Monthly Archives: March 2013

Coilover Mixing Headaches

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Hey Everyone! Back again with some more tech tips which hopefully help out with you TEIN coilover systems.

Generally around this time of the year we receive many TEIN dampers sent in for our overhaul service. Most customers are looking to do a base repair and possibly consider some replacement parts for the dampers.

P1070270 (Small)

However, some times the parts they are looking for may not exactly be a TEIN part. Some coilover kits we offer at times may not come with the pillowball uppermount as a feature desired and the customer decided to look elsewhere for a mount that they can adapt to the coilover system. Although some companies do claim that their pillow mounts would work with multiple manufacturers, the possiblilty of a misinstallation is still there, as you can see from the attached photos.

P1070284 (Small) P1070281 (Small) P1070279 (Small)

 

Most pillow mounts offered utilize the following components:

1) A  design-specific lower collar or washer which the bottom of the mount would sit against on the damper piston shaft.

2) A collar or pillow nut (Pillow nuts commonly used on Macpherson strut type dampers) used above the mount to center and maintain the mount bearing to the piston shaft.

3) A top nut (Commonly used on Multi-link type dampers) to secure the mount to the piston shaft.

Even if used on the dampers it may not be the correct type/design for the piston shaft causing the mount to be loose creating noise during normal operation and/or odd wear to the the piston shaft surface which can eventually lead to a break on the shaft, or can even catastrophic internal damages due to a design flaw which would allow the component to bypass the bump stop and max out the damper stroke.

P1070272 (Small) P1070271 (Small) P1070276 (Small)

All of these situations can definitely take a bit out of you wallet and give you a bad headache. With the details and photos shown, I do caution anyone who does consider mix-n-matching coilover system components. Make sure that fitment is solid, and check the fitment if any noises are heard And if multiple collars are required to properly mount, you may want to consider not using the mounts and whether going with another type or just sticking with the coilover manufacturers recommendations. It would save you time, money, and a bad headache.

2013 HONDA ACCORD PRODUCT NOW IN DEVELOPMENT

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To all 2013 Honda Accord owners waiting for TEIN Suspension…

2013-Honda-Accord-Sedan-Rear-Angle

 

We are in the final stages of development for both the Springs and Coil-over applications for the 2013 Accord.

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These suspension components will be available by August of this year. I know it’s still about 5 months away, but you know what they say- “the best things in life are worth waiting for.”

We will update you with part numbers and pricing as we get closer to the release date.

 

The Return Of Counterfeit TEIN

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Earlier this year I posted a blog about counterfeit TEIN products.  It looks like there may be more out there than what we thought. We recently  received another damper for a potential overhaul repair. After a closer look at the design we confirmed this damper was also a counterfeit. We contacted the damper’s owner and informed him that his coilover kit was a just a copy of ours.  The customer was shocked and disappointed to hear he purchased a counterfeit coilover system.

Looks pretty standard compared to a TEIN damper from the side.

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This view from the top shows the piston shaft looking down towards the ring nut. We don’t put a seal such as you see hear that states “Warranty VOID if seal broken”

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Although the black coating may look similar to our ZT coating, it is in fact just a black paint.

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Again, we highly recommend our customers to only purchase from TEIN authorized dealers. Avoid purchasing on eBay, as you may very well be the next victim to purchase a counterfeit coilover system. Please visit the link provided below to locate the nearest TEIN authorized dealer to you.

http://www.tein.com/dealer_list/index.html

 

Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Break Their Stride

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Serious question- When will Evasive Motorsports take a break from building fast cars?

Actually, I’m hoping they never stop. But really, they seem to just crank them out each year.

For some of you devout Evasive Motorsports fans, you already know they’re making room at their shop by selling their record-shattering AP2 Honda S2000 (1:53.99 around Buttonwillow CW13 under the Street RWD class). Yes, sad news for them, but great news for anyone looking for a well-built roadster!

In its place a new Subaru BRZ.

Yeah, we know. We’ve been posting a lot about the FR-S and BRZ. With good intention! Not only has it generated so much buzz as the “It” car for 2013, but they’ve shown to be quite capable around the track with minimal modifications. Just over a week ago, we posted about CounterSpace Garage’s review on our Super Racing dampers for the same vehicle. The praise we’ve received for our coilovers has been great! But really, we’re just glad to see that people have accepted this new vehicle platform and have already done some great things with it. So, like it or not, we’re going to keep posting about this fine platform!

Anyway, Evasive got right to work on this car. Not long after picking up the car from the dealership lot (I mean literally within the same hour) we received a call from Mike Chang. He was looking for suspension. As luck would have it, we had another set of Super Racing dampers for them to use (the first set with CounterSpace Garage). So from dealership, to TEIN USA, and right to Evasive’s stomping grounds to get this new project underway.

Along with our Super Racing coilovers, this BRZ sports Rays 57Xtreme 18×9.5 all around fitted with Advan AD08’s, Project Mu Club Racer pads, EVS Tuning 70mm front pipe and single exit exhaust, Cusco Adjustable Rear Lower Control Arm, and a Voltex Type 1S rear wing.

Quite a simple setup. I may be missing some other small details. But the largest detail- veteran Time Attack driver Robert (a.k.a. MaxRev) Walker will be hotshoeing this ride around the track.

During a test session on Feb 16th, Rob put down an initial lap time of 2:01 around Buttonwillow’s CW13 layout. The very same layout that has been used during Redline Time Attack, Super Lap Battle, and Global Time Attack’s events.

Mighty fast for such minimal modifications!

With this initial time, I’m sure the crew at Evasive will be able to whittle that down well into the sub 2 minute figures. We’ll be working closely with them as they get this new project dialed in!EVS BRZ (Custom)

New Damper Keychain!

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Introducing the NEW DAMPER KEYCHAIN!.

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TN016-008-GB

Here is a brief description of the keychain. There are no major differences between the  size of the current Damper Key Chain TN016-008 with the new model, as shown on the images below the major differences will be the color of the Shock Body, Upper Mount, Spring, and Seat Locks.

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This damper key chain also comes with the Adjust Wrenches so that the lower bracket and spring seats can be adjusted and locked to the drop height of your choice.

The part number of the new damper keychain is TN016-008-GB and would retail for $13, the same price as the original. This keychain can be purchased from any of our TEIN Authorized Dealers or through our Online Shop.

Below are some more images of the new damper keychain as well as older damper keychain for a better look at the two. Both will be sold side by side which would leave you with the ultimate question of which to choose from or an easier solution would be to pickup both keychains! The choice is yours!

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EDFC Motor Extension Kit?

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That’s right!! TEIN Japan is currently in the works designing an extension component for the EDFC motors and is called the EDFC Motor Extension Kit. This kit would allow the adaptability of  EDFC and EDFC Active to those kits which may not have enough room or space in the engine compartment or rear trunk/ bulk head area.

P1070198 (Small)

 

Although this extension kit will allow for fitment for those hard to fit areas, keep in mind that some kits even though not EDFC compatible may have other reasons as to why they would not be compatible. The best suggestion would be to either reference my previous blog post “EDFC Fitment Check” to determine  initial compatibility or contact us direct to assist you in determining the compatibility.

This kit seems to be an excellent option even if you have sufficient space in the mounting area. It would tidy up space as well as add a more compact look to the coilover. We will follow up later in the year with an expected release date for the kit, until then you can periodically check both our main website and our blog for any news.

EDFC Active Has Hit the U.S. Shore!

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We’re glad to see the production units of EDFC Active hit our TEIN USA warehouse! Well, actually, it is a production kit we will be using for a test car so we can try it out for ourselves. In any case, glad to finally get our hands on it and play around with different settings and stuff.

Below are some pics that we took of what comes inside the box.

EDFC Active Controller Kit:

The Controller Kit will be packaged with the Control Unit, Power Supply Filter, Two Driver Units, EDFC Motor Cable, Power Cables for the Front and Rear Driver Units. It will also include some necessary installation pieces like Double-sided tape, Zip ties, Branch Connectors, EDFC Hex Screws, and a few other parts.

EDFC Active Production Kit 007 (Custom) EDFC Active Production Kit 008 (Custom)

After getting past the outer box, which is how we ship it out, you’ll find the actual box for the EDFC Active Controller Kit

EDFC Active Production Kit 009 (Custom) EDFC Active Production Kit 016 (Custom)

 

This package contains the Front and Rear Driver Unit Power Cables, Zip ties, EDFC Hex Screws, Branch Connectors (T-taps, as it may be referred to), and a few other install items.EDFC Active Production Kit 018 (Custom)

 

This is the Front and Rear Driver Unit (which the EDFC Motors plug in to), EDFC Active Control Unit, and Power Supply Filter.

EDFC Active Production Kit 021 (Custom)

As you can see, the Driver Unit has the plugs for its own power source to power the EDFC Motors as well as connectors to each EDFC Motor (2 motors per Driver Unit).

EDFC Active Production Kit 022 (Custom)

This is the Power Supply FilterEDFC Active Production Kit 023 (Custom)

This is the EDFC Controller which features all the functions for setting damping to your preference for incremental G-force load. With the optional GPS kit, you will be able to set damping setting increase/decrease based on the vehicles rate of travel (speed). It has a host of other features in such a tiny package.EDFC Active Production Kit 024 (Custom)

The Backside of the EDFC Active Controller has a relief to place the cable, should you need to mount it in a specific fashion that needs the cable to run from either side or below the controller.

EDFC Active Production Kit 029 (Custom)

The optional GPS Kit will come as a small package, too. Basically, it is the sensor and cable as a unit, along with some double-sided tape and serial number.

EDFC Active Production Kit 001 (Custom)

The GPS Unit is physically small. In all, we’ve tried to make the EDFC Active as discrete and unobtrusive a package, so as not to detract from the vehicle’s interior and create excess bulk.

EDFC Active Production Kit 003 (Custom)

We will do a follow-up post once we get this on a test car to give you our evaluation!

Maintaining Your Investment

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We know the purchase of coil-over kits can be an expensive investment, whether you’re buying our product line or a competitor’s. Some have to save up for the purchase while others can buy at their leisure. Nevertheless, maintaining your investment should never be overlooked.

Dirt and debris can potentially be caught in between the seat lock and threads. This can cause the seat locks to “Freeze” if you will, making it very difficult to remove or adjust your ride height. Even worse, dirt/debris can get caught in between the piston rod and seal prematurely damaging the damper(s). The seal will then eventually tear, causing the gas and oil to be released, making the damper(s) unusable and you as a customer very upset and irritated.

We recommend our coil-over systems to be periodically cleaned. You can hose down the dampers or put some love and elbow grease in to it and really detail them. Particularly focus on the piston rod and threads on the shock body. We also recommend to overhaul your damper(s) every 35,000 miles or three years. The internal gas, oil, and seals will be replaced. Doing so will prolong the life span of the dampers.

Keep in mind that upgrading your suspension and not maintaining it is like buying a new Porsche and never washing it. Or getting a new paint job and not waxing it. I can go on and on with similarities.

With that said,……Save your self a headache and  clean your darn suspension!!!

Oh, and of course, if you have any questions regarding overhauls, please feel free to shoot over an inquiry to tus_sales@tein.com!