Author Archives: Paul P.

Defective Products

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There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to warranties and what we cover as a manufacturer’s defect. So, in case we’ve not yet covered that clearly enough. Let’s just go over some repetitive claims we get.

Now, let me preface this by saying that we’re not claiming to have defect-free products, or that there is no chance our product may prematurely fail. However, we’ve taken extra steps during the manufacturing process of our suspension kits to do our best to ensure the installation and use is problem-free for the end-user.

With that said, we seem to run into several issues, especially lately, where our products were not installed correctly, especially with kits that require the use of OEM components like upper mounts. I’ll show an example of a kit that uses OEM upper mount parts on a STREET BASIS Z coilover GSA80-8USS2 (2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2004-2008 Acura TL):

The above pictures are actually from our installation manual for this particular kit. If you notice, we mark some of the items with one star and some with two stars.

One star items are what is included with the coilover kit, while two star items are what are OEM components (not included with the coilover kit).

*The spring isn’t labeled with one star because it’s not part of the part number one star part number if you need to purchase a replacement damper.

But more importantly, these two pictures show the order of parts when installing. Just follow the dotted line from either end until you get to the other end.

Why I’m showing this specific example is because there are a lot of suspensions that use an OEM upper mount of similar design, and quite often we get calls from customers that claim that the piston rod is moving around inside the upper mount, or the piston rod shot so far up that it dented their hood.

Well, that’s because of an installation/assembly error. If the piston rod hit your hood, you’re missing a washer or washers that sit on the piston rod, either sitting on a c-clip or on the tapered end. See the circled washer in both photos? This one shows a slightly blown-up image of it showing which way the tapered hole is to go onto the piston rod.

That tapered hole will sit on the tapered end of the piston rod. In other words, it’s like a wedge fit. And this is important, not simply due to the interference of the two tapers, but because the washer/s allow the upper mount to be securely tightened to the piston rod.

Likewise, components like the collar, and the bushing and washer above the upper mount are just as important. Without the collar, the piston rod will have too much slop inside the mount. without the upper bushing the piston rod can move around and could basically grind itself against the upper mount and break . But without the top washer, the piston rod could potentially come out of the bottom whenever the shock is fully extended downward.

Here’s another example that uses OEM mounts, but for a rear shock that is separate from the spring). This picture is from the customer. They complained of clunking noises at any speed and that they piston rod had noticeable movement even when tightened down. They also supplied a video to show what they were talking about.

The picture obviously doesn’t show the whole mount assembly, but this was what the customer showed as being complete for the under-chassis mount setup.

A look at the installation manual for this customer’s kit shows that the rear shock requires an OEM Dust Cover to be installed, and also notes to remove the OEM Bump Rubber and Dust Cover. The OEM Dust Cover is used in conjunction with our included collar and bump stopper.

Here’s a picture of an aftermarket replacement Dust Cover you can purchase online for the same vehicle as the customer’s. Here, from right to left & bottom to top, it shows the OEM (or OEM style) parts- dust cover, bump stop, metal stopper, rubber insulator, and upper parts- rear suspension support (as the OEM refers to it) and washer. The customer only shows the rubber insulator. So, they’re missing the metal stopper (shown on the bottom left of the photo above).

Without the metal stopper, the shock is relying on the rubber insulator to be held to the shock tower. On droop (extension) that may seem fine. But on compression, it is not enough to hold the piston shaft securely to the shock tower.

But, such concerns are not just limited to OEM upper mount assembling, nor is it unique to just these coilovers. We also have had calls or emails related to coilovers like our FLEX Z line.

Coilovers that utilize pillowball upper mounts for strut type suspension also have some small components. Most notable is a collar that is placed between the upper spring seat and the spherical bearing (pillowball). This collar, about 6mm thick, allows the strut to pivot a few degrees to be able to articulate its motion (camber and caster prevent the strut from being perpendicular to the upper mount), and with front strut suspensions, you’ll need this articulation as you steer as camber and caster change when doing so.

We’ve also received a few calls or emails where a customer states their FLEX Z has a strange grinding noise or popping noise while turning. After getting a bit of information and some pictures from the customers, they show a spring seat sitting right against the pillowball mount, missing this 6mm collar. If you can picture what this does- the strut is now completely perpendicular to the upper mount. But again, the mounting point, as well as the relative camber and caster angle for the upright/knuckle, never have these two components been completely perpendicular. That means that there is an incredible amount of force on the piston rod, basically forcing it in angular motions. That could lead to the piston rod snapping, specifically near where the piston rod is threaded to mount to the upper mount. Not only that. If you’re lucky enough to not have a snapped piston rod, the upper spring seat will be grinding against the pillowball stopper under the mount, which is where the grinding and popping noise comes from.

The coilover picture above may look okay to most, but to us we can tell that a critical component is missing between the upper spring seat and the upper mount. The upper mount is sitting completely perpendicular to the upper spring seat.

But this one, which was the customer’s coilover for the opposing side, has the collar in place, which is why you can see that the mount is free to pivot a few degrees.

You can tell that without this collar (6mm thick), the mount would sit right against the upper spring seat. That’s a no-no, and the upper spring seat will end up grinding against the upper mount whenever you steer.

Of course, many times, the customer will state we didn’t include the collar, or whatever critical component, when they received the kit. We don’t want to say the customer’s wrong, but unfortunately they are- all suspension kits go through a function check and parts check at the factory prior to being packaged up and sent out. For a pillowball strut type mount, it’s a matter of making sure the mount can pivot a few degrees in various directions. We’re very adamant about this step being checked during assembly.

We’re not saying we’re perfect, but we definitely try to be. A suspension purchase is a big investment for a lot of you. We’re not trying to make your purchase and installation difficult. In fact, ultimately we’re trying to make our suspension as easy to install and as affordable an install as possible.

Anyway, we just want you to make sure you see our install manual and read it thoroughly. We completely understand if this is your first time ever taking on a performance suspension install, and we of course will always be within reach to assist you with installation over the phone or by email. Take your time and make sure you do it right.

New Products and Developments

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With this COVID-19 pandemic throwing us all a helluva curveball, we find ourselves in a very fortunate position to continue our pursuit in bringing some of the best products we can for a wide variety of vehicle applications! We’re continuing to grow, and we couldn’t be happier!

As mentioned, the pandemic wasn’t what we were expecting. In fact, it was quite the opposite of what we were expecting- low to no business, extended lock downs, as well as possibly having to temporarily shut down our operations if things really got worse for all of us.

But, being an automotive parts manufacturer and distributor kept us fully operational ever since we had our lock downs. We have just been very fortunate that COVID-19 has not affected our staff directly. However, the same cannot be said for our parent company and our two factories. Our manufacturing facility in China had to shut down relatively early on in the pandemic. Japan is facing new lock downs due to the spread of the Delta variant. We’re only hoping that, with everyone doing their part, we won’t be faced with harsher lock downs and restrictions.

With that, we’re still facing some struggles. The supply chain has been greatly affected in all aspects and in all industries, and we’re just now catching up on a lot of backordered items for our customers. Freight costs have soared tremendously, not to mention extended transit times or delays for shipments. But yet, we still are trying our best to continue with product development while still being able to service our customers.

So, while we’re still technically trying to catch up, we’ve worked hard to come out with new vehicle applications and broadening our ENDURAPRO & ENDURAPRO PLUS line to reach the European vehicle market, and to-date we’re proud to see this line flourishing. But of course, our coilover lines, our bread and butter if you will, continues to grow as well, with new vehicle applications being added on nearly a monthly basis.

ENDURAPRO Shock Absorbers for BMW X3 and X4 now in stock.
ENDURAPRO Shock Absorbers for Toyota RAV-4 and Lexus NX200t now available.
ENDURAPRO Shock Absorbers for Tesla Model 3 AWD now available (different part numbers RWD Model 3’s also available)

S.TECH Lowering Springs for Tesla Model 3 RWD and AWD available (AWD springs shown.
MONO RACING Coilovers for Nissan GT-R (R35) arriving soon.

Unfortunately posting all the new vehicle and product applications we now have would make this post long-winded and quite boring. So we ask that you please check out our website and search around for what’s new from us!

Also, if it’s more convenient for you, you’re also free to email us at tus_sales@tein.com, or give us a call at 562-861-9161, and we would be glad to assist you in finding products for your vehicle.


A90 Supra Coilovers Arriving Soon!!!

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Finally! It’s been an exhausting R&D process in getting a coilover available for the newest Toyota Supra. But now we can say it’s an honest improvement to the OEM suspension.

That was the hiccup in getting our coilovers released in a timely manner. While we had early access to the A90 Supra working with Toyota Motorsports in the U.S., this new platform proved to be difficult in getting to actually improve its performance on just suspension alone. But now, with the help of Japanese sports car tuner Matchless Crowd Racing (MCR), we finally have something to offer!

STREET ADVANCE Z (Part number: GSTJ4-91AS3)

MSRP: $1,200.00

*Front-Right and Rear-Right components shown

After nearly two years of R&D on this car, we’re first releasing our STREET ADVANCE Z coilover kit. At $1200 retail, this kit is a great value in high performance suspension for this new car.

Geez. Two years… Why did it take so long?! We won’t go into all the details. After all, if you’re an A90 Supra owner, we really don’t want to say much to offend you. But since you’re reading this, I’d wager in my assumption that you’re looking to increase the handling performance of your car. So…… In a word, it’s a very difficult car to work with. Don’t take our word for it. If you do a quick search on “MCR A90 Supra” you’ll quickly find that MCR’s owner, Kobayashi-san, really doesn’t like the new Supra. According to him, in translated text, It can’t turn, can’t stop, and is slow. Those are supposed to be aspects that a sports car is good at!

MCR A90 Supra

Take it for whatever it’s worth. I happen to like the A90, but maybe the criticism of this car is just simply a tuner’s standpoint (or marketing point) in order to give the aftermarket something to work with and give the end-user something they “need”, if you know what I mean.

The fact is, the new Supra isn’t priced anywhere near other Japanese supercars like the Acura NSX or Nissan GT-R, and for good reason- it simply isn’t built like those cars. It seems like it was built with aftermarket tuning in mind.

MCR staff setting up the STREET ADVANCE Z prototype kit for testing/evaluating
Prototype STREET ADVANCE Z for A90 ready for testing with MCR.

But, it is true- the new Supra is a difficult one. It’s very electronically-laden, much like a lot of high-end sports cars these days. And, again no offense, it is very typical German engineering. That’s not a bad thing. It just takes some time to better understand their design to really improve upon it.

So, what do you get with our A90 STREET ADVANCE Coilover Kit?:


-6kg/mm front springs

-12kg/mm rear springs

-Damping adjustability (16-click rebound) for front and rear dampers

-Rear upper mounts with access holes for damping adjustment

-TEIN Developed Error Canceller Units

-Camber Adjustable Upright Insert

A few things to explain-


Our Error Canceller makes this a plug ‘n play suspension kit by connecting directly to the OEM’s Electronic Suspension control module. Without it, and simply unplugging the OEM dampers will cause a warning on your dash.

Example of TEIN Error Canceller

Our Camber Adjustable Upright Insert is a sleeve between our damper and the aluminum knuckle assembly. By allowing camber adjustment from the bottom of the strut, you can retain the OEM upper mount assembly, which is a good design in reducing NVH.

Camber Adjustable Upright Insert shown in red square in above picture.

While installation of our coilovers do void the use of the Factory Electronic Suspension system, you can opt for our optional EDFC ACTIVE or EDFC ACTIVE PRO kit to allow for electronically controlled damping settings.

At last, we finally have a setup that offers true handling performance gains for the new Supra. Better late than never, and better to be well-developed than hastily done, I suppose. Anyway, expect this kit to arrive mid June 2021!

TEIN ENDURAPRO/PLUS SPRING KIT

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High Performance Premium Shock Absorbers and Lowering Springs

Although we’re well-known mainly for producing coilover kits, the ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorber line is gaining more momentum stateside. While much more popular overseas, our premium replacement shock absorbers are starting to generate interest in a lot of consumers, especially if you’re on lowering springs and are looking for suitable performance shocks to pair with them, or you simply don’t want to invest in a complete coilover kit.

At the launch of the ENDURAPRO/PLUS line in the U.S., we also launched the ENDURAPRO Spring Kit and ENDURAPRO PLUS Spring Kit, which pairs our S.TECH lowering springs along with either of the shocks, depending on if you want fixed damping setting or 16-click adjustable damping.

Let’s take a look at what’s included with a ENDURAPRO Spring Kit (part # VSQ54-A1SS2) for the FR-S/86/BRZ.

Conveniently packaged, springs are placed over each shock absorber to minimize packing space and package dimensions. Quite honestly, there isn’t much to it. For certain vehicle applications, other components may be included, such as dust boots or bump stops. Although the ENDURAPRO/PLUS shock absorbers utilize our internal Hydraulic Bump Stoppers (H.B.S.), you will still need to retain either a OEM or TEIN bump stop, which is used as a precautionary measure.

Springs packaged over shocks to minimize packaging size.

Hard to tell from the photo, especially when it’s not lined up against an OEM or OEM replacement shock absorber, but our ENDURAPRO/PLUS shock absorbers are much larger in diameter to and OEM/OEM replacement. In fact, it really is just like one of our coilovers, just minus the threaded adjustment for ride height.

Valved to provide far better handling performance, our ENDURAPRO/PLUS shock absorbers are a perfect enhancement for an otherwise stock vehicle. However, paired with one of our lowering springs and you have a much more sporty ride that you can appreciate. We recommend this type of setup for customers who can do without ride height adjustability or pillowball upper mounts (although it may be compatible with some aftermarket pillowball mounts). That just means less maintenance (you are periodically inspecting your suspension, aren’t you!?!?!?!).

Currently our part numbers for ENDURAPRO Spring Kits and ENDURAPRO PLUS Spring kits are rather limited. However, we’re also still working on either developing performance replacement shocks or lowering springs for certain vehicle applications. If you have any questions about these products, please feel free to contact us at 562-861-9161, or reach out to any of our authorized dealers!

2020. A Year to Remember

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Our world came almost to a complete halt due to COVID-19. Our “essential workers” are what kept our world running.

Or a year to forget, depending on how it’s been treating you.

This year has been one of the most grueling, difficult, testing, stressful,…. I’m forgetting where I was going with this. Our world got really quiet once quarantine became enforced. Businesses were forced to close, event’s cancelled. School year shortened and children forced to stay home.

BUT, for whatever reason, we (TEIN) have been very fortunate to have stayed busy. Being in automotive parts supply, we are able to continue operation as an essential business. However, early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, we were prepared to face a dip in sales. We also cut any unnecessary travel and events (which ended up getting canceled anyways) in an effort to stay out of harms way.

It has been far from being the case in regards to an expected sales slump, though. While we had to temporarily close both of our factories due to the quick spread of Coronavirus, we quickly had to get up and running again to manufacture just to try and keep up with the unassuming demand that 2020 asked of us. It even caused supply issues, and our raw materials suppliers inadvertently caused massive delays, and in turn caused even bigger delays in getting our products to you, our customer. To date, we’re still experiencing delays, but this time due to the transportation/freighting of our products into the U.S.

However, hopefully we can catch up on most all of our backorders before year’s end. Thank you for being patient with us.

Still, through it all, we’re all very fortunate that you wanted, or even needed our products, and we’re forever thankful for that. We realized that there was really no way we could stop, because hundreds of thousands of you rely on our product to get to your destinations. Like us, so many of you are essential workers, and had a job to do every day of this pandemic. So we also thank you for keeping our world running.

While this year winds down to an end, we are far from the finish line, and we continue to push on through even more than just this pandemic. Our economy, already in recession, is showing signs of an upcoming depression, and we know it won’t be easy for all of us. We already know it hasn’t been easy for many. We hope you all hang in there, and we’ll do our best to be there for you when you need us.

Again, thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts. We hope you all continue to stay safe out there.

For sure, our customers have been the highlight of our 2020. Each and every one of you. And also @doggface208.


TEIN USA Now Hiring

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We are now hiring for our Operations department and Warehouse departments!

Operations tasks include:

Customer Service and Technical Support
Will-Call
Order Pulling (able to lift up to 70lbs)
Order Processing (Invoicing)
Shipping Logistics
Shows & Events Attendance*
Business Trips*

*on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions

Warehouse tasks include:

Order Pulling (must be able to lift up to 70lbs)
Order Scanning
Inventory Restocking (including container unloading)
Inventory Organization
Delivery (must be licensed to drive in CA)
Attend Local Shows & Events*

*on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions

Both positions are for full-time staff (Monday-Friday) and include Medical and Dental Insurance (after completing 90-Day probation period).

TEIN USA, Inc. has major U.S. holidays off and is closed Saturdays and Sundays.

If you’d like to contribute your work skills and be a part of our team, please visit the following link to send your resume:

TEIN USA HUMAN RESOURCES


A90 Supra S.TECH Rear Bump Stop Modification

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With the newly released S.TECH lowering springs for the A90 Toyota Supra, we wanted to put a notice out to owners about modifications needed to the rear bump stops.

S.TECH Lowering Spring set part number: SKTJ4-S1B00

Our S.TECH spring kit (part number: SKTJ4-S1B00) includes a pair of bump stops and dust boots specifically for the rear shock absorber. However, it is to be used in conjunction with a modified OEM bump stop.

Please follow along as we show you what needs to be done.

First, the rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed. Then, the the OEM bump stop can be pulled out of the mount. Now, the OEM dust boot is simply press fitted around the OEM bump stop. You can just pull the dust boot out, or you can leave it attached. Either way, the OEM bump stop needs to be trimmed significantly, and the portion to be removed also removes the OEM dust boot. Our included TEIN dust boot will replace this piece.

The rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed from the shock absorber assembly.

With the OEM bump stop removed, you need to measure 20mm from the top of the bump stop (widest portion) down and mark this location. This 20mm piece will be reinstalled in the rear shock absorber mount. You can use a razor blade (utility knife will do fine) to cut the bottom portion of the OEM bump stop off.

The OEM bump stop and OEM dust boot are assembled as one piece. The OEM dust boot is easily removed by pulling it off the OEM dust boot.
The top of the OEM bump stop will need to be remained. This should be 20mm thick after trimming.

Now, the included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed. 10mm needs to be trimmed off the bottom (narrow portion) of the TEIN bump stop.

The included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed, too. The bottom portion needs 10mm but from the bottom, which is the narrow portion of the bump stop.
A utility knife makes trimming of the OEM and TEIN bump stop easy work. Just use caution when cutting.

This picture shows how it is to look on the rear shock absorber (without the TEIN dust boot, for example only) along with the trimmed OEM bump stop.

For reinstallation, hand fit the modified TEIN bump stop onto the piston rod. Then, fit the TEIN dust boot onto the piston rod.

Then, reinstall the rear shock absorber mount (with the trimmed OEM bump stop hand pressed in) onto the piston rod. Now you can tighten the rear shock absorber mount with the 16mm flange nut.

Make sure the TEIN dust boot and bump stop are placed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop (basically you are going to sandwich the top of the TEIN dust boot against the trimmed OEM bump stop and trimmed TEIN bump stop).

The final assembly should look like this. The TEIN bump stop is covered by the TEIN dust boot, and both pieces are pushed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop. The TEIN bump stop is a tight fit around the piston rod in order to keep the TEIN dust boot in place and to protect the piston rod from any debris damage while driving.

The rear shock absorber assembly is now ready to be installed back onto the vehicle.

Left-Hand Thread Warning (AGAIN)

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Although we rarely apply left-hand threading (reverse thread) to our coilovers, we’ve taken extra measures to make sure customers that purchase these kits are aware that their front left coilover uses left-hand/reverse threading, such as marking the top of the box with warning labels (which block the box staples, meaning when the customer cuts open their coilover box, they will see the labels), marking the front left damper with a caution sticker (specifically on the spring seats and seat locks), and also noting this in the included manual.

Yet, we still run into this issue and customers have called us stating that their front-left coilover seat locks are seized.

So, instead of having to remind you which kits have left-hand threading, and how we mark the boxes, components, and manuals, please just know that if it’s requiring you too much force to try and break loose the front left coilover’s seat locks, please look and the threaded body and pay attention to which direction the threads are going

Here is something we sent back to a Honda specialist shop after he sent us a picture of his customer’s “defective TEIN coilover”:

Stimulus Money Well Spent.

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Look, I can’t tell you how to spend your recently received Stimulus money. But, from the looks of it, a lot of you have spent it on TEIN coilovers and ENDURAPRO shock absorbers. At least that’s how I see it.

During the stay at home orders a majority of Americans are under, we’ve all at least had the ability to do a lot of our shopping online, and on that front, we know a lot of our authorized dealers saw a flood of orders come in last week. Now, I’m not confidently assuming this, but this does coincide with the Stimulus money people started to receive by direct deposit. Sooo…………

We definitely appreciate seeing these orders. Quite honestly, and just in general, we haven’t really seen a slow down on our side of the business. One of the reasons we’ve decided to stay operational is the fact that there are plenty of customers needing replacement or repair parts for their TEIN coilovers, damper rebuilds, and such. We wanted to make sure that, especially for those of you who are essential workers, don’t have to worry about vehicle downtime if your TEIN-equipped car is your only means of transportation. So, at any rate, we appreciate your support!

Really, we’re hoping things return to normal for all of us Americans. It’s a great feeling, and a rewarding one, for us to be able to stay open and assist customers with their suspension needs.

BUT, we hope all of you have all the necessities to stay home to help halt the spread of COVID-19. And for those of you without work right now, we hope all of this is just a short step back.

TEIN USA, Inc. To Continue Operations Under CA “Safer at Home” Order

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As of March 20th, 2020, the state of California has imposed a “Safer at Home” order, basically making all residents stay at home during this COVID-19 outbreak. However, there are some caveats.

In general, the “Safer at Home” order is mandatory for all residents in the state, in an effort to reduce people to potential COVID-19 exposure in large groups. Initially imposed on Los Angeles City, it quickly became a county matter, and now affects the whole state.

Read more about this order here: corona-virus.la

This has forced many businesses to close, or at least operate under shorter business hours or fewer staff. Restaurants are only allowing for take-out orders (or drive-thru, if available).

But, as mentioned, there are some caveats to this order. This means that “essential businesses” can continue to operate. Obvious businesses, in general, are medical and health care related offices/facilities, city/county government services (excluding court houses), food providers/restaurants (again, take-out and drive-thru. No dine-in), and automotive services (gas stations, repair shops, parts retailers), as well as several manufacturing industries.

“Non-essential” business are places like bars, gyms, entertainment/event centers, and such.

We fall under automotive supply. And since many of our automotive customers are still opened for services, we don’t want to interrupt the sale of replacement parts for their customers. And, to customers who have shock absorbers to repair/overhaul, we will continue to do so under our normal business hours, until otherwise informed by local/state/federal governments.

We know customers rely on our products for their daily transportation. We don’t want you to be without your means of transport. Our support for you is just as important as your support for our products.

So, with that said, TEIN USA, Inc. will continue to operate under normal business hours (9:00a- 6:00p) Monday-Friday. But, just to mention now, we will be closed on March 31, 2020 for our bi-annual inventory. So no shipping or will-calls that day.