Author Archives: Jonathan L.

Don’t DIY

Posted on by

It’s no secret that since the beginning of time consumers of products have been attempting DIY fixes in order to cut down on repair costs. Some succeed while others fail at actually repairing whatever it is they want to fix. More often than not, for those who do fail, the repair costs end up exceeding what they could have been had the product been sent in before it was tinkered with.

Our products are no different. A few times out of the month we will receive a product that has had a “home remedy”, a DIY fix attempt. Well, we’re here to tell you this: “Don’t DIY your own repairs!” The end result might turn into a much more costly mistake.

We will take this customer for instance.

(Depending on your vehicle and model your dampers’ components may or may not look the same.)

For a reason that we were unable to figure out, the customer decided to weld the Bump Stopper to the Piston Rod.

A normal Bump Stopper on a Piston Rod without the welding.

The customer’s original issue may have been fixed. However, that’s where the list of pros to doing it themselves ends.

Here’s what the Ring Nut (top of the shock) will look like under normal conditions.

Here’s how the customer’s Ring Nut ended up looking after the damper parts were welded on and the damper was actually driven on.

Because the Bump Stopper could not be removed in the correct manner to make way for servicing of the damper,  the top of the Piston Rod had to be cut off.

This customer was lucky that the damage was limited to that location on the damper only, and that an overhaul was still possible.
But the labor put into the cutting and the cost of the replacement parts that were needed could have been avoided had the customer sent in their damper without the DIY fix that was attempted.

Your DIY fix may not end up as lucky, you may end up damaging the damper beyond any repair.
If you think you can fix an issue that you’re having with your dampers, take a step back and think if the possible extra cost of repairing your “fix” will be worth it.

By the way- if you aren’t sure you have your suspension set up correctly, or you just need to verify the parts of your kit are correct, we ask that you please contact us beforehand and have us assist you with your inquiry. Give us a call at 562-861-9161 or email us at tus_sales@tein.com for assistance.

Warning: Do NOT use impact tools!

Posted on by

When installing our products, namely coilover kits, onto your car, you will probably end up looking through the Installation/Instruction Manual.
In the Installation/Instruction Manual you will find a few warnings regarding the use of Impact Tools.
The general warning will be along the lines of: Don’t use them, unless it is absolutely necessary.

Here we have a prime example of what can possibly go wrong if an impact tool is used incorrectly.

The Piston Rod has come out of the Damper. Unfortunately it is not as simple as pushing the Piston Rod back into the damper. As you’ll see in this next picture, all of the internals have come apart.

This will require a basic overhaul just to even get the damper back into one piece. If the damper comes apart slowly and eventually decides to give out while you are driving, a lot of internal damage will ensue.

Another thing to look out for when assembling and installing coilover kits is to never hold the Piston Rod with a set of pliers.
This sort of damage is evident in this damper’s Piston Rod by the dark ring and scratches going in a circle around the Rod.

These scratches will cause damage to the oil seal and ultimately the premature failure of the damper.
For proper torquing techniques refer to THIS POST.

 

Back In The Game

Posted on by

Last month we had reported that the Rally xD had run into some…complications.

With the hard work of the Rally xD Team and all others involved the xD was up and running and ready to race in no time at all.

The latest race took the Rally xD Team to the New England Forest Rally, where after much effort they were able to finish in 3rd place, despite some initial set backs.

The Rally xD Team’s next challenge will be the upcoming Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Look forward to more on the Rally xD’s exploits.

Evo X Roll Centre Kit Revisited

Posted on by

Almost 2 years ago we posted regarding the SuperPro Roll Center Adjuster for the Evo X.

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.

CZ4A Roll Center Adjuster Kit: SPF-TRC0004

CZ4A Duroball Standard: SPF-DURO3439K
CZ4A Duroball Caster Adj: SPF-DURO3441K

CZ4A Lower Control Arm Inner Front Bushing: SPF2418K

To Whet Your Appetite

Posted on by

Lately there has been a lot of buzz, hoots, hollers, tweets, status updates, tumblr post, you name it, regarding the soon to be FR-S and BRZ.

We’ve recently updated that Tein Japan has some products for those cars now available.

And now to stimulate your already insatiable hunger for more things FR-S/BRZ we announce that testing has commenced stateside, and probably by the time you read this we will have finished with the preliminary testing.

We were able to test Flex Dampers and some S.Tech and High Tech springs this time around.


Stay tuned for some more information regarding the ride height drop with the products we tested this time around.
Also Tein Japan plans to release some Mono Tube Dampers as well, which we will soon be testing.
A lot of exciting things are happening.

 

TEIN, Toyota Motorsports, & The Long Beach Grand Prix

Posted on by

A little bit back we reported that multiple Toyota Camry kits had been made in preparation for use with Toyota Motorsports’ Pace Cars.

Shortly thereafter we posted that TEIN was once again collaborating with Toyota Motorsports on a New Development Project.

Here are a few more shots on what we were working on.

(These are a one-off set of dampers specially made for this project.)

(Here is the OE front suspension in comparison to our damper)

(The OE rear suspension in comparison to our damper and spring.)


(One of our engineers at work, making sure the dampers will work without issue in a race-use environment)

For those of you attended the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 14th and 15th, you might have seen this vehicle parked next to the Camry Pace Cars.

(A group shot of the Camry Pace Cars that have been fitted with customized Super Street Dampers, ready for action on the streets of Long Beach and anywhere else that their use is needed.)

NASCAR anyone?

Posted on by

Rally. Gymkhana. Autocross. Drift. Touring. Gravel. Super Taikyu.
These and many more are different forms of motorsports that TEIN is synonymous with.
However, when you think of TEIN, NASCAR is probably not one of your first thoughts.

A little known fact though, TEIN has been involved with NASCAR through Toyota Motorsports for the past 4 years and counting.

Since 2008 the Toyota Camry has been used as a pace car at NASCAR events.
And ever since it’s induction as an official pace car, TEIN, in conjunction with Toyota Motorsports, has been providing the pace car’s suspension.

With the unveiling of the new 2012 Camry pace car, Toyota Motorsports once again approached TEIN for their suspension needs.

The 2012 Camry Pace car utilizes specialized dampers that have been custom valved and modified by that US R&D Staff.

Look forward to more exciting ventures into the motorsports world with TEIN.

Rally xD Sno*Drift 2012

Posted on by

January 27th 2012 saw the start of the Rally America Championship series, and the TEIN sponsored Sparco Rally xD is off to a great start.

The Rally xD team managed to nab a 2nd in class win in spite of the frigid temperatures of Atlanta, Michigan and the subsequent snowy/icy/slushy road conditions they faced.

Andrew-Comrie Picard and Jeremy Wimpey returned once again as driver/ co-driver, piloting the xD expertly against the likes of Fiestas and Focuses, and even some Evo’s and STi’s.

 

After the event was finished and the team returned to sunny SoCal, the Specialized HG Dampers were removed from the xD and brought to us for a tear down and refresh before the next event.
Close, in-house repairs are definitely an advantage when you need your products back ASAP.

The next Rally America event will be February 24-25th in Salem, Missouri.

Check back for more coverage and results of the TEIN sponsored Sparco Rally xD in future Rally America events.

(Pictures via rallyxd.com & scion.com)

Juke Street Basis Coilover Testing

Posted on by

Street Basis Coilover testing for the ’10+ Juke has been completed.

The ride height drop for the Juke: Front -50mm and Rear -50mm.

The actual drop may vary by models due to the weight of different components (ie Transmission, Packages, etc.)

 

Here are some Before and After pictures of the transformation your Juke can go through.

 

(Before)

(After)

(Before)

(After)

(Before)

(After)

The Street Basis Kit for the Nissan Juke is available for purchase now.

Tein USA currently does not stock this item in house, however, it can be special ordered.

TEIN USA R&D Needs Your Car

Posted on by

TEIN USA’s R&D Section is in need of your car to do testing on.

If you, anyone in your family, one of your friends, or your neighbors owns one of the following cars or any of the cars listed on this page, let them know that TEIN USA needs their car to do testing on.

If your car is chosen to be used for testing you may have your car returned to you with lowering springs or maybe even coilovers free of charge.
The only sacrifice that need be made is your time.
Testing can take anywhere from 3-5 business days.

So let us know by filling in this Test Vehicle Application and one of our staff will be in contact with you.

Remember, we only need one car per testing application, and it’s first come first serve, so apply quickly.