We’re back to revisit the installation of that Roll Center Kit with the addition of other Lower Arm Bushing installs.
Due to the demands of the customers SuperPro has made an addition of Outer Tie Rod Ends to their Roll Center Kits.
Also, if you are comparing the previous Roll Center Adjuster to the one in the new kit you will notice that the design has slightly changed.
The new design does not take away from the functionality of the product at all.
Side by side comparison of the OE Tie Rod End and SuperPro’s.
A new addition to the Evo X SuperPro line up is the Lower Arm Rear Inner Bushing aka the Duroball.
There are two different part numbers for this product.
There is the Standard version which you see below.
Not pictured is the Caster Adj. version.
Removing the OE Bushing is a simple matter of pressing it out. Just make sure you have the right tools.
Side by side comparison of the OE and SuperPro Bushings.
The Lower Arm Front Inner Bushing remains the same. The removal and installation can be reviewed in the previous post.
After installation of all the new Bushings and Adjusters, a true blue Lower Arm.
Make sure to load up the suspension to 1G before tightening all of the bolts and nuts.
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
What’s up guys? If you are still not sure on what the difference is between compression and rebound on a damper, let me explain. Compression damping is the force experienced when the damper is being compressed. In the case of most vehicles, this is when the damper moves upwards relative to its mounting position; a good example is when you hit a bump at high speeds on the road. If there was no compression on your shocks or struts your tire would just move upwards along with the vehicle, losing contact with the ground. With compression, the tire will deflect over the bump allowing the damper to absorb the impact (hence the name- Shock Absorber) and the tire will extend back to its original state, all the while reducing the vehicle’s motion and not disturbing the comfort of you and your passengers.
Rebound damping is the force that is experienced when a shock absorber returns from its compressed state to its original state. When a damper is in the process of rebound the spring goes from being compressed back to normal releasing all the tension from the compression. In some cases the ride feels bouncy or stiff because of the spring rate and/or damping force settings not being compatible. Keep in mind that if you have a damping force adjustable coil over the stiffer your settings are the slower the rebound. The softer your settings are the faster the rebound.
An example that we offer from TEIN is our Super Racing kit which gives you the advantage to tailor the compression and rebound aspect of the dampers (2-way adjustment). The adjustment is provided by two dedicated adjustment knobs, one being on the top of the piston shaft for rebound while the other is on the reservoir tank for compression or the bottom of the damper on strut applications. As mentioned earlier you also have to take in consideration the spring rate you are using with your coil over kit.
Super Racing with separate compression and rebound adjustment
Another example, this time with emphasis on the importance of damper rebound, would be our Group N dampers with F.R.S. (Fast Rebound System). In rally, where the surface is less than smooth and has many transitions in traction, there are many times where the wheel will lose contact with the ground. This translates into time lost trying to accelerate and gain grip.
Group N dampers with F.R.S.
This purely mechanical feature detects when the tire has lost traction and activates the by-pass valve to allow rebound force to decrease momentarily, letting the wheel and tire extend further down.
The picture above shows the difference between the standard Group N dampers to the Group N with F.R.S. This seemingly small feature makes a world of difference in much needed traction.
If you are in the market for new dampers, we’d like to hear your suspension needs. Feel free to give us a call to hear our recommendations!
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!
Hey everyone, back again with something different than usual. Recently my good friend Brian of J.T. Motoring in Hyde Park, MA. had sent me over picks of a car he had been working on for a close customer. This is definitely a clean ride.
The owner Bill Petrucci definitely knew what he wanted when he came to Brian. From the Nardi E-brake lever to the custom one-off Project Mu big brake kit this car is eye candy. Of course me being a (Low Down Spec) type of guy I would say that the ride height of the vehicle is not too bad but can always go lower!
The interior is set up with matching Bride XAX red leather seats, Limited Edition (Top Secret) Personal Neo Grinta steering wheel with Works Bell Splash hub and quick release matching well with the seats, and Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi Shift Knob which is a sweet looking knob.
The exterior is sleek Black Obsidian with some custom painted headlights and grill which look awesome. The car is rockin’ 20″ Advan RZ-DF on Falken FK45deuces sitting on TEIN Type Flex’s with a custom mounted EDFC unit in the ashtray.
Listed below are all of the mods done to this G. Brian definitely took his time and extra effort to make this G37 S look like it came right out of a Hyper-Rev or Options JDM Magazine. Hats off to him for this build. If you are looking to change up your ride and are in the Hyde Park area, hit up Brian at J.T. Motoring to get you hooked up.
Zele Performance Front Bumper
Zele Performance Side Skirts
Zele Performance Rear Bumper
35% Tint
Painted Front Grille
Custom-Painted Headlights (w/ HID D2S 6K Super White Bulbs)
SUSPENSION
Tein Flex w/ EDFC Technology
SPC Front Camber Arms
SPC Rear Camber Arms
Cusco Front & Rear Anti-Sway Bars
Cusco Front Strut Tower Bar
GT Spec 2 Points Subframe Reinforcement Brace
GT Spec 4 Point Ladder Brace
GT Spec Rear Lower Lateral Brace
GT Spec Rear Lower Tie Brace
INTERIOR
Bride XAX II Seats – Red Leather w/ Gradation
Bride Rails/Sliders
Nissan R35 GT-R Start Button
Redline Goods E-Brake & Shift Boot
Nardi E-Brake Lever
Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi Shift Knob
Personal Neo Grinta (330MM) Steering Wheel (Limited Edition Top Secret/Personal Wheel)
Works Bell Quick Release
Works Bell Splash Hub
LED Lighting
PERFORMANCE
Power House Amuse R-Titan Exhaust
Tanabe Y-Pipe
MXP Double-Resonated Test Pipes
HKS Racing Suction Reloaded Intake
UpRev Tune
Stillen Short Shifter
HKS Limited Edition Oil Cap
HKS Limited Edition Radiator Cap
From Left to Right (FR-S First owner. Troy and Young from 5 Axis)
Penske Toyota in Downey, CA had a Release party for the New Scion FR-S and for the First Penske Scion FR-S Owner. We happened to be there since it’s not to far from our warehouse and we have actually been testing the Scion FR-S that 5 Axis let us borrow.
This is the FR-S we have been testing on it looks good on our S-Tech lowering springs that we have been developing for the US models. Ride height drop is approximately -35mm front and -30mm rear, giving the car a great stance, especially with plus-sized wheels.
It was good seeing that not only did they have the FR-S to show, but they had multiple Toyota/ Scion vehicles, some being 5 Axis customers and others being Toyota enthusiasts of new and old. This evening’s event also included a raffle, showroom models of FR-S’s to check out, a DJ, and also some barbecue for attendees.
To date, we have officially release the following parts
S.Tech Lowering springs
lowers -35mm front and -30mm rear
part number SKQ54-AUB00, msrp $280
High Tech lowering springs
lowers -25mm front and -20mm rear
part number SKSA0-G1B00, msrp $310
Type Flex damper kit
preload & height adjustable (-55mm – +5mm front, -45mm – +5mm rear)
damping adjustable (16-way)
Incl. Pillowball upper mounts (camber adjustable front mount)
EDFC Compatible (sold separately)
part number DSQ54-61SS1, msrp $1790
