We’ve finally received our first shipment from TEIN Japan for 2015! Actually, we were expecting these items at the beginning of the year (Jan. 6th, to be exact). However, due to continuing strikes at the Port of Long Beach, we had to delay this shipment for way longer than expected.
But, now these new parts are available!!!
Contact your nearest authorized TEIN Dealer for purchasing!
Little interest in the past had come for damper kits on minivans in the U.S. If any inquiries, most were for the Honda Odyssey 95-98 RA1 and Toyota Previa (Estima) TCR20/21 90-97.
Many years later and minivan interest has gone up. Why? Utility. Small families need a vehicle with ample room, easy access, and convertibility. However, they need something more economical than the typical Chevy Suburban. The minivan provides that. And these days, minivans are equipped with more than just power windows and am/fm radio. Now, you can find full entertainment systems, passenger HVAC controls, and even individual seats (compared to bench seats). Minivans are starting to look way better than the Conversion Vans of the past (WAY BETTER). So many vehicle manufacturers have learned to grow with the trend, and now there are many minivan offerings.
In Japan, and some other countries in Asia, minivans make a lot of sense, especially for the aforementioned reasons. If you only have room for one vehicle, why not make it a true utility vehicle? As we have been told, minivans are even popular with the younger generation. So, this eventually led to an aftermarket for the minivan crowd. TEIN has been manufacturing damper kits for minivans for years. One of our most popular, but now discontinued, was our HYBRID DAMPER kit, which looked similar to a SUPER STREET/STREET ADVANCE setup but had a hydraulically controlled lower bracket to adjust ride height ~40mm up/down. This gave lowered minivan owners extra ground clearance, especially important for owners who had minivans with body kits (true story; you can see some kitted vans in these pics).
The minivan may not necessarily be badged as the “Soccer Mom” vehicle of choice, with SUV’s, and even crossover SUV’s, having continued to grow in popularity in the U.S., but they’ve been catching on in the U.S. One common inquiry we receive is for the Toyota Sienna. Consumers asked for damper kit availability for this application. Previously, another JDM vehicle model (Toyota Alphard) damper kit had been confirmed to work with the Sienna. However it did have some slight complications with the rear damper mounting assembly angle causing noise issues.
Finally it looks like we may have hit the nail on the head, as damper kits are now being produced for the 2011+ Sienna’s. The product was designed and tested in our TEIN Hong Kong branch. The vehicle was actually an imported U.S. model Sienna, and the current Sienna is also being imported to other countries, including Japan, which gave them a chance to also confirm testing. With these considerations in its favor, we have decided to release a STREET FLEX damper kit.
The STREET FLEX offers a full-length adjustable body, damping force adjustable with EDFC compatibility, and Hardened Rubber Style Uppermount assembly for the front allowing for an increase in steering response and handling compared to the OE mounts, as well as noise dampening for added comfort when compared to coilover systems with the Pillowball Style Uppermount assemblies. As the “STREET FLEX” name implies it was designed for the streets which means a comfortable yet sporty ride for a daily driven minivan.
So now it would be a fight between moms and dads as to who gets to drive low down spec minivan to soccer practice or the grocery store. For further details on this kit please use the weblink below, or contact us direct to 562-861-9161.
Last December we ran a special through our authorized dealers, which we were happy to see doing really well!. For 2015, we’ve added some new changes, including reduced MSRP on our STREET BASIS & STREET ADVANCE coilovers.
However, we see that there is also a great demand for our STREET FLEX coilovers, and many of our authorized dealers were asking if we could extend the extra discount we were giving them.
So, we are happy to keep our STREET FLEX special going on from now until March 31, 2015!!!
If you are new to our products and interested in knowing more about our STREET FLEX coilovers, we’ve designed them to be a full-featured coilover package giving the customer most of the necessary components for a completely adjustable suspension. These features include:
– Full-length adjustment (ride height is separate of spring preload).
– Twin tube damper structure, providing maximum damper stroke length in a shortened damper body.
– 16-way damping force adjustment (rebound only), using our ADVANCE NEEDLE technology providing wide-range damping force change per click setting.
– Included upper mounts (most macpherson strut type dampers are camber adjustable for fronts).
– ZT coated threaded body providing smooth adjustment for ride height and spring preload, as well as excellent corrosion resistance in all conditions.
– Patented “2 Layer/1 Bake” powdercoating (including shot blasted, zinc coated steel damper bodies and brackets).
– EDFC Series compatible (EDFC II, EDFC ACTIVE, EDFC ACTIVE PRO).
– Fully serviceable (damper overhaul and revalve services available through TEIN USA, Inc.).
– 1 year warranty against any manufacturer’s defects.
While designed for street use, we’ve valved the STREET FLEX dampers aggressively for the best sporty ride feel while still maintaining a great balance in ride comfort and high performance handling. For those looking to eventually take their car to the track, the STREET FLEX coilovers are a great starting point! Combine the features of our STREET FLEX dampers with one of our EDFC ACTIVE PRO setups and you’ll have a completely active suspension kit that adjusts damping according to your driving conditions!! These features, typically found on high-end sport and luxury vehicles can now be had at reasonable prices for your favorite vehicle!
Unfortunately, we cannot disclose the details of the STREET FLEX special directly to our customers. They are, without a doubt, one of the deepest discounts we’ve offered. So we highly recommend getting a hold of one of our authorized dealers to find out pricing for your specific application!
Please check our Dealer List to find the authorized TEIN dealer in your area, or give us a call at 562-861-9161 for assistance in finding a retailer!!!
We’re happy to announce that we’ve reduced the prices on our STREET BASIS and STREET ADVANCE coilover lines for 2015!!!
Our STREET BASIS coilovers are our entry-level coilover custom tuned for each vehicle application. Tested and developed in the U.S., we’ve matched damper valving to our carefully selected spring rates to provide the best ride comfort while giving you the high performance ride and handling you’re expecting. STREET BASIS coilovers are ideal for the daily driver needing the very basics in features, but wanting little compromise in ride quality. One of our best sellers!
STREET ADVANCE coilovers are built on the same platform as STREET BASIS coilovers, but have the added benefit of damping adjustment using our ADVANCE NEEDLE technology. This allows the driver to custom tune damping based on their driving conditions. Harsh road conditions? Set rebound damping to a softer setting. Glass smooth surface? Crank rebound damping to a stiffer setting and get a great feel for handling performance. Some STREET ADVANCE coilovers are compatible with our EDFC series (EDFC II, EDFC ACTIVE, & EDFC ACTIVE PRO).
Built in TEIN Japan’s Yokohama factory, we manufacture our coilovers using the latest in damper coating technology. Our 2 Layer/1 Bake powdercoating applies our famous green color, but prior to that, we treat all steel components to a surface blasting so that the next step, zinc coating, will adhere much better to the steel surface. Zinc coating is the second step to corrosion prevention (first being the green powdercoating).
We also apply our patented ZT coating to all threaded bodies. ZT coating provides a Teflon type material that is impregnated into the steel body. This translates into smooth height adjustment and excellent wear characteristics to threaded components under heavy load.
Like most of our product line, the STREET BASIS and STREET ADVANCE DAMPERS are available for overhaul and revalving at our TEIN USA, Inc. facility. Whether it’s a simple rebuild to factory specification or a custom valving for uprated springs, we can assist you with getting your STREET BASIS or STREET ADVANCE DAMPERS valved to your specifications!
Like all TEIN products, we provide a 1 year warranty against any manufacturer’s defects!
Just to give you an example, starting price for STREET BASIS was $700. For 2015, we’ve cut starting price down to $590!
For STREET ADVANCE coilovers, we’ve reduced starting price to $690! Originally, these started at $940. That’s a huge savings!
Now is definitely the time to buy the coilovers you wanted, and when you’re talking TEIN quality at these kinds of prices, it’s practically a steal!!!
No, not really. I’m just kidding.
But, we did put a short cartoon out regarding our EDFC Active Pro. In the cartoon, it shows the benefits of active damping force while going around a long sweeper.
Although it is a very short video, what it is trying to explain is how our EDFC Active Control Unit will make adjustments based on the vehicle’s dynamics. Within the controller we have an accelerometer that adjusts damping based on g-force loading. There is also an available speed-based damping force setting using either the optional GPS Kit (especially for the EDFC Active) or by obtaining the speed signal from the vehicle’s ECU (this feature is available on the EDFC Active Pro only).
In the video, the driver who starts falling behind complains about roll understeer. Initially, he believes the leading car has their suspension tuned only for low-speed damping (which would mean a compromise in high speed damping force control). However, with EDFC Active/EDFC Active Pro, we’re able to negate the side effects of such one-setting tuning. Now you can have a suspension kit fully adaptable to your driving conditions!
We’ll be putting out more videos to show the other benefits of our system and why a racing enthusiast such as yourself may find our product suitable for you!
In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding our EDFC Active and/or EDFC Active Pro, please give our sales staff a call at 562-861-9161 or email us at tus_sales@tein.com for assistance! We’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have!
You read that right- a Subaru Outback. We actually never fitted our suspension on the Outback variant of any Subaru, Legacy or Impreza. We are aware of the various differences there are, mainly the overall ride height being much higher on these models. However, all suspension pick-up points seem to be the same.
Ryan and George from Ziptie Dynowerks contacted us with a rush request. One of their guys at the shop needed suspension for his Subaru Legacy Outback for a weekend track day event. This was on Wednesday, so we had to get the kit out to them as soon as possible.
After all was said and done, they decided to put up a nice review on our product! We appreciate getting this from them! Check it out when you have a chance!!!
Not your average Subaru Legacy!!!
If you have questions regarding suspension options for a Subaru Legacy Outback, Ziptie Dynowerks are your go-to guys and can give to the rundown of what you need, what will work, and what can work with a little finesse! Give them a call at 801-784-0386 or visit them on the web at www.ziptiedynowerks.com
With 2014 coming to a close, it’s now time for TEIN USA to work on bringing you some new products for 2015, and we’re working hard to get a new line of “Z” coilovers available by Spring of 2015!!!
That means that we have quite a few specials on coilovers, such as our STREET BASIS, STREET ADVANCE, and STREET FLEX coilover lines! Through our authorized dealer network, we’re running a “December Special” for the remainder of 2014. While I cannot disclose how much we’re giving our dealers, I will say that these are some of the deepest discounts we’ve ever offered on new products.
Now is a great time to purchase the suspension you want while saving some money,,,,,,,, that can go towards Christmas gifts,,,, for friends and family,,,,, I guess!
Contact your nearest authorized TEIN dealer for more information and pricing!
Need help in finding the nearest TEIN dealer in your area? Follow our dealer link to find one!
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!!!!
and some Defi, Carbing, Takata, and ATI products!
Happy shopping!!!
It seems as though lately we’ve been having a high increase in complaints from consumers about tire rubbing.
Now this rubbing encountered is not necessarily coming from the original OE wheel and tires but rather aftermarket wheel and tire set ups.
With this in mind a common sense factor should be taken into consideration but is always thrown out the window as the car must look sweet with an aggressive offset. Bear in mind that not just any wheel and tire set up can be used on any vehicles.
Many consumers that do achieve the desired fitment would also require further modifications to the wheel well and other suspension components. The rubbing has nothing to do with the lowering spring or coilover set up as it never was any type of issue upon the initial testing of the vehicle with the OE wheels. Now the lowering spring or coilover set up may not be to the consumers expectations, either allowing for too much travel when weight is placed on a particular corner of the vehicle causing the rubbing, or not enough to bring the wheel and fender clearance to the desired place.
I, too, have ran across this dilemma thinking that the wheel and tire set up would be sufficient enough for the drop I was looking to maintain. With the same issue encountered, rather than blame others for my error, I decided to make further modifications as to allow for the fitment. Let’s just say that it still encountered rubbing at full suspension compression but worked well enough for me.
So, before you decide to lower your vehicle and get new wheels, consider certain factors such as wheel size (diameter, width, and offset) as well as tire size (width and outside diameter). These factors can affect overall wheel fitment and can cause problems with rubbing if not taken into consideration.
***Images shown above were those found on google search and I do not take any type of claim to them being images of my own.***
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!
Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX (Street FF class)- 1:59.639
2nd Place Finish!
Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord Limited FF class)- 1:55.241
3rd Place Finish (behind Sportcar Motion’s Integra)!
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!
*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.
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!
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!
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.
We also fancied the Spoon Sports Civic Type R being piloted by Dai Yoshihara! Ran a super quick 1:48 in Unlimited FF!!!
And this year’s overall winner- GST Motorsports’ GC8 piloted by Jeff Westphal! 1:38!!!!! Whoa
