Defi CAN Driver Gauges

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Paul P.

Defi has created a new revolutionary line of gauges! This time, the gauge set is a much more simple installation for OBDII equipped (compatible with ISO-CAN) vehicles.

By using an OBD port harness, the Defi CAN Driver can link up to three gauges, and these gauges do not require the use or installation of sensors/sending units typically supplied with Defi gauges. In other words, you can now display factory engine parameters such as Boost, Intake Manifold Pressure, Tachometer, and/or Water Temperature.

This is the perfect compliment to many newer vehicles that don’t even display such parameters anymore. A lot of cars do away with water temperature readings and simply show you a cold or hot light. And yes, we still manufacture cars without tachometers (for cars that still use internal combustion engines).

CAN Driver was developed on the success of the Smart Adapter series, which is also capable of pulling all engine parameters from an OBDII port. The factory ECU is responsible for all engine function, so it isn’t as if the OE ECU is terrible. It’s the way engine vitals are being displayed on factory gauge clusters that is the biggest problem. As we’ve mentioned in previous Defi related posts, a lot of car manufacturers chose to use as affordable a gauge cluster as possible. That means sacrificing performance (and true readings) for a more aesthetically pleasing gauge display.

The obvious benefit of the CAN Display system is that you no longer have to locate a spot to install aftermarket sensors, or resort to aftermarket adapters like oil filter sandwich adapters, to make them fit properly. The factory sensors are more than adequate. The real problem is either your car doesn’t have these engine readings, or the readings are inaccurate, which many OEM gauge clusters have issues with. To have a properly functioning gauge to provide you with imporant engine vitals can be extremely important, especially to those that have modified their engine for more power. Not being able to monitor items such as pressures and temperatures can lead to detrimental engine failures. Best of all is that this is all plug and play. No need to solder any wiring (unless possibly you’re link the Advance Control Unit- the Control Unit may suggest soldering for power supply), and you can simply unplug all the components within a couple of minutes, if not less.

With the Defi CAN Driver setup, you will have real-time data of your engine’s vitals, and with the reknowned Defi precision and performance they’ve made their name on! Not to mention that Defi gauges give your car a great look!!!

The diagram below shows an Advance ZD (DF09701) unit installed. This is only possible by also installing the Advance Control Unit (DF07703) in conjunction with the CAN Driver. The use of Advance ZD is for customers that also want to obtain speedometer using Defi’s system. However, it is not necessary if you only plan to use CAN Driver to power one of the three gauges (Boost, Intake Manifold Pressure, Water Temperature, and/or Tachometer).

There will be four available part numbers for the CAN Driver series:

DF15601- Defi CAN Driver (msrp $189)

DF15701- Defi CAN Driver + Advance BF 60mm Tachometer set (msrp $377; ***special order part number***)

DF15702- Defi CAN Driver + Advance BF 80mm Tachometer set (msrp $412)

DF15801- Defi CAN Driver + Advance A1 80mm Tachometer set (msrp $447)

From there you can add any of the following gauges: Boost, Intake Manifold Pressure, and/or Water Temperature.

For the upcoming new Advance A1 gauges, the applicable CAN Driver gauge part numbers are:

DF14802 – 2 Bar Boost Gauge (msrp $215)

DF15302- Water Temperature (msrp $215)

The new CAN Driver series is set to be released in the U.S. in limited supply by the beginning of Summer 2016!

Coilover Claim That Are Mis-Installations

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Sergio M.

Many times we receive claims of defective dampers leaking oil which are then requested to be repaired or exchanged under warranty. For the most part the actual cause of the damper failure would be due to mis-installation. Now regardless if its you first time doing a coilover install or have many years of working in automotive repair, a mis-installation can occur at any time. For the most part the installation instructions included with our coilover systems are straight forward but are usually never read through properly, overlooking the important advisories placed throughout the instructions. Following these advisories will of course lead to a problem free installation.

A common disregarded advisory detailing to avoid clamping the piston shaft to tighten the damper top nut. Most consumers and “Mechanics” often are unable to tighten up the top nut claiming that holding the piston shaft body would be the only way to tighten the top nut which would lead up to the coilover to leak. For a better visual understanding what can happen to the piston rod if clamped down, please see the images below of a discarded damper.

Now to the point of this blog post. This is in no way a manufacturing defect of the coilover. The markings on the piston shaft are what can be referenced as “The Smoking Gun” as it is an obvious tall tale sign that something had been used on the shaft. Do not use anything to clamp down the piston shaft. Our kits would either offer special machined sections of the piston shaft that can be held with a wrench or incorporate the use of the upper spring seat in conjunction with the included adjusting wrenches to hold the piston shaft. If the top nut turns even when tightened but not torqued down, placing the vehicle load on that specific corner then torqueing the top nut will work.

When it comes to any product claims, we do our best in repairing those that respectively are a manufacturing defect. If the item is not covered under warranty an explanation is given and detailed for the consumer to further understand the reason for the warranty decline.

Coil Spring Material

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Paul P.

I know some (if not all) of you people really care about what you buy. Although many of us are not engineers, we can tell good designs from bad designs. What we cannot typically tell is what are good materials and bad materials simply by looking at pictures.

Lowering springs can be found by many manufacturers. Many of them claim to use the same materials as “such and such well-known brand”. And they may be correct (since there are several spring manufacturers that let small brands outsource through them). But, some small brands may request a different material to get their price point way way down. These days, a set of good quality springs can average the $275 mark. Anything below that is not necessarily questionable, but I’d be wary of them (unless it is a discounted price from a known brand and reputable retailer, and you can confirm the product is authentic- beware of counterfeits!).

To get right to the point, TEIN uses SAE 9254V, which is a Chrome Silicon Vanadium alloy. This is not an uncommon material. Many well-respected brands state this alloy as their material of choice for their springs.

So, we get this Chrome Silicon Vanadium wire, which is in a “soft” state, and feed it through a machine that first draws out the wire and straightens it, then pulls it through a mandrel that makes the wire diameter consistent. Then we can feed it through our machine to form coil springs.

These massive hula hoop looking things are the chrome silicon vanadium steel wire we use for our springs. Still in a relatively soft state, it will be fed through dies to straighten out and ensure consistent diameter before being fed through a computer controlled coiling machine.

Coiling of the wire alloy is done in a cold state (not ice cold, btw). This is done “cold” because most all of our springs are not very large in wire diameter. It’s easy for us to form in such a condition. It’d be a different story if our coil springs were used for trains or huge trucks. This method also eliminates one step- preheating the wire, which can alter the alloys molecular structure and potentially weaken the material.

If you’ve read other articles about coil spring manufacturing, you’ll hear it likened to pasta being formed. These computer controlled machines can make adjustments as wire is being fed into the machine, allowing us to make many different shapes of springs, like our taper or barrel springs. This is what sets spring manufacturers apart from one another. Each manufacturer has their own design.

There is still a heat treatment step to follow our process anyway, which is the next step after cold winding. This adds strength to the alloy by realigning the molecular bond of the alloy. Close attention is paid during this step, as it needs to be timed properly and at the correct temperature. Improperly heat treated springs can either sag or break, depending on how long the heat treatment process went.

Finished coil springs which have been cut from the coiling machine will next go through heat treatment. Cold forming of the coils can alter the molecular structure of the wire, so heat treating helps to realign this molecular bond prior to the next stages of processing.

Depending on the vehicle application, the next step is flat grinding the spring ends. This is important because this allows the spring load to be evenly distributed across the spring’s surface area. However, this is only an important step if the factory spring design requires flat grinding. In other words, the springs we make must have matching ends to the factory setup in both the spring perch and upper seat assembly.

Our shot peen process is the next step. This takes tiny steel balls (called “shot”) and impacts the spring at high velocity. This is a stress relieving process. Impacting the spring surface is likened to a blacksmith hammering a piece of iron. It shapes and compacts the surface, giving it strength. This, however, leaves the core of the wire spring “soft”. That is what you’d want, because if the inner core of the wire spring is strengthened, it can make it brittle.

The heat treated coil springs will then be sent to shot peening for stress relieving and surface compaction.

We then go through a Setting process, which puts the spring under load for a specified period of time and at an elevated temperature. This lets the spring settle to the correct length and is also a quality control measure. After setting, we inspect the springs to make sure they fall within specification prior to the final step- powdercoating.

We use a urethane powder paint, but prior to that, we apply a zinc powder base for corrosion resistance. They are baked on at the same time and can last the life of the spring.

Our 2-stage powder paint process ensures a long lasting spring with excellent surface corrosion protection.

Labeled springs will go through a final stage of inspections prior to pairing and packaging.

We have a great success rate with our springs. While we do offer a 1 year warranty against spring sag (more than 5mm), it is not to say that a spring will never sag. The repetitive cycling of a spring (compressing and extending) weakens a spring over time. However, the materials and processes we use provide a very long lasting spring. It is not very common for us to see a spring that has sagged, even after years and well over 150,000 miles of use.

Nothing much changes when we manufacture our springs for coilovers. The same processes are used. The only exception is our Racing Spring line.

Racing Springs use a SWOSC-KV material, which offers very similar properties as our SAE 9254V springs, but we can now make a much more lightweight spring. That’s a benefit when trying to keep weight of a race car down. This weight savings is accomplished by winding a spring with less material. The only downside to such lightweight springs is the spring stroke maximum. These have much shorter stroke length for a given spring free length and wire diameter. Exceeding the design’s spring stroke can cause them to sag.

Spring design is critical, for obvious reasons (performance being one of the main ones). But material is just as critical, if not more so. We want to utilize the best material that won’t cost a pretty penny. So, when looking for springs, be picky about the ones you really want. Know that TEIN puts a lot of time to engineer a great performing product at a great value.

As we’ve mentioned, a well engineered spring can make a world of difference, especially in terms of safety.

Counterfeit TEIN Springs (Round 2)

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Paul P.

Well, maybe it’s more like Round 5 in the continuing saga of Counterfeit TEIN springs being put to market.

Several years back we made a notice for our dealers and customers that our lowering springs are being knocked off overseas. Well, it seems that someone new is out to do the same thing. Honestly, these counterfeiters getting better and better at making their springs look like ours, and getting labeling and packaging to look like pretty decent copies (but still not a perfect match).

Here are a few ways to identify the latest batch of counterfeits on market compared to authentic TEIN springs/packaging.

Why the concern?

One of the more obvious reasons is safety. We put a lot of time and effort into our research and development. Materials used are just as important, and we take the extra steps to produce our SAE9254V and SWOSC-kv spring materials to provide years of service, problem-free. If someone decides to knock off our springs using a lesser grade material, your safety is at risk. The potential for a cheap coil spring to break is very high, especially if the material is not of sufficient quality or is not produced to reduce the fatigue characteristics of a spring.

Take a look at a counterfeit spring being put up against a TEIN spring in testing:

Also, while a spring may not look like much to have to engineer, you’d be wrong. Each and every well-known spring manufacturer has their own unique designs and each of them are protected by the manufacturer. If you compare our springs to a company such as Eibach or H&R, you will see that for a given application, the springs are not the same. It’s not that difficult to copy a spring design, which makes it easier for us to identify whether or not it is being modeled after one of our own springs (even if they use a completely different paint, color, and labeling).

Maybe I wouldn’t be so bothered if you were getting some fake Louis Vuitton or a fake Rolex, unless they were made using harmful chemicals/materials (honestly, anything fake still bothers me). But, the thought of a spring that was never really developed and tested out on the road? That’s a huge concern for us. Anything that bears our name, authentic or not, can tarnish our brand and reputation. We stand by our genuine products. If our springs were to fail, even outside of our 1 year spring sag & manufacturer’s defect warranty, it will still be corrected by us. That’s how important this matter is to us.

So, while there may be a great savings in terms of product cost, counterfeit springs may cost you more in the long run, up to and including your life. Don’t take the risk of a potential car accident that these untested products may cause.

If you are aware of counterfeit TEIN springs, please notify us immediately so we can get them off the market. Know what you’re purchasing and be sure to purchase from an authorized TEIN dealer.

TEIN USA

tel: 562-861-9161

email: tus_sales@tein.com

Effects of Aerodynamics on Suspension

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Paul P.

Enzo Ferrari was once quoted for saying, “Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines.” Funny guy, that man. Colin Chapman, however, saw aerodynamics as the future of F1, which reflects heavily on the design direction of the F1 cars you’ve seen for the past four decades. It has been used effectively and with amazing results.

If you follow much on the ever-growing Time Attack racing series, you’ll see or hear about aerodynamics. Other than amazing and tractable power that most engines can be tuned for these days, along with a great suspension and tire package, the only way to tick off several tenths of a second from your lap seems to be crazy aero. Incredibly crazy aero. So much so that the cars on track resemble upside down airplanes. Makes me wonder exactly how much downforce these kitted cars are generating.

This hammerhead shark looking thing comes from the Top Fuel team in Japan. Currently breaking records at Tsukuba and Fuji Speedway. The front splitter and rear wing are waaaaay too wide for use on the street, which this car will probably never see again anyway. Downforce is what’s keeping these fully prepped unibody cars fast (as well as tons of power).

Aerodynamic tuning seems to be a fairly straightforward approach these days, with many people fabricating their own front splitters, canards, flat bottoms, and rear diffusers. While this post is not necessarily about how aerodynamics work both positively and negatively, it is important to know that it is very effective, and it takes more fine tuning of the rest of your vehicle to make the aero work in harmony with your car.

So how does all this extra downforce from aerodynamic gain affect suspension?

This Evasive S2000 had a full aero package. Front splitter, flat bottom under tray, & rear wing work together to generate sufficient downforce. Using street tires (treadwear 180) and Evasive Motorsports’ own Evasive-Spec TEIN Super Racing dampers, this Street RWD class Time Attack car broke records at Buttonwillow in Street RWD class events.

When we set up a suspension kit for a vehicle, we have to factor several items prior to deciding which spring rates will work best, followed by how we will valve the dampers depending on what the driver experiences. After all, it is the driver’s confidence we’re trying to build up, which in turn translates into a high performing car if they can do their part behind the wheel.

Believe it or not, this GT-R from Evasive Motorsports has relatively mild aero components. Still, it’s a matter of finding the right balance for the vehicle at differing speeds. For us as a suspension manufacturer, we’re always concerned with how the stability of the car is affected through body dynamics, whether under turning, accelerating, or braking (as in this picture).

We also have to take into account what type of ride height the customer wants to achieve, which in turn affects the damper length, including droop/extension and bump stroke. Keep in mind that your steering geometry must be set for that specific ride height, as you want minimal effect in bump steer.

This S2000 going through a turn looks like it is flat relative to the curve. However, you can see that the asphalt is slightly cambered, and the inside wheels/tires need to droop down and maintain contact for greater traction, which it is doing. Otherwise if the wheels were to have lost contact, traction suffers and the balance is thrown off. This car also has relatively mild aero additions.

In its heyday, aero tuning wasn’t understood as it was today. Early reports in F1 stated that the vehicle would oscillate, or “porpoise”, at varying speeds. If the suspension setup was too soft, this problem could be exacerbated by this porpoising phenomenon. This effect disrupts airflow and causes instability as speed increases.

F1 typically has the best examples of the effect of downforce on suspension. For one, F1 cars of today have incredibly stiff suspension. Some control arms actually don’t even have any pivoting point and rely on flexing to provide suspension movement. If you’ve seen an F1 car in action, you’ll know that, for the most part, the circuits they drive on are very smooth. Nevertheless, suspension is still necessary as the car still has to pass through gaps, curbing, etc. However, F1 regulations allow a tire with a really huge sidewall. So this in turn acts as suspension (just without proper damping; also helps create a fairly large contact patch for the tire). If it were tires with a very low aspect ratio (small sidewalls) the car would have to rely on softer suspension, which is what they want to avoid doing.

Still, when you watch an F1 car, you can notice how little body roll there is (it’s noticeable, but not as severe as a street car). The suspension does move, so it is functional. It seems though that the tires, as they deflect and deform through turns, adds to body motion.

Obviously this Sahara Force India car is going past a curb, which makes the car look like there is some body roll. Of course there is some roll, just very minimal.

This older spec Ferrari shows just a bit more body roll at turn-in.

But, on straightaways, it is clear that F1 car suspension is working. Thankfully this has been made clear in the 2015 regulations as all cars must use a titanium skid plate. And when this skid plate makes contact with the ground, it makes an amazing shower of sparks seen coming out the car’s back end. Why is this helpful? because clearly the car is making enough downforce to cause the skid plate to scrape along the ground.

We kinda dig the show current F1 cars put on, especially with their titanium skid plates.

This is a factor that is still important with street cars set up for racing. You may find a need for super stiff suspension, but for the most part we don’t have, or get, to drive on super smooth circuits like F1 cars do. That means we need a suspension that can track the road surface better and help maintain good traction. Super stiff suspension with very little droop travel with literally be skipping off the curbs and bumps. It wouldn’t take a whole lot to make the car feel unsettling. So, therein lies the problem. Then, once you add aero parts like a front splitter, flat bottom, rear diffuser, & rear wing, you’re compounding the problem. It’s a balancing act.

For the most part, our Super Racing dampers are designed and valved with some specific spring rates in mind for each application. In fact, some of our sponsored teams, like SportCar Motion and Evasive Motorsports here in the U.S., have pretty aggressive aero on their Time Attack vehicles, yet they still use our recommended spring rates. Really aggressive aero, and even a change in stickier tires, may require a small change in spring rate, maybe something slightly stiffer (+2kg/mm), and that is more than enough.

Ultimately, it is best to try a suspension kit as-is at our recommendations, do your testing, work on any other additional modifications you make to the vehicle, continue testing, then you can assess what changes you need to make to your suspension. It can be as simple as damping force changes, ride height changes, or spring rate change. Starting with an out-of-the-box setup is at least a good baseline. Just as with any other modification you make to your car, modifications to suspension can also be made. We’ve already spent the time to engineer the the suspension kit for your specific application (albeit a relatively stock vehicle), so that gives you a great baseline to start with.

Since I brought up what Enzo Ferrari said- “Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines”, how about this new engine for the 488 GTB:

Damn, that looks sexy.

One extra thought- while it’s nice to try and pioneer your own aero setup for your car, sometimes it’s best to go with a tested/developed setup for your car. Piecing together components from different manufacturers, although looking very similar and wanting to create similar effects, may not net the results you are looking for. Aerodynamic tuning can be very tricky to get right, depending on what you want to achieve.

Defi Advance A1 Gauges

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Paul P.

In an era of LCD and heads-up type displays that are now included in so many high-end cars, there’s still something about having a dial type gauge to get readings. Whatever it is, we just find it more attractive. Maybe it’s because it is just familiar. Defi has always been at the forefront when it comes to engine metering. Defi’s parent company, Nippon Seiki, is responsible for manufacturing many of the factory car gauge clusters. From simple analog gauges, which most cars still use, or LCD type readouts, or even the aforementioned heads-up displays (which Defi also makes), Defi/Nippon Seiki has been leading the way.

One issue is, as many of you in the performance world already know, factory gauge clusters tend to have quite a bit of lag, and many are not even calibrated properly (false readings). That’s mainly due to the budget constraints that car manufacturers give Nippon Seiki. A simple “good enough” gauge is what gets approved and is what ends up in our cars.

Defi, on the other hand, prides themselves in making highly responsive and accurate metering devices. The Defi marque is aimed towards high performance. And, to the performance world, an accurately reading gauge an absolute necessity. Building your engine to produce more power can potentially produce more problems. You have to keep a much closer eye on your engine’s vitals to make sure everything is running correctly. Precise readings also aids in tuning your car properly. Precision is Defi’s aim, and they’ve consistently made that with every product since their inception.

New from Defi for 2016 is the Advance A1 line of gauges. Taking all the experience that Defi has to make a accurately reading gauge using their stepping motor technology and high quality sensors, the only thing left for Defi to do is make a highly attractive gauge.

Using Defi’s Advance Control Unit, all gauges (up to 7 gauges) are linked using a daisy chain method which has a single meter cable from the control unit, then from one gauge to the next, and so on. This simplifies installation and also reduces the clutter typically associated with aftermarket gauges. All sensors (temperature, pressure, etc.) hook up to Advance Control Unit, which can be mounted anywhere within the car’s dash, further eliminating a clutter of wiring in your car’s interior. The Advance Control Unit is where end users can set all peaks and warnings, as well as illumination and sound settings.

The new Advance A1 line offers an ultra clean and modern look that will complement many late-model vehicles.

Even the glass used to protect the gauge is something not seen before. It has very low reflective and glare properties, making it easy to read the gauge at multiple angles and even in direct sunlight.

Gauge illumination is in white, and even the needle is fully illuminated to provide clear view of engine vitals.

Gauge facing has a machined look with gray outer portion and black center. As with all gauges in the Advance series, peak/warning lights are fitted within the bezel and only visible when programmed peaks and warnings are reached.

Audible warning can also be set for each gauge. For example, if water temp reaches past your programmed peak, the Water Temperature gauge will emit an audible buzz to inform you.

Available in Boost (Bar), Water & Oil Temperature (Celsius), Fuel & Oil Pressure (Bar), Exhaust Gas Temperature (Celsius), and also in a Tachometer.

Part numbers and MSRP as follows:

DF14801- Boost 2 Bar ($304)

DF14901- Boost 3 Bar ($338)

DF15001- Oil Pressure ($349)

DF15101- Fuel Pressure ($349)

DF15201- Oil Temperature ($271)

DF15301- Water Temperature ($271)

DF15401- Exhaust Gas Temperature ($349)

DF15501- Tachometer 11,000 RPM ($282)

The new Advance A1 line will be available in limited quantities by late May/early April!

The End of The Scion Era

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Paul P.

It’s sad to hear that the Scion marque has reached its end. With just over 13 years of production, the brand made a huge impact on the sporty compact car market, and has helped manufacturers like ourselves by being able to offer suspension packages for very customizable platforms. After all, that was the appeal of the Scion line- customization. And affordability.

However, with our economy hitting another rut, it seems to not be in Scion’s favor. So, as of August this year, we will no longer see Scion badged vehicles. Toyota will be carrying over a few of their current and new platforms. Whether that affects the model names is not known yet. Regardless, it will be great to see the continuation of some of these Scion vehicles under the Toyota marque.

Let’s take a look back at some memorable Scion projects we had our hands on.

How about our very own Scion xB widebody, built by our previous Marketing Director Philip Chase

Philip had a completely custom, steel fendered widebody kit made for this xB. From what we last heard, this car is still roaming around at several car shows. This xB used a set of our [now discontinued] Hybrid Dampers, which was a ride height adjustable damper kit, but also had a hydraulic setup that allowed you to adjust ride height ~2 inches on the fly. Definitely useful considering this custom body kit gave the car very little ground clearance.

Then we also have our R&D Engineer’s personal Scion FR-S which first used a set of MONO FLEX dampers, then eventually used our SUPER RACING dampers. Shu was a regular attendee for local track days. Originally owning a Honda S2000 with our SUPER RACING dampers, he eventually wanted to get an FR-S and try to develop it into a great street and track car. It was actually his daily driver for a while. While he was using our SUPER RACING dampers, it eventually became a test bed for us in developing damping for this setup.

We also have the Rally xD, which was a Scion Racing program vehicle spearheaded by Gordon Ting

The Rally xD used dampers made through our SPECIALIZED DAMPER Program. Since rally type suspension wasn’t readily available for this car, this program was the best solution. In total we made two kits, one based around our HG type dampers and one loosely based on our Gr.N dampers.

Its final iteration was a take on some classic Toyota rally cars from the good ol’ days

We also have the Scion tC of Edgar Coria and his wife Tiffany. They use our STREET BASIS dampers for their widebody 2nd gen tC.

One of our good friends, Five Axis Designs, has been involved with Scion since their inception, and they were responsible for prototyping a lot of vehicles for the Toyota group. Being that we’ve had a great relationship with Five Axis, a lot of their projects had TEIN suspensions.

Troy, owner of Five Axis was one of the first to get our TYPE FLEX dampers for the then-new FR-S

Before the Scion iM reached the US shore, we helped Five Axis with suspension for this concept iM

Another FR-S built by Five Axis for CAPCOM. Yes, the producers of the Street Fighter series of video games! Also on one of our FLEX damper setups.

Five Axis has also built some pretty crazy concepts around the tC, xA, and xB platforms, such as these cars

We’ll be sad to see the Scion name disappear. However, for many of us, we were able to witness something pretty great for our generation of automotive enthusiasts. We got to see the era of customization grow into something never really seen before for the sport compact car market. It pushed the envelope in both show and race, with builders thinking way outside the box (like the guys at Five Axis!). Kudos to the Scion marketing team on getting their name spread all throughout North America and beyond. For us, Scion will be in some of our fondest of memories.

TEIN Japan Factory Tour with DSPORT Magazine

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Paul P.

Never before has a consumer stepped foot into the TEIN factory, ever!

As you can imagine, TEIN (as with many other manufacturers) has some proprietary methods for manufacturing shock absorbers, with several processes pioneered in-house. In fact, there are some machines developed specifically by TEIN engineers solely for our own use. So, to show that to the public may be detrimental to us since we do not want such information to be released to the public. This is information that can reach another suspension manufacturer!!!

However, there is a benefit to showing consumers what TEIN does and what we’re capable of. For one, it’s a sign that TEIN is confident in our technology. Second, consumers are just as interested in seeing how their products are made. So why not show them?!

Well, that’s exactly what we did! We worked with DSPORT magazine to arrange a tour of our facility during their Tokyo Auto Salon guest tour for this year.

Every year, DSPORT Magazine arranges a tour package for interested people. For about $3,500/person, guests get to take a trip to Japan and visit Tokyo Auto Salon and several Japanese performance parts manufacturers’ facilities. So it sounded like a prime opportunity to have TEIN show the public our factory.

We felt bad for our guests, though. The day before was to be a trip to Fuji Speedway. But, due to bad weather the event was canceled. We were hoping our tour would make up for that missed event!

We had just over 40 guests for our tour on January 19th.

Prior to the tour, we gave our visitors a general overview of our property, including our offices, R&D facilities, Quality Assurance facility, and manufacturing.

Just a brief overview of TEIN’s facility prior to showing our guests our facility.

Since it was a fairly large group for us, we had split up the group among 8 tour guides.

Below are a few pics of the factory’s facilities and processes. Again, we have to limit what we can show the public. Sorry:

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Our Materials Yard, where we keep inventory of parts to prepare for manufacturing our suspension.

Other than steel components, we also use aluminum alloys. We stock three grades of aluminum billets, each one to be used depending on the application and use. For aluminum damper shell cases, we use an A 7050 grade extruded tube, however.

Aluminum billets are cut into smaller billet blanks using either our band saw or circular saw.

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A series of some of our many lathes used to machine many types of our suspension components.

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A sampling of some of the suspension components our lathes can process, from prototype to finished product.

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Some of our components are machined from billet blanks, which we cut from larger bar stock, using various grades of steel and aluminum depending on the product requirements. These steel pucks will end up becoming our pillowball cases for strut type upper mounts.

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We use tubing of various sizes to make damper shell cases to lower brackets for full-length adjustable dampers.

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Lower brackets, after any necessary welding, go through shot blasting prior to any surface coatings.

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Semi finished piston rods that have just been gun drilled (for damping adjustable suspension applications). Still a few more steps to being completed sub assemblies.

We have many lathes to handle different processes, such as piston rod machining. Here, threads being cut for piston valve assembly.

Vital for our piston shafts is our high-resolution inspection machine. It is capable of detecting even the slightest flaw on the piston shaft surface. Each and every piston shaft is inspected. If defects are found, we must discard the shaft.

Our Swiss Precision Lathes help create small damper components like our ADJ Needles. Such small parts require great detail, which this machine can do consistently. It also runs nearly non-stop!!!

A finished batch of our ADJ Needle Stoppers out from the Swiss Precision Lathes.

A recent addition to our factory is this Laser Cutting Machine, capable of cutting steel up to 16mm thick using a carbon dioxide laser beam. Quite a fast and efficient process!

Here’s the Laser Cutter in action, cutting our camber plates for strut type pillowball upper mounts.

The second floor of our factory handles our surface coating stages. First, we shot blast our steel components. This allows our powdercoatings to adhere better to the steel bodies.

After shot blasting, some shell cases go through our patented 2-Layer/1-Bake powder coating process, where zinc powder is first applied, followed by our trademark green powder paint, then cured.

After final assembly, kits are packaged up and shipped out!

While a couple groups went out for the factory tour, we also set up a test drive so visitors can try our new FLEX A dampers and EDFC ACTIVE PRO on a Toyota Vellfire.

The tour went faster than expected, and considering the factory was in full swing when we had it, it was difficult to hang around the machinery for very long with TEIN staff trying to navigate around us.. We even had to speed through some demonstrations by factory staff. Fortunately we were able to showcase a lot of our machinery and even some prototypes.

Afterwards, we took our guests out for a sushi lunch.

Overall, it looked to be a fun experience for our guests. I got to speak with several of them and they were all impressed with our manufacturing. So many people wanted to purchase TEIN suspension kits right away!!! Lol. I felt bad that we couldn’t arrange any suspension purchases while we were there, but I’ll be taking care of them on their return to the U.S.!

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Thanks to DSPORT and all of our guest for joining us in our Factory Tour!!!

We hope to continue doing tours for guests each year. So, if you plan on making your way to Tokyo Auto Salon, take a little extra time from your trip to stop by TEIN!!!……

……..Like our friends at Evasive Motorsports!

Thanks for stopping by, guys!!!!

TEIN 4X4 Dampers

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Paul P.

Not necessarily new for us. We’ve actually made 4×4 Dampers in the past, but it was limited to one model and very limited vehicle applications.

Now we’re bringing them back, along with four different models, and hoping to offer them for a wider variety of 4×4 vehicles!

First up is our 4×4 SPORT dampers. These are loosely based on our Type GRAVEL dampers, which are a rebound damping only adjustable (16-way) with ADVANCE NEEDLE technology and ride height adjustable setup. However, this new 4×4 Sports damper setup will incorporate our new Hydraulic Bump Stop (H.B.S.) system, which to date is only applied to our FLEX A line of suspensions. Our proprietary ZT coatings are applied to threaded bodies to provide all-weather ease of adjustment for ride height. Of course, these will be EDFC systems compatible (EDFC II, EDFC ACTIVE, or EDFC ACTIVE PRO). So far, we are making applications for the Toyota Landcruiser and FJ Cruiser.

Second is our 4×4 GRAVEL dampers. These are based on our HG setup, which is twin-tube structure with external reservoir, giving you separate compression and rebound damping adjustment (both 16-way) with ADVANCE NEEDLE technology and ride height adjustability. Because these have external reservoirs, we are able to invert the rear dampers for applications such as the Toyota FJ Cruiser, since the nitrogen charge is separated by a floating piston in the external reservoir. Ride height adjustment is smooth using our ZT coatings. Also EDFC systems compatible! Applications are Toyota Tundra, FJ Cruiser, and Landcruiser, as well as the Ford F150.

Our third offering is our 4×4 PREMIUM model. This may be a bit more limited in vehicle applications. So far, this has been offered to the Middle East market for the Nissan Patrol/Safari and Mercedes G63 AMG. These are monotube structures with external reservoirs giving independent compression and rebound adjustment. As the name implies, it is a premium line with much more flashy finishing. The damper bodies are also coated with our proprietary ZT coating for superior all-weather performance. However, these also include anodized dust covers all the way to the external reservoir. Quite flashy!

Internally, the monotube structure benefits from our Temperature Control Valve (T.C.V.) technology, which regulates oil flow as temperature and viscosity changes, as well as our Hydraulic Bump Stop system. And yes, EDFC systems compatible for both compression and rebound adjustments.

Lastly is our 4×4 RALLY model. Technically, these are a made-to-order setup. We’ve applied the rally models to race only vehicle applications. Developed directly from our experience in China Rally Raid (similar to Paris-Dakar rally, if that rings a bell), and taking the most out of our Group N rally program. Features include monotube construction, Temperature Control Valve, Hydraulic Bump Stop, Micro Speed Valve (M.S.V.) technology, High & Low Speed compression adjustment (3-way), and TEIN proprietary coatings. Built to endure some of the toughest racing conditions for 4×4’s. And of course, EDFC systems compatible!!!

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rally SUV you see in our cover picture of this post is on an example of our 4X4 RALLY suspension, as a matter of fact!

Starting at around $20,000.00 (depending on application/use).

So why the re-introduction to 4×4 suspension? Quite honestly there is a huge demand for truck and SUV suspension. While it seemed that sales of such vehicles dwindled off in the mid 2000’s, consumers are saying otherwise nowadays, and that leaves plenty to be desired from the aftermarket. We want to be a part of that trend, and this also helps us to grow our brand. Plus, we have the technology and our heritage in rally racing. We know we can offer a truly unique product for the 4×4 market!

Look forward to updates on our 4×4 suspension program for 2016 within the next few months!!!

Here’s a video of that TEIN sponsored Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV that we found on YouTube:

Quite interesting seeing a hybrid SUV being used for racing!!!

Tokyo Auto Salon 2016

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Paul P.

We sent a couple of TEIN USA staff to Japan to attend the Tokyo Auto Salon car show at Makuhari Messe, as well as to assist and represent the North American market.

The TEIN group has been active in Tokyo Auto Salon for many years now. Each and every year is a perfect time to showcase our latest technologies and product releases directly to the consumer.

Unlike shows like the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tokyo Auto Salon allows consumers (potential customers) to see what’s new, and to also speak directly with the manufacturer. That’s great since there’s not really any salesperson trying to breathe down their necks and push products on them. The customer has the freedom to choose WHAT THEY LIKE!

The turnout was good- just over 144,000 visitors during the 3-day event. We had a total of just 14,000 visitors to the TEIN booth alone. So for sure we kept very busy. I personally felt bad since my Japanese speaking skills are next to nil. However, I met several Westerners, and even some TEIN USA dealers! That was nice! Better than standing quiet the whole weekend, hahaha!!!

On top of our displays, we had goods for sale, a “Garapon” raffle, and a real-life Dampachi and Dampatty that visitors could take photos with!

Speaking of our “Garapon” raffle, we had a few big winners:

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This visitor got the grand prize- a damping adjustable TEIN suspension of his choice + an EDFC ACTIVE PRO setup!

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This was our second big winner. He wins a TEIN suspension kit of his choice!

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This winner gets a free set of TEIN lowering springs!

Other prizes ranged from TEIN original goods and stickers, to calendars and posters. So there was something for everyone that played!

As for new products, TEIN Japan brought out the upcoming STREET SPORTS line of premium shock absorbers. A perfect match for our S.TECH and HIGH TECH line of lowering springs, or as a great upgrade replacement of your stock shock absorbers.

Also showcased was our line of 4X4 Dampers. We have a total of four offerings- Sports, Gravel, Premium, and Rally. To date, TEIN Japan has already launched the Premium line, with applications for the Mercedes G63 AMG and Nissan Patrol (these are for the Middle East market consumers). 4X4 Rally dampers are a made-to-order application, which we’ve catered to competitors in rally raids and such. I’m personally interested in the Sports line, and I think that would be a great offering for the North American market!

Our EDFC ACTIVE PRO display also got a lot of visitors. It’s a unique offering in aftermarket suspension. There’s no other unit out there that gives you the option of having dynamic suspension tuning on the fly like our ACTIVE PRO controller!

Our Hydraulic Bump Stop (H.B.S.) display intrigued a few visitors, as they weren’t sure what it was or how it worked. We had a tester for them to try out, as well as some clear models for them to see the inner workings of our H.B.S. system!

While we were there, we had a chance to walk around and see what else is new among other manufacturers. We even visited our friends at Defi! Here’s their upcoming release, the new Sports Display F unit!