, and the other many features that it has.

TEIN USA, Inc. will have this new EDFC Active available in the beginning of 2013. So stay posted with us for more updates as they become available!

 

Learning the OVERHAUL repair process

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When it comes to overhauls I’m usually the person in charge of carrying out all the steps. Except for one which is the most important of them all , the actual repair. The way it works is as followed- We receive the package and check it in then we move it to our R&D department for a repair inspection. Upon the inspection I contact the customer and secure the repair payment and/or  final overhaul decision. Upon completion of repair a recontact the customer to verify shipping information and that’s where it ends.

 

The disassembling of our dampers is not that difficult. Breaking down the piston rod and internal components, then cleaning them from dirt, dust, rust, and debris  is also not that difficult. It does, however, get a little repetitive. Now, where it gets tricky is reassembling the internal components.  As some of the parts (shims) tend to look the same but are nevertheless different in design and thickness. There are many steps that need to be done to successfully overhaul a damper. I will save the details as they are confidential but I must say that re-greasing, and re-torquing all the components is the easiest step of all.

 

 

Well, now I have actually learned the repair process. Unfortunately for us here at TEIN one of our R&D staff members has left us to work as a CHP officer. Fortunately for me, I have now learned a new skill and got my hands on repair action. We’ll still leave that work for our trained engineers. As for me, I’m glad I’ve been able to learn more of the details that goes into an overhaul.

 

 

TEIN WATCH ANYONE?

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‘Sup guys!  As most of you know we have had  a few new items added to our stock this year. Starting with the new TEIN T-shirts, air fresheners, tire valve caps,  and now our all new TEIN Sport Watch. The watch was designed for a sporty look and to be fashionable for everyday use. As you can, see the watch has our very own TEIN Emerald green on the dial which makes it stand out from a distance. These watches will go fast, so place your orders soon  with your nearest authorized dealer!

The watch features:

-Water resistance up to 30 meters

-Adjustable bezel

-Modern band for comfortable feel

2012 SEMA Show

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I had a chance to attend this years SEMA Show in Las Vegas at the Convention Center. The last time I had attend SEMA was in 2008. This year’s booth wasn’t as big as the booth from 2008, but worked out well for Paul and I since we were the only two manning the booth.  Overall the booth traffic was pretty good, but not as busy as expected. The smaller crowds may have also been due to Hurricane Sandy affecting most of the eastern seaboard cancelling many flights out and wreaking havoc. Our hearts go out to all those effected by the disaster.

This year’s must-have import display car was none other than the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Not saying that the car isn’t sweet looking,  just too many at the show- over 70 examples from my understanding.  I didn’t really get a chance to walk through the show and check out more of the displays since there were only two of us at the booth, which made it rather difficult for either of us to really walk around. We were able to get few quick snap shots of our hall at break time. Even with the breaks, it still wouldn’t be enough time for us really go through the hall since it’s so massive, and this is only considering the hall we were in and not the others, as well as those on display outside.

Below are some of the pictures we were able to take, but for more of those photos check out our Facebook page’s Photo Album named “The 2012 SEMA Show”  https://www.facebook.com/teinusa

 

 

Many thanks to all those who stopped by our booth this year. Your interest and support in TEIN is greatly appreciated!

Super Lap Battle 2012 at Buttonwillow Raceway

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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!

URT are Russsian Rally Champions for 2012!

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We received an email today from one of our friends from Uspenskiy Rally Tecnica (URT) in Russia. They operate a rally team that has competed in PWRC, and we have supported them as their suspension suppliers with our Group N dampers. For the 2012 season, they are the champions for the “Russia 2012” series!

From the email:

“The team of Sergey Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova triumphal acted in Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” in Novorossiysk. They managed to win the stage and become absolute champions of Russia.

The final stage of Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” was held from 28th to 30th September. 34 crews from Russia, Estonia and Latvia compete on the track settled near by the Novorossiysk city.

This is not the first time for such big tournaments held in Novorossiysk, two years ago on this track took place the final stage of East Europe Cup. For the final stage organizations chose well known settlement Abrau-Durso which became a “capital” of the final stage in the championship.

The race happened to be very strained both for sportsmen and cars. The last 80 high-speed kilometers of the track which racers passed in the final day of rally was the most complex ones. It was not clear who will be the winner of the stage and absolute champion of the rally until the last special stage. The results are striking! Such a tight battle and this exciting final!

Sergey Uspensky – 13-time champion of the Russian Rally, Head of URT Team and CEO of the Group of Companies “U Service +”, raced clean and accurately which left no chances for the rivals.

The victory on the last stage brought to the crew of Sergei Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova title of absolute champion of Russian Rally Championship meanwhile Subaru Impreza R4 – the first victory on the stage of the national championship.

Three medals of the Championship – in four points! And Sergey Uspensky wins 14-th title of the champion of the country.

Young pilot from St.-Petersburg Nikita Filippov in a duet with co-driver Sergey Gerasimenko and Grigory Tregubov with his co-driver Elena Vasilenko made a company on a podium  to Sergey Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova.

Sergey Uspenskogo and Marina Danilova crew raced on rally car Subaru R4 built by «Uspenskiy  Rally Tecnica» on the basis of Subaru impreza  WRX STI Spec C. R4 was service and carried out by the team of mechanics from URT.

Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” in Novorossiysk was prepared with the support of Group of the companies « U Service + » and “URT” which took part in the organization of the stage.

Fabulous result and fabulous final!”

 

Congratulations to the URT team for their hard work and for their victory in Russia!

Formula Drift 2012

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The last event for Formula Drift 2012 was this past Saturday, October 13th. Luckily I attended the event not only as a spectator but also an employee of TEIN, as we had our own booth.  Unfortunately I only got glimpses of the actual drift event as most of my time was spent behind the counter. It was a very busy, busy, busy event I must say.  However I did get a chance to walk around and take a look at all the hard working models (wink wink) and attending show cars.

Customers came in by our booth throughout the day. It was nice to meet and speak with many of our customers.

It seems as though everywhere I looked there was a lowered FRS/BRZ plastered with sponsor stickers, body kit, and/or graphic designs. Of course there were other vehicles like Fords, Honda’s, Mitsubishi Evo’s , Mazda’s, Toyota’s, etc., you name it.  One car that stood out to me the most was our very own United States Air force project car. This Dodge Challenger was more beefed up than a plate of sloppy joes, with a double cheeseburger, and a side of carne asada. Ill spare detailing the modification as I’m sure most of you can look that up.

United States Air Force built this Challenger. Looked and sounded mean.

In a nut shell the event was great. Daigo Saito and his Lexus SC430 were crowned the winner of this season. Unfortunately Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his Mustang (rocking our coilover’s) came in second. Still, a great season for Vaughn.

One mean looking ride- Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Monster Mustang.

Justin”JTP” Pawlak also had a good race this past weekend, taking second place for the closing race of the season.

Justin Pawlak in the Falken Mustang. This guy, as well as all the Falken backed drivers, are crazy talented in what they do!

Nevertheless the turn out was exactly as we anticipated (sold out). It was a great day for us and we look forward to attending next year’s season.

Just a small view of the sold out event. The grandstands were literally packed with fans. Pretty crazy to experience that!

 

HRE Wheels had a nice display, showing an old school Toyota 86 next to the new school 86 (Scion FR-S).

 

Brian from Mackin Industries (Distributor of Volk Racing and Advan Wheels) Scion FR-S. He uses TEIN Flex dampers on this setup.

To all the fans, drivers, teams, and organizers for Formula Drift, thank you for another great season! See you all next year.

 

*some pictures sourced from Speedhunters.com