Since the beginning, spring seats and seat locks have been a necessity for the systems ranging from our Type NA coilovers systems utilizing a three position adjustable perch on the shock body with locking snap ring to maintain the seat position, similar in design as the Koni and Ground Control set ups, all the way to the Street Advance coilovers which utilize a spring seat lock with a delrin thrust washer and seat lock to maintain the ride height position on a removable threaded sleeve which is ZT coated.
The photos below detail the different changes made to the spring seats and seats locks over the years.
The Image above is of the spring seats for the Type NA damper which, as mentioned, used a c-ring that would be placed in the desired ride height setting.
This style which utilized a spring seat, seat lock, and aluminum thrust washer as shown in the photo above was the second design released for multiple coilover kits ranging from the older style Type H2, Type HA, Basic, and Super Street, all the way up N1 coilvers as shown in the photo.
This third design which is still used with some of our coilovers today utilizes two seat locks and 1 rubber spring seat.
This photos show the newest type of spring seats and delrin thrust washer in conjunction with the previous style seat lock which are found on the Street Basis, Street Advance, and other coilover kits both currently available and future release.
Although the material and coating has changed over the years, it would still be recommended to periodically clean and lubricate the locks, threads, and locking rings, depending on the model type. This will ensure years of trouble-free height adjustment for your TEIN coilovers.
We are [FINALLY!] receiving the anticipated Street Advance and Street Basis coil-overs for the 2012 Honda Civic, which are also compatible with the new 2013 Acura ILX.
We appreciate your patience. To all those who have waited for the products release, it has been a product long in the making for this vehicle, but we will finally have them in stock by mid October. These fit on both the regular models and Si versions. For the ILX, we tested on the 6 speed Premium model.
We recently read this post Speedhunters put up on Andrew Comrie-Picard, driver of the TEIN sponsored Sparco Rally xD. Any follower of Rally America, or of the Rally xD team, know just how great of an addition “ACP” has been to the team.
ACP’s experience driving for several teams, different vehicle platforms and racing formats, and ability to perform well under pressure only adds to the experience the Rally xD team has gained over their tenure as rally competitors.
Without a doubt, the team at Rally xD know how to build a competitive car. They enlist the assistance of only the top names in the aftermarket industry and turn to skilled fabricators and mechanics with racing know-how to take an otherwise plain-Jane econo car into a gravel spitting monster capable of taking the abuse that off-road driving offers as ill reward. They’ve got some serious brainpower working inside of that garage.
But without an operator fully committed to pilot that fabricated chunk of steel and turbocharged madness, it’s simply an awesome looking stationary billboard. Clearly not what would be intended for these guys. But so is not the case when you add ACP to the mix.
Instead, we get a front-wheel drive monster (no, that is not an oxymoron), hurling through the woods and dirt at nerve wracking speeds. Currently, his “full-speed ahead” mentality has netted the team a 2nd place in class in Rally America.
As for now, ACP and team have completed a great exhibition run at the Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb. Now it’s time to prep for the final Rally America event for this season. With this in mind, I imagine this guy won’t be lifting off the throttle AT ALL.
Check out the Speedhunters article when you have the chance
As some of you may know, we do development specifically for the U.S. market. We’ve mentioned this before in our blog. A lot of people wonder why even bother with this step, especially if the same car is being sold overseas. Won’t those products fit just the same? Won’t it have identical ride and handling characteristics? Well, that may not always be the case.
Many countries have different standards for their vehicles to conform to, and as such, vehicle manufacturers have to comply with whatever regulations are in place for that specific region. In the U.S., crash safety is a heavily monitored factor in vehicle construction. And because of this, vehicles designated for the U.S. market tend to be a bit heavier with the safety equipment needed to pass the stringent crash standards we have. That’s not to say that vehicles overseas are not very strong or reliable, by the way.
Because of these differences, we must test our products to make sure that not only fitment is correct, but that our desired ride heights, whether for lowering spring or height-adjustable coil-over, are to our standards. And in some cases, we do have to make parts unique to the U.S. market only.
It is a time-consuming process, if you can imagine. Since all products are made in Japan, there are several steps in getting prototype suspension parts made, then tested on a U.S. market car, and if all goes well, we can go right into production. In some cases, we have to retest from the first prototype if it’s not to our standard. *This is one reason why we don’t guarantee that a customer (who has loaned us their vehicle for our testing) will get product from us after testing- we don’t want to give them a product that may not meet our standards for ride quality and overall adjustability (if applicable). In those cases, we normally have to retest with another prototype. Once it meets our criteria for whichever model, only then can we continue with production.
What is difficult is gauging the market’s needs for performance suspension. With our various lines of suspensions available, each one has to meet criteria we believe fits our customers expectations. Of course, every person is unique in their own right. So to say that we can fulfill the expectations for 100% of our market is difficult to say. But we work on customer feedback and that helps us tremendously in determining what a customer is looking for in suspension. Above all, our main goal is to produce a high-quality product with great performance for its line at a cost that is reasonable. Because we cannot meet all customers’ expectations, we also offer our revalving service, allowing the customer to have the dampers reworked for a spring rate they desire. This service is more common to our customers utilizing their suspension for competition use only, but it is not limited to these people. We’ve modified off-the-shelf dampers for customers who altered their vehicles with items such as sound equipment (some cases, as much as 300lbs additional weight!) and used higher rate springs and revalved dampers. Sometimes the opposite is needed- vehicle lightening can require softer rate springs and damper valving to correct these changes, as it will affect overall vehicle dynamics.
By the way, offering this overhaul service (standard or revalve) for dampers also helps to maintain the longevity of the dampers. We recommend damper inspections every 30k miles.
There are some instances where we are working around a tight schedule to complete testing in time to make TEIN Japan’s production schedule. This is especially the case with newer vehicles already released. We try hard to make sure we have product in time to get it out to our customers. But sometimes it is still difficult to get the job done in time. As mentioned earlier, some prototypes need to be redone before we proceed with production.
We also have some opportunities to test at local race tracks and develop for various vehicle configurations. Some of our engineers dedicate their time for specific race teams for many forms of racing we are involved with internationally, giving us an extensive amount of information that can be useful in helping our customers determine what works best for them.
So it is a timely process for us. Although it would be easiest to carry over product developed for overseas, and much cheaper for us too, it isn’t the most practical solution in making sure we produce the best suspension kits for the money.
For more information on our Suspension Research & Development, and if you have a vehicle we are looking for, please visit the following link
Recently, the boys at Sparco Rally xD have been in the middle of prepping their rally car for tarmac duty in preparation of the annual Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Pikes Peak, CO. Although it was originally scheduled to run in July, a wildfire broke out, postponing the event which is now tentatively set for August 12.
But this didn’t stop the Rally xD boys from getting their car ready. As I posted previously, they had a rear beam axle failure. Fortunately, not much was damaged and a new beam was put in (after they reinforced the new beam, that is) along with some rear cosmetic work. Other than that, the car is back to normal!
I must say, this car looks plenty tough in this configuration- 18″ Volk TE37’s on a lowered suspension we’ve helped set up specifically for this tarmac event.
More on the event- The Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb is in its 90th year. That’s right. People have been crazy enough to race vehicles up the 14,100 ft elevation, all while risking the the potential of falling over the ledge (there isn’t much in the way of barriers, except for some select sections of road) and sent tumbling down since the first World War. This all in a quest to clock the lowest elapsed time up the hill. It’s essentially Time Attack, but on a 13 mile road course and with the aforementioned hazard.
Old timey racing.
New for this year is a completely paved course. In previous runs, it was a mixture of pavement and hard packed dirt. So, as you can imagine, one vehicle setup had to serve dual purpose for these dual road conditions. Not an easy feat. The current record to the top is 9:51:278 in a Suzuki SX4. A Suzuki SX4 that resembles very little of the commuter car we can see on local roads.
This race car sports a 910bhp, turbocharged v6 engine with all that power going to all four tires. And that aero looks like it was jacked straight out of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works program, just mounted upside down for road-shoving downforce. So, while it really isn’t a mirror image of an SX4, it’s definitely for the better.
High altitude racing is far from easy. For any of you that have been to areas of high elevation, you probably notice how out of breath you are, even for just a simple walk. Trying to work out in high elevation is even tougher! So imagine a car in which the engine breathes in air to make power does the same thing. Only this time, as the car approaches the 12,000 ft elevation mark, it is down on power by about 30%. This is the effect of elevation- the higher up you go, the less dense the air is. And that lower density air carries less of the power producing oxygen we and our cars need to keep a’moving.
So that explains the big turbocharged horsepower figures. The more air (and fuel) you can force into the engine, the better the chances of it surviving any major loss in power the higher up in altitude it goes.
Good thing the Rally xD is turbocharged, then. It may not be in the 900 bhp mark, but any little bit helps the somewhat tiny 1.8 liter four cylinder.
As always, we hope the Rally xD boys do a great job at this event. By the time you’ve read this, they had already completed the New England Forest Rally (July 13-14), then prep for Pikes Peak again, then back to gravel setup for the Olympus Rally (Sept. 22-23). Daaaaaang, yo! Get some rest somewhere in between all of that, PLEASE!!!
Well hello there world. This month I want the spotlight to focus on Rob Symonds’ S13.
Rob contacted us around mid May for an overhaul + revalving for his TEIN HE dampers. We got the job done and satisfied our customers expectation. After everything was said and done he shoots us an email that makes me fall out of my seat! Yeah I’ve seen s13’s driving around and in car shows but this one I must say is at the top of my list.
His request sounded easy enough. But Rob was also pretty specific with what he wanted. This didn’t turn out to be a standard damper rebuild for us. Then again, Rob isn’t your regular ‘ol car guy. He knows exactly what he wants. To get the most out of a damper revalve, we ask a gamut of questions about the car, the setup, the types of road courses it races on, etc. Sometimes we get more information than we need, but Rob didn’t talk up a storm about his engine modifications- in fact, his motor is a stock, naturally aspirated KA24. It was previously a turbocharged motor, detuned for simplicity and reliability’s sake (did we mention that Rob is an engineer at Garrett? He definitely knows his way around a motor!), Roll cage, or vented fiber glass hood. Not once did he mentioned his 17 inch Enkei RPF1 wheels, Hoosier A6 slick tires, or HAWK DTC-60 brake pads. He also did not tell us about his long list of sponsors or 5 minutes of fame on this years January edition of Modified Magazine. Then again, some details are better left unsaid. Maybe not! We wanted to hear more!
Rob is simply a race enthusiast. He spends time building his car to get the setup right, just like many of you out there, all in a quest for the quickest time around the track! We appreciate guys just like Rob!
Check out the images and video below to get the corner panels point of view of this 240 on the track.
Back again with some more useful tech info this time for EDFC fitment verification.
We are always receiving calls regarding EDFC fitment on older kits or kits which may not have any details of EDFC compatibility. I was able to obtain some info on some specific areas ,clearances, and measurements that should be focused on when checking for compatibility.
Checking piston shaft compatibility
Inspect the top threaded portion of the of the dampers piston shaft making sure that the shaft is threaded all the way to the top of the shaft. Some shafts may have the flat machined edges, but the threads continue on the other rounded sides. Those can still work. The other type as shown below would have an area around the top of the piston shaft with no threads which not allow the EDFC motor to mount up.
Measuring piston shaft thread amount
Taking a measurement of the same area which protrudes out from the mount, measuring from the edge of the nut to the tip of the shaft. If the measurement is more than 7mm in length, then the EDFC would have enough space to bolt on. Any less and there would not be sufficient space for the motor.
Checking compartment space for EDFC motor
Taking a measurement from the top of the click assembly a vertical measurement of over 24mm as well as a 50mm horizontal measurement using the center of the piston shaft as the center point. Any clearances less than those detailed would interfere with either the hood or other engine compartment components and/or interior.
Caution! When checking these areas please note that the measurements provided above are the minimum required clearances for the EDFC motor installation. Please keep in mind that depending on the mount type used on the damper kit, the motor might move vertically which may require further clearance. Modifications and/or removal of supportive device around piston shaft top, insulator and/or interior might be required to allow for fitment. EDFC, in conjunction with any tower bars/strut bars may not allow enough clearance across the piston shaft for certain applications. Installation of the EDFC on any vehicles/ dampers on which TEIN had not confirmed fitment compatibility should be done at your own discretion. TEIN assumes no responsibility for any damaged and warranty void for such installations.
Always exercise caution when trying to install the EDFC units on your application whether the kit has been confirmed for fitment or the guide detailed above is being used to determine fitment. Uncertain of the installation? You can always take a look back at an early post for the EDFC installation for help.
As we previously mentioned, the Sparco Rally xD team had a rear twist beam axle failure during the last event, Susquehannock Trail Rally in PA. Once they got the car back down to California, they dropped off the rear dampers to us for inspection/repair.
Like we stated before, we knew that the dampers had some damage and broke the piston shafts. Here’s a look at the carnage
Remote hose was ripped right off. The shell case took a few hard impacts causing some dents. Now onto the piston shafts
The above picture shows the top of the shell case where the ring nut seals off the damper. The piston shaft broke midway and the remaining pieces recessed into the damper with oil coming out this ring nut portion. The top portion of the piston shaft was still attached to the shock tower.
This pic below shows the piston shaft broken towards the top, snapping right off after the twist beam axle gave way.
But after a full teardown, we saw that the inner tube (where the piston is inside of) was still intact. The outer shell case took a hit, but the inner tube was unscathed during this violent axle breakage. Here’s a pic showing the dent
The second pic from the top shows the other indentation on the shell case.
On a mono tube damper, this wouldn’t fare so well with that type of dent. Since the piston would reside right against the inner lining of the shell case of a mono tube damper any imperfection to the case will make it either impossible to function properly, or to be field stripped, or both. This is what I meant as testament to the durability of the twin tube damper structure and this case shows it well!
If you’re wondering why we would make a twin tube damper for a rally car, there’s a bit more to it than just the damage that could be inflicted to it physically. Our HG twin tube structure isn’t like a normal damper.
In a standard twin tube damper, there is still an inner tube that contains the piston shaft and piston. This area is fully submersed in damper oil. From the bottom of the damper and through the base valve controlling oil flow into the outside of the inner tube (inside of the shell case) is where there is some oil and the nitrogen gas charge. This charge is important in sufficiently providing rebound force to the damper.
What we do with the HG is fill the inner and outer tube with damper oil.
But wait. If you fill a damper full of incompressible oil and no compressible gas like nitrogen, then technically the piston shaft will never recess into the damper and it wouldn’t function at all.
That is true. But this is also why we utilize an external reservoir to keep the nitrogen charge separate. With this, we can eliminate any chance of aeration (nitrogen gas mixing with damper oil, causing it to froth, decreasing damping effectiveness) while still being able to secure sufficient rebound. The twin tube structure also allows ample stroke length for a given shell case size compared to a similarly built mono tube damper.
So why not utilize this design into all rally suspension? Mono tube dampers still have many great benefits- they dissipate heat better; when inverted, they decrease unsprung weight (you can technically invert our HG damper, btw); they allow a larger piston size; overall damper oil volume can be much higher. They also allow for us to use our Group N.technologies, which aren’t readily applicable to twin tube dampers
But mono tube rally dampers are a much higher investment as development costs are quite high. Also, they are physically much larger in length and body diameter. the pistons used in them are much larger too, which is key for precise damping control.
So in the end, the HG is still very capable and also very durable at a much more reasonable price!
Anyway, enough ranting. We went right to work getting it rebuilt with new shafts and internal seals. this time, we stuck with our shorter length reservoir hose, still giving the team the freedom to reposition the external tank for their needs.
Awwww. Looking as spiffy as it will ever be! Ready for more abuse!!!
Speaking of which, here’s a video the Rally xD team posted from their blog showing the twist beam axle breakage
If you’ve been following the Sparco Rally xD team as much as we have, then you know that they have consistently placed podium finishes. As of the Oregon Trail Rally (May 4-6), they temporarily held 1st in championship points under the 2wd class. Good stuff! That’s not an easy task, mind you!
Consistency is key. If you follow these dudes on Facebook and/or Twitter, you’ll see that they completely rework the car after every event, going down their laundry list of items to check, making sure that all components are good to go or replaced if needed well before the next race. I must add that they run a very tight ship- only a handful of guys working on this car. They not only serve as pit crew and transportation, but I’m guessing also as entertainment for their driver and co-driver Andrew Comrie-Picard and Andrew Wimpey. Geez. That’s a lot of work!
After every three or four events, they normally send their custom HG dampers to us for inspection. In some cases, they go longer without inspection, especially when they quickly have to prep for the next event. As with anything rally, these parts take a beating! In our case, it’s normally exterior coatings that get blasted off by dirt and gravel. Minor concern, i suppose.
Before the Oregon Trail Rally on May 4th-6th, Crew Chief Philip Chase brought in the dampers for a quick check. Surprisingly, nothing to really change on the front dampers.
Jon a.k.a. Sir Smiles-A-Lot Inspects The Front Dampers.
But for the rear, he requested remote reservoir mounting (tank detached from damper body), rather than the external mounting (tank attached to damper body) to give them freedom to reposition the external tank and add some needed clearance in the wheel well. Since that kind of work requires complete damper tear down, we overhauled the rear dampers for them. Now they have the reservoir attached by way of a braided steel hose, allowing them to reconfigure reservoir arrangement (they still keep the reservoir close to the damper body, just upside down and a few degrees in towards the chassis).
Still, even with all this preparation and constant rebuilding, something is bound to go wrong in the world of rally. Case in point- the Susquehannock Trail Rally (June 1-3) proved to be the breaking point for the Rally xD. This time, a fatigued rear twist beam axle gave way, pulling apart the axle and the damper assemblies. Ouch! Seven consecutive events can easily do this to a car and its parts. But seven events is also a long time of service! Seems the xD ain’t no cheapo box, afterall!
Susquehannock is no joke. check out this video showing the driving conditions they face
Fortunately, the break was at the beam. So it looks like they’ll be able to repair the car in time for the next event. Also, it seems that our customized HG rear dampers may be able to be repaired, too! That’s testament to the strong twin tube structure of the dampers that can take a good amount of punishment!
Next up is preparation for Pikes Peak, then off to New England Forest Rally (NEFR). They’ve got some time to knock out repairs.
I wish them the best this season, as these hard-working guys continue to do a great job time and again. On our end, we’ll continue to do the best we can to make sure their TEIN HG dampers are in top working order!
Keep it up, guys!
For an econobox, this Rally xD is one tough shoe!.
There’s some good recap of the events at Rally America’s website
www.rally-america.com
And of course, the dudes at Sparco Rally xD keep their blog up-to-date!
www.rallyxd.com
You can also follow them on Facebook (Rally xD) and Twitter (@RallyxD)! Oh, and you can follow us on Facebook, too (TEIN USA, Inc.)!
P.S.- if you were to look up the Finnish term “Sisu”, I’m almost positive that you’d find a picture of the Rally xD team. Look it up!
