To our valued customers/readers,
TEIN USA Operations will be closed December 25th, 2017 in observance of Christmas, as well as on January 1st, 2018 in observance of New Year’s Day.
After Christmas, we will be opened on December 26th through December 29th.
After New Year’s Day, we will be opened from January 2nd.
Thank you for your understanding, as well as for your continued support this year!
We hope you have an enjoyable holiday!
I think, like most people, we find ourselves capable of doing certain tasks ourselves. When it comes to working on cars, and modifying cars as a hobby, it’s one of the most rewarding tasks that I can think of. Whether it’s out of necessity (actual repair work) or simply for my enjoyment (performance or aesthetic modifications), I take joy and pride in knowing I’ve done the work on my car myself. “Built, Not Bought” (even though that is still technically incorrect for most cases) is something that many proud car owners state about their own work.
Also, once you’ve done a certain job on your car a couple of times, it’s almost guaranteed you know how to do it again without any assistance, or at least without having to refer to a manual of any kind. So it seems…..
That brings me to the title of this post: Read Our Included Manual!
I’m not trying to make any of you car people who wrench on your own cars feel bad by saying it, but a lot of you probably don’t care to look into any owner’s manual. You probably don’t really pay attention to such things as recommended torque values (and some car owners don’t even have a torque wrench), or if some OEM components will need to be reused with our suspension kit, as we recently came across on one of our Facebook posts. The original post was about something else, but one person decided to try and bash us about how is dust boots are falling apart, essentially stating how it is wrong for us to release such products if they’re not going to last.
However, after looking up the kit of his car (based on what type of car he mentioned and seeing the coilover kit, I looked up the owner’s manual for the kit and saw that it reuses the OEM dust boot, but that there is some modifications that need to be done to the dust boot prior to reinstallation. So, that’s exactly what I mention to him in a reply, including an image from the manual I was referring to.
This…… THIS…. is what I’m trying to get across when saying to read your owner’s manual. Now, I can’t help you if reading isn’t necessarily your forté. Sorry if that’s coming off as offensive in any way. Then again, you’d probably have problems reading this post anyway, so……
I took screen shots of the post and our reply (which was cut off a little bit, but you can get where we were going with it.) to save as a memento. I at least asked first if a shop installed the kit for him, which in doing so may end up being the excuse that we get (and that’s exactly what we got). Next thing you know, their original post was deleted along with our reply. But, we did get an apology (along with that explanation of a shop doing the suspension installation).
So, you know, if you can just do us a solid and make sure to check the owner’s manual. Or, instead of trying to just get your complaint across on our social media, just try to reach us directly (562-861-9161).
One of the most popular request as of this year, surprisingly, has been for suspension upgrades for the newest Honda Civic Type R. We’d love to have our chance to try and improve the factory supplied suspension, but the fact is this new platform isn’t something we can simply jump right into without substantial testing.
We’re sure we can create a coilover kit. That’s not the problem. The problem is making sure what we’re to create is an actual improvement. Honda did a lot of R&D on this Type R, refining as much as they can and implementing some of the latest technologies available. Nearly all aspects of the car have something fairly unique for its segment in the market.
That doesn’t mean that the suspension cannot be improved. As far as mass-production goes, there’s always going to be some type of compromise going on.
Anyway, that’s not the point of this post. I wanted to look into the Type R’s suspension to see what makes it pretty unique. It turns out, while not being the first of its kind, the front uses a very unique Dual Axis Strut Suspension. I searched and found this Honda Worldwide site.
I found a lot of this info intriguing, to say the least. According to this site, this Dual Axis Strut Suspension looks to differ from a standard MacPherson Strut suspension by allowing the strut to be separate of the knuckle assembly, improving the suspension’s geometry. Separating the two allows for them to move separately, so any ill effects of one does not affect the other. They mention about improved center offset, as well as improved steering axis which helps reduce torque steer (a common issue with high-powered front-wheel drive vehicles). Caster angle is also greater, enabling better stability at high speed.
This is a standard strut type front suspension that Honda has been applying to current generation Civics and Accords (as well as some of the Acura vehicles), among other things.
The Civic Type R’s front strut assembly utilizes a separate fork to mate the knuckle and strut units. This provides a more forgiving steering axis as well as improved offset, contributing to better steering feel (reduced torque steer).
Typical Honda front strut assembly.
Civic Type R front strut assembly. The caster angle is improved and provides better stability at speed.
This all sounds awesome, and seems to be why the Type R is already receiving praise as a fun track car.
When it comes to the dampers, again, Honda spent time to try and incorporate electromagnetic suspension to offer adjustability (a 30% increase in stiffness when in “R” mode! waw). Personally, I prefer our mechanically operated damping using our EDFC system. I don’t thing that there is anything necessarily wrong with electromagnetic suspension (magnetorheological suspension, or whatever they’re referred to).
So, again, this gives us some homework to do in terms of suspension development.
Just a friendly reminder that we will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 23rd, 2017. We will also be closed on Friday, November 24th.
We’ll resume all operations on Monday, November 27th.
Thank you for your understanding. We hope you all have an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
We’ll be attending this year’s Formula Drift event at Irwindale Speedway on October 13-14, 2017.
Rumors abound that this will be the last Formula D event at this specific track (which has been the same rumor for the past five years or so; seems to be a legitimate claim this time).
As always, we’ll have our merchandise for sale, as well as some products on display.
We’ll also be bringing some discounted coilovers that we brought to JCCS (which was kind of a last-minute notice).
*These are technically used coilover kits (test & evaluation). In actuality, they were mostly used for fitment testing and for obtaining ride height adjustment range data and were not really driven on. These kits will be sold as-is and without warranty.
GSB14-1UAS2
GSK10-1UAS2
GSP26-1UAS2
GSHD6-1USS2
VSM40-C1SS1
DSE20-LUSS2
GSB90-51SS3
See special pricing below:
*Prices are for cash payment (we will not be able to process credit card transactions during Formula D)
***We will only be bringing qty 1 of each part number listed. The list below is solely to show applicable vehicle models by part number***
This weekend is the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, by the Queen Mary! We’ve been attending for the past 5 years, and while it may not seem like our kind of customer base, we do get our fair share of product inquiries for suspension for older Japanese vehicles.
We’re not necessarily posting about our past experiences at JCCS, or what new products we’re making. In fact, our SPECIALIZED DAMPER PROGRAM still exists and is what we refer these types of customers to, since it’s applicable to nearly all vehicle makes and models.
Instead, I wanted to mention that once again we’ll be there, and of course we’ll have our TEIN merchandise on sale, as well as some of our products on display (and a pair of S30’s on our SPECIALIZED DAMPERS!). We’ll also have some TEIN suspensions that we’re clearing out and at a special price!!! While there aren’t many of these kits that we’re bringing, we’re sure there are some customers with these vehicle applications that might be interested.
These kits were used for test fitment and ride height measurement testing by our Research & Development department. So they are practically brand new with some installation scratches.
BASIC/DSE20-LUSS2 (for 2008+ Mitsubishi Lancer)
STREET BASIS/GSB14-1UAS2 (for 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Incl. Si models)
STREET BASIS/GSHD6-1USS2 (for 2013+ Honda Accord)
STREET BASIS/GSK10-1UAS2 (for 2007-2012 Nissan Altima)
STREET BASIS/GSP26-1UAS2 (for 03-08 Nissan 350Z/03-08 Infiniti G35 Coupe & Sedan)
STREET FLEX/GSB90-51SS3 (for 08-12 Honda Accord/09-14 Acura TSX)
FLEX Z/VSM40-C1SS1 (for 90-05 Mazda MX-5 Miata)
Special pricing on the right side column (in bold):
****CASH ONLY. ALL PRICES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS****
****First come, first served-NO RESERVATIONS/HOLDS****
*****Kits sold in as-is condition; no warranty*****
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While this car has been out of production for well over 20 years now, we still find that the 1992-1995 Honda Civic is still a good seller in terms of our suspension products. Many older vehicles don’t really fare so well when it comes to aftermarket parts. Many parts being discontinued due to little demand. However, Civics of this generation are still very popular platforms to modify, and there are still plenty of them on the road, whether in sedan, coupe, or hatchback form.
Many of our customers should be well aware that TEIN is adamant of technological innovation in suspension. In fact that is a huge part of the name “TEIN” (TEchnological INnovation). Year after year we always look into ways to improve our suspensions and we try, as much as possible, to offer various kits to make it easier for the customer to choose the correct kit for their needs.
With that said, we’re still working on developing suspension for the ’92-’95 Civic. Currently, we’re working on the specifications for our upcoming STREET BASIS Z & STREET ADVANCE Z applications. While this line has been out for a few years now, we had yet to release it for these model years of Civic.
Why bother with testing, especially if we already have existing STREET BASIS and STREET ADVANCE coilovers? Why not just carry over the same specs of that kit to the newer Z line? That would be the easy way of doing it. However, we rely very heavily on customer feedback when deciding what spring rates and what type of valving we will designate for each application. Over the years, our customers’ mindsets have changed. In the past, we were making suspension kits that were very aggressive in terms of springs and valving, mainly because the customers were expecting a very sporty ride feel. While great for track driving, they proved to be very harsh for the street, especially if it was for a daily driver.
Over the years, we’ve taken the time to revise our tuning philosophy for suspension. Making dedicated street suspensions such as the STREET BASIS and STREET ADVANCE lines, we wanted good performance with uncompromising comfort to be the emphasis.
That, along with other updated suspension components like our Advance Needle (for damping adjustable suspension), and piston valve designs, different shim designs, etc. , means that we must retest certain vehicle platforms to make sure there is no degradation in either performance or comfort. Simply trying to carry over an old specification into a new suspension doesn’t always work out so well.
So, back to testing the ’92-’95 Civic and finding that good balance we’re looking for! Actually, since we’re on the topic of this car, we’re planning to revise the spring rates for the front (from 7kg/mm to 9kg/mm). That may not sound logical, since we’re trying to set up a good street kit with ample comfort. But, with the prototype valving we’re testing on it, it is working perfectly!!
Oh, and I forgot to mention- look for the new STREET BASIS Z to start around $450 and STREET ADVANCE Z at $550 for this platform Civic when it’s released later this year!
We have some literature about our products that explain the type of materials we use in our suspension kits. One of the terms we hear for our spring seats and seat locks (for adjusting ride height, for example) and upper spring seats/adaptors is that they’re made from “wrought aluminum”.
If you’re like me, then maybe the first thing that comes to mind is wrought iron, as in wrought iron fences. Of course, this made me want to look up exactly what wrought aluminum is, since I couldn’t get the picture of fence materials being used on our suspension….
A quick look for the definition of “wrought” describes it as follows:
“Beaten out or shaped by hammering”
In manufacturing, that would be considered forging. However, they can also be roll formed. Sometimes rotary forging can be used. And, looking further into our spring seat and seat lock designs, we use A6061 aluminum forgings that are T6 tempered.
We use a few different grades of aluminum alloy for our suspension components (A2017, A6061, A7075).
Most of our aluminum comes in large bar stock. However, we have aluminum stock that comes in various shapes and sizes, depending on what we’ll machine them into.
We’ll cut the aluminum into smaller dimensions prior to milling the pieces we need.
This “T6” tempering is a precipitation hardening process that allows the aluminum alloy to increase its yield strength.
A6061 aluminum has become more commonplace in manufacturing. It is a lightweight and very strong aluminum alloy that is used in anything from aerospace industry to even the bicycle industry, and many other products are made with this material. As far as machining goes, it is a relatively easy material for us to work with.
So, after all that bit of research, I’m now more aware of what wrought aluminum is. And after looking up what we use for our spring seats and seat locks, it’s nice to know we’re using high quality components for our suspension kits (which I’m already aware of!!!).
We just finished up some testing on the 2017 Subaru BRZ (and which would of course affect the 2017 Toyota 86). While the vehicles aren’t drastically different compared to 2012-2016 model years of the aforementioned vehicles (the 86 previously named the Scion FR-S), there are some small changes in suspension that affect how our existing coilovers feel.
TEIN Japan currently sells part numbers VSTD8-C1SS4 for the FLEX Z line, VSTD-D1SS4 for the FLEX A line, & GSTD8-71SS4 for the MONO SPORT line for their market.
Stateside, we currently sell the VSQ54-C1SS4 for FLEX Z and GSQ54-71SS1 for the MONO SPORT line. For the FLEX A, we previously sold the VSQ54-D1SS4 model number. Now we sell the VSTD8-D1SS4. For the MONO SPORT line, we’re looking to start selling TEIN Japan’s GSTD8-71SS1, since there isn’t much variation between the U.S. and JDM spec.
Phew, that’s a lot of part numbers…..
So, why the change to FLEX A part number VSTD8-D1SS4?
The reason is that there are a lot of similarities between the U.S. part numbers for FLEX A and FLEX Z. If you’re not familiar with either, we’ll just say that the FLEX A includes our proprietary Hydraulic Bump Stop (H.B.S.) and is also a serviceable damper (can be rebuilt/revalved). In terms of cost, the FLEX A is $210 more.
Since the features are really the only noticeable difference, we had to look at damping force between the JDM and US kits to see what would work best for our market. The U.S.-spec FLEX A and FLEX Z both had very similar damping characteristics. Aside from the H.B.S. setup in the FLEX A’s, they feel nearly identical.
With that said, we wanted there to be difference between the two kits. Something that will help differentiate the two when a customer decides what they’ll be using the kit for.
So, we recently started offering the newer part number of FLEX A, the JDM version, part number VSTD8-D1SS4. These actually have a difference in damping, being more aggressive. We feel this may end up being a better option for the more-than-occasional track driven car owner. Being a serviceable damper, this also will allow owners the ability to revalve the dampers for different spring rates, if necessary. Along with being slightly more aggressive, the damping adjustment range is shifted up slightly, giving the end-user a higher range of tuning flexibility at the track.
That’s not to say that the FLEX Z isn’t at all capable of track use. However, we wanted this setup to offer greater compliance for a daily commuter, while still having an available adjustment range that allows for much more sportier handling characteristics. Comfort was just more of our aim for this kit, and it is greatly noticeable on larger bumps as high-speed compression is softer and more forgiving.
FLEX Z and FLEX A coilovers will look nearly identical. But, as mentioned in this blog, there are some features that FLEX A has over the Z line: Hydraulic Bump Stop, serviceable dampers (rebuild/revalve), and slightly more aggressive valving out of the box.
So, as far as a total breakdown of each suspension offering we have for the FR-S/86/BRZ:
STREET BASIS Z (GSQ54-8USS2)– perfect for daily driver not looking to sacrifice OE ride feel but improve handling performance, while being ride height adjustable.
FLEX Z (VSQ54-C1SS4)– high performance street kit, with 16-click damping adjustment and included upper mounts (camber adjustable for front).
FLEX A (VSTD8-D1SS4)– higher performance street kit/occasional track kit with aggressive damper valving, but with a greater adjustment range for ease of tuning. Included Hydraulic Bump Stop (H.B.S.) providing greater control and damping stability against repulsive compression force. Includes upper mounts as well (camber adjustable for front).
MONO SPORT (GSTD8-71SS1)– entry-level race setup with single adjustable damping. Monotube internal structure with greater oil capacity for better endurance and performance for long track stints. Also utilizes are Micro Speed Valve (M.S.V.) to improve low-speed damping curve. Includes upper mounts as well (camber adjustable for front).
SUPER RACING (DSQ54-81LS1)– 2-way damping adjustable setup for dedicated track cars, suitable for cars with R-compound or softer tires. Lightweight (full aluminum rear damper assembly), and included duralumin upper mounts (camber & caster adjustable for front) and camber washers for front.
Hopefully this info helps. If not, you’re more than welcome to give us a call to discuss your suspension options!
To our valued customers and TEIN USA Blog readers,
Please note that we will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th in observance of the American Independence Day holiday.
We will resume our daily operations on Wednesday, July 5th.
Thank you for your understanding. We hope you all have an enjoyable and safe 4th of July, you Hulkamaniacs!!!