Learning the OVERHAUL repair process

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When it comes to overhauls I’m usually the person in charge of carrying out all the steps. Except for one which is the most important of them all , the actual repair. The way it works is as followed- We receive the package and check it in then we move it to our R&D department for a repair inspection. Upon the inspection I contact the customer and secure the repair payment and/or  final overhaul decision. Upon completion of repair a recontact the customer to verify shipping information and that’s where it ends.

 

The disassembling of our dampers is not that difficult. Breaking down the piston rod and internal components, then cleaning them from dirt, dust, rust, and debris  is also not that difficult. It does, however, get a little repetitive. Now, where it gets tricky is reassembling the internal components.  As some of the parts (shims) tend to look the same but are nevertheless different in design and thickness. There are many steps that need to be done to successfully overhaul a damper. I will save the details as they are confidential but I must say that re-greasing, and re-torquing all the components is the easiest step of all.

 

 

Well, now I have actually learned the repair process. Unfortunately for us here at TEIN one of our R&D staff members has left us to work as a CHP officer. Fortunately for me, I have now learned a new skill and got my hands on repair action. We’ll still leave that work for our trained engineers. As for me, I’m glad I’ve been able to learn more of the details that goes into an overhaul.

 

 

TEIN USA, Inc. Closed for Thanksgiving

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To all of our valued customers and readers,

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, TEIN USA, Inc. will be close on November 22nd and 23rd, and we will resume operations on Monday, November 26th.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday with family and friends!

 

TEIN WATCH ANYONE?

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‘Sup guys!  As most of you know we have had  a few new items added to our stock this year. Starting with the new TEIN T-shirts, air fresheners, tire valve caps,  and now our all new TEIN Sport Watch. The watch was designed for a sporty look and to be fashionable for everyday use. As you can, see the watch has our very own TEIN Emerald green on the dial which makes it stand out from a distance. These watches will go fast, so place your orders soon  with your nearest authorized dealer!

The watch features:

-Water resistance up to 30 meters

-Adjustable bezel

-Modern band for comfortable feel

2012 SEMA Show

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I had a chance to attend this years SEMA Show in Las Vegas at the Convention Center. The last time I had attend SEMA was in 2008. This year’s booth wasn’t as big as the booth from 2008, but worked out well for Paul and I since we were the only two manning the booth.  Overall the booth traffic was pretty good, but not as busy as expected. The smaller crowds may have also been due to Hurricane Sandy affecting most of the eastern seaboard cancelling many flights out and wreaking havoc. Our hearts go out to all those effected by the disaster.

This year’s must-have import display car was none other than the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Not saying that the car isn’t sweet looking,  just too many at the show- over 70 examples from my understanding.  I didn’t really get a chance to walk through the show and check out more of the displays since there were only two of us at the booth, which made it rather difficult for either of us to really walk around. We were able to get few quick snap shots of our hall at break time. Even with the breaks, it still wouldn’t be enough time for us really go through the hall since it’s so massive, and this is only considering the hall we were in and not the others, as well as those on display outside.

Below are some of the pictures we were able to take, but for more of those photos check out our Facebook page’s Photo Album named “The 2012 SEMA Show”  https://www.facebook.com/teinusa

 

 

Many thanks to all those who stopped by our booth this year. Your interest and support in TEIN is greatly appreciated!

Super Lap Battle 2012 at Buttonwillow Raceway

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Yesterday was the final Super Lap Battle (in conjunction with Global Time Attack) for the year. Taking place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA., it has proven to become one of the most anticipated events on this side of the U.S.A.

We were in attendance assisting any of the driver’s on TEIN suspension. For us, it was a narrow group- Evasive Motorsports with their S2000 (using our Super Racing dampers), Sportcar Motion with their Integra Type R (also on Super Racing dampers) as well as an FA5 Civic and Canadian Acura CSX both using our Mono Flex dampers. Another entry we came across was Bobby Lane Racing in their Accord (their Mono Flex damper setup is from a CL7 Honda Accord Euro R).

We arrived really early (7:30a) to meet with the teams and see if they needed any assistance from us. As experienced as these teams are in setting up their cars, there was very little for us to do except take some setting measurements and click settings the teams are using for reference.

TEIN Engineer, Shuichiro, getting data from the Sportcar Motion team.

Working with the Evasive crew and their driver, Robert Walker, to get their car dialed in.

We stumbled upon the Bobby Lane Racing team and their Accord using our Mono Flex dampers.

With each practice session having at least one TEIN-equipped car, we kept close to the hot pits. Our engineer, Shuichiro made sure to get as much feedback from the driver to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Again, maybe only a few click setting changes were done to the suspension, while some of the teams adjusted tire pressures. Lucky for us, Evasive Motorsports uses EDFC for their S2000’s Super Racing dampers. I’m sure our engineer appreciated that! Rather than having to lie down on the ground or get under the hood or rear trunk to make any damping click setting changes manually, the driver can make real-time adjustments to the dampers and stay out on the track.

Robert Walker pulling into the hot pits with the Evasive team standing by.

The morning sessions gave some of the best lap times. In Sportcar Motion’s case, their Integra Type R laid down a 1:54.2 lap time on the #13 track configuration that has become the standard for this event. That was a really good pace, and it looked like the car could even do better than that. Driver, Dr. Tim Kuo, was in pursuit mode the whole time, having very little issue with the Limited FWD class car. A broken 4th gear prevented any chance of getting in a faster time, but their time held as fastest of the day in their class.

Sportcar Motion’s red FA5 Civic Si piloted by Ken Suen was also on pace to beat their personal best. Mechanical issues brought the car in and prevented any futher timed sessions out on the track. Final time was 2:04.3 which netted a second place finish in Street FWD.

The Acura CSX also under Sport Car Motion’s stable clocked in a 2:03.

The Sportcar Motion trio all on TEIN dampers.

As for Bobby Lane Racing, they were hoping to best their 2:05, and in the end a 2:02.2 for the Limited FWD class. It was a great event for this small team!

That’s a familiar face! Dampachi along for the ride with Bobby Lane Racing.

Evasive Motorsports’ revamped Honda S2000 (newly boosted with the HKS GTSupercharger) went all out. New record for the Street RWD class now sits at 1:53.9 thanks to the newfound power. This car has 7 years of development into it, which has paid big dividends for all that hardwork. We’ll be working with them closely to help and develop the car for even faster times. Until then, a 1:53 lap will be the new mark for teams to achieve.

Evasive’s S2000 into the hot pits for some driver feedback.

Bobby Lane Racing Accord into the hot pits to discuss any changes in handling.

The Integra Type R from SportcarMotion was relatively trouble-free, making our engineer’s job a bit easier!

All in all, it was a good event with very little in the way of mishaps on the track. As the day temperatures got higher and as more cars went out for timed sessions, it proved to be harder for the teams to try and get faster times. It was great to see many of the teams socializing amongst themselves. I found it hard to differentiate whether these people were competitors or best of friends. We were thankful for the hospitality of each team. Bobby Lane Racing was nice enough to provide the TEIN staff with lunch- they came with their own grill to make burgers and hot dogs! Thanks, guys!

We look forward to next year. If the saying “Records are made to be broken” holds true, we may very well be seeing these guys best their current times.

Bobby Lane Racing’s owner and driver with TEIN Staff.

Evasive Motorsports crew with both of their race cars.

Congratulations to each of these teams for all their hard work and efforts. We’re glad we can be a part of it!

URT are Russsian Rally Champions for 2012!

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We received an email today from one of our friends from Uspenskiy Rally Tecnica (URT) in Russia. They operate a rally team that has competed in PWRC, and we have supported them as their suspension suppliers with our Group N dampers. For the 2012 season, they are the champions for the “Russia 2012” series!

From the email:

“The team of Sergey Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova triumphal acted in Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” in Novorossiysk. They managed to win the stage and become absolute champions of Russia.

The final stage of Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” was held from 28th to 30th September. 34 crews from Russia, Estonia and Latvia compete on the track settled near by the Novorossiysk city.

This is not the first time for such big tournaments held in Novorossiysk, two years ago on this track took place the final stage of East Europe Cup. For the final stage organizations chose well known settlement Abrau-Durso which became a “capital” of the final stage in the championship.

The race happened to be very strained both for sportsmen and cars. The last 80 high-speed kilometers of the track which racers passed in the final day of rally was the most complex ones. It was not clear who will be the winner of the stage and absolute champion of the rally until the last special stage. The results are striking! Such a tight battle and this exciting final!

Sergey Uspensky – 13-time champion of the Russian Rally, Head of URT Team and CEO of the Group of Companies “U Service +”, raced clean and accurately which left no chances for the rivals.

The victory on the last stage brought to the crew of Sergei Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova title of absolute champion of Russian Rally Championship meanwhile Subaru Impreza R4 – the first victory on the stage of the national championship.

Three medals of the Championship – in four points! And Sergey Uspensky wins 14-th title of the champion of the country.

Young pilot from St.-Petersburg Nikita Filippov in a duet with co-driver Sergey Gerasimenko and Grigory Tregubov with his co-driver Elena Vasilenko made a company on a podium  to Sergey Uspenskiy and Marina Danilova.

Sergey Uspenskogo and Marina Danilova crew raced on rally car Subaru R4 built by «Uspenskiy  Rally Tecnica» on the basis of Subaru impreza  WRX STI Spec C. R4 was service and carried out by the team of mechanics from URT.

Russian Rally Championship “Russia 2012” in Novorossiysk was prepared with the support of Group of the companies « U Service + » and “URT” which took part in the organization of the stage.

Fabulous result and fabulous final!”

 

Congratulations to the URT team for their hard work and for their victory in Russia!

Formula Drift 2012

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The last event for Formula Drift 2012 was this past Saturday, October 13th. Luckily I attended the event not only as a spectator but also an employee of TEIN, as we had our own booth.  Unfortunately I only got glimpses of the actual drift event as most of my time was spent behind the counter. It was a very busy, busy, busy event I must say.  However I did get a chance to walk around and take a look at all the hard working models (wink wink) and attending show cars.

Customers came in by our booth throughout the day. It was nice to meet and speak with many of our customers.

It seems as though everywhere I looked there was a lowered FRS/BRZ plastered with sponsor stickers, body kit, and/or graphic designs. Of course there were other vehicles like Fords, Honda’s, Mitsubishi Evo’s , Mazda’s, Toyota’s, etc., you name it.  One car that stood out to me the most was our very own United States Air force project car. This Dodge Challenger was more beefed up than a plate of sloppy joes, with a double cheeseburger, and a side of carne asada. Ill spare detailing the modification as I’m sure most of you can look that up.

United States Air Force built this Challenger. Looked and sounded mean.

In a nut shell the event was great. Daigo Saito and his Lexus SC430 were crowned the winner of this season. Unfortunately Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his Mustang (rocking our coilover’s) came in second. Still, a great season for Vaughn.

One mean looking ride- Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Monster Mustang.

Justin”JTP” Pawlak also had a good race this past weekend, taking second place for the closing race of the season.

Justin Pawlak in the Falken Mustang. This guy, as well as all the Falken backed drivers, are crazy talented in what they do!

Nevertheless the turn out was exactly as we anticipated (sold out). It was a great day for us and we look forward to attending next year’s season.

Just a small view of the sold out event. The grandstands were literally packed with fans. Pretty crazy to experience that!

 

HRE Wheels had a nice display, showing an old school Toyota 86 next to the new school 86 (Scion FR-S).

 

Brian from Mackin Industries (Distributor of Volk Racing and Advan Wheels) Scion FR-S. He uses TEIN Flex dampers on this setup.

To all the fans, drivers, teams, and organizers for Formula Drift, thank you for another great season! See you all next year.

 

*some pictures sourced from Speedhunters.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Great Season for Rally xD!

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As you may have read from our previous posts on the Sparco Rally xD team, they held a good lead on their competitors for most of this season. But no good season is without its own ups and downs. Like any team, the Rally xD crew hit their own set of hurdles to overcome. And as always, they persevered. The final tally brought them a Second Place finish in the 2wd class for Rally America.

Big congratulations to the team for their hard work in getting the car as reliable as it can be!

As I’ve mentioned before, rally racing isn’t easy. This has to be the best, and most brutal form, of automotive parts testing. Many man hours go into prepping a commuter car into a racing platform, ready to take the abuse mother nature can dish out. I’ve seen the beating this xD has taken over this one season, and to say it is an incredible feat to keep it running is an understatement.

It takes a passionate team to keep a car competitive. These guys have spent every opportunity to keep this car going to good use. And I imagine many late weeknights, and some weekends, which would otherwise be spent with family and friends, went right into this xD.

But, as you can see, persistence pays off. BIG TIME. This isn’t just a hobby. This is work. And these guys work hard to get that win.

It doesn’t mean that they can’t have fun, though!

I know I blog about this car a lot. It really is incredible what this small team has done and continues to do. Without a doubt, the next season will be even better. Be prepared for big things from this team to come. I’m referring to you, the reader, to be prepared. Because these guys are clearly ready for the next season!

pics sourced from Scion Racing’s Facebook page.

Spring Seat and Seat Lock Evolution

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Since the beginning, spring seats and seat locks have been a necessity for the systems ranging from our Type NA coilovers systems utilizing a three position adjustable perch on the shock body with locking snap ring to maintain the seat position, similar in design as the Koni and Ground Control set ups, all the way to the Street Advance coilovers which utilize a spring seat lock with a delrin thrust washer and seat lock to maintain the ride height position on a removable threaded sleeve which is ZT coated.

The photos below detail the different changes made to the spring seats and seats locks over the years.

The Image above is of the spring seats for the Type NA damper which, as mentioned, used a c-ring that would be placed in the desired ride height setting.

This style which utilized a spring seat, seat lock, and aluminum thrust washer as shown in the photo above was the second design released for multiple coilover kits ranging from the older style Type H2, Type HA, Basic, and Super Street, all the way up N1 coilvers as shown in the photo.

This third design which is still used with some of our coilovers today utilizes  two seat locks and 1 rubber spring seat.

This photos show the newest type of spring seats and delrin thrust washer in conjunction with the previous style seat lock which are found on the Street Basis, Street Advance, and other coilover kits both currently available and future release.

Although the material and coating has changed over the years, it would still be recommended to periodically clean and lubricate the locks, threads, and locking rings, depending on the model type. This will ensure years of trouble-free height adjustment for your TEIN coilovers.