TEIN ERROR CANCELLER KITS

Posted on October 6, 2021 by Paul P.

For anyone with factory equipped Adaptive or Electronically Controlled Suspension will know, changing to an aftermarket suspension kit (i.e. coilovers) isn’t typically a straightforward, or plug & play affair. Now, some suspension manufacturers will at least include some method of resolving any warnings or errors that may pop up on the instrument panel whenever disconnecting the OEM Adaptive/Electronic suspension. In some cases, it’s not a problem at all.

This is the error notification you’ll get on the late-model Honda Accord Touring models with Adaptive Suspension.

Over a two years ago, we decided that we had to do something similar, as factory Adaptive/Electronic suspension is becoming standard on entry-level priced cars. No longer is this type of suspension exclusive to luxury marques. This led to the development of our Error Canceller Kits.

Error Canceller Kit show with some accessories, but actual accessories may vary by vehicle application.

Again, with entry-level cars now having either standard or optional (trim level dependant) Adaptive/Electronic suspension, there’s always a need for better handling performance. So, we had to come up with some type of resolution to the aforementioned warning or error on the dash.

Our solution is literally plug & play. Each Error Canceller unit uses a OEM style plug that connects to the factory wiring harness for the suspension. All that’s left is to mount the canceller securely to the damper, and you’ll be good to go!

To date, we’re still limited on which vehicles we make our Error Cancellers for, mainly because there aren’t too many Japanese entry-level priced vehicles with Adaptive/Electronic Suspension. However, as we’re getting into product development for European vehicles, it’s only natural that our Error Canceller Kits will continue to grow in vehicle application.

Currently available and upcoming Error Canceller Kits:

FK8 Civic Type R Suspension Development

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Paul P.

We’ve already showcased our FLEX Z prototype suspension for the FK8 Honda Civic Type R at the SEMA show last year, but we’re now making more headway into production of this kit, as well as lowering springs and the upcoming MONO RACING suspension kit for this platform.

FK8 Civic Type R Suspension Soon Available

Development took longer than expected, mainly due to the availability of this platform in Japan. Why that was troublesome for us is that TEIN Japan usually gets a head-start on product development whenever a global vehicle platform is available. That saves TEIN USA the development time on designing the suspension (altogether possible for us to do, but it still comes with its own development delays).

Prior to the SEMA show, we knew that TEIN Japan finally had an FK8 to do testing on and had prototypes they could send to us. So, as soon as that opportunity came around, we contacted a local partner in having his Type R brought in and tested, and eventually asked ever so kindly to use the car for our booth display at SEMA 😉

As many of you consumers already know, the FK8 front suspension is a far cry from the design for the standard Civic’s that platform shares. It has a very unique strut suspension, much like the Super Strut design of the Toyota Celica.

In fact, the design was so unique that it posed another issue for us in both disassembly and reassembly of the suspension. Of course, we try to offer a suspension kit that is a bolt-on affair for the consumer, so it took a bit of self-education to figure this out ourselves.

Also, newer cars like the Type R have factory electronically controlled suspension. This was a problem because once the factory suspension is removed, a fancy warning came on the dash display. This led us to develop our new Canceller Units that will be included on applicable vehicle applications we make suspension kits for. With the Canceller Unit, no more warnings on the dash, and that means a customer can opt for one of our EDFC controller units, like EDFC ACTIVE PRO.

Production Canceller Unit for FK8 on display at SEMA 2018.

***Canceller Units are vehicle specific unfortunately. Again, we will include them for suspension applications that require them.

Canceller Unit (*prototype used for testing only) installed on FK8 front strut

Canceller Unit (*prototype used for testing) installed on the FK8 rear shock absorber

EDFC would actually be a blessing for this car, since Honda decided to make the shock absorber upper mounting position in an inaccessible design (since our damping adjustment is at the top of the piston rod).

Soon we hope to have these kits available! Please keep posted with us for more info, or keep checking our website for new product releases!

1992-1995 Honda Civic Suspension Testing

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Paul P.

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!

JCCS THIS WEEKEND (Sept. 19, 2015)!!!

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Paul P.

It will be our fourth consecutive year attending the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) out by the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA! Event starts at 9a and goes until 3p and is free to the public!!!

Japanese Classic Car Show Website

While not known for really being related to older vehicles, we do have our Specialized Damper Program. This is the perfect program for such vintage vehicles that no longer have a strong aftermarket support program. We’ve used this for many older vehicles in Japan, and it continues to grow Stateside!

Apologies, but we didn’t have a Japanese classic last year. Hopefully this year??

Anyway, we’ll have our booth setup with TEIN goods for sale. We hope to see plenty of you there!!!!!

DrivingLine.com Gets a TEIN Overhaul

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Paul P.

Like that title picture??? Pretty gross, and this is what can happen when you wait to long to service your TEIN dampers! LOL. Actually, that’d be more like worst-case scenario.

We recently got to work with Jonathan Wong of Driving Line, an online magazine focusing on all aspects automotive related.

Several years back, when Jonathan was still at Super Street magazine, we had provided him some of our SS-P coilovers for his ED Civic Hatchback project, a vehicle that he wanted to maintain a lot of JDM appeal. During that time, we had revalved the dampers for more track use.

Now, Jonathan uses the car for occasional street use, and comfort is more of a concern than track-like handling. It was an ideal time for him to come in, get his dampers revalved, and also see what that type of service entails. *The title picture isn’t his actual damper, btw. He does a good job of maintaining his ride.

Although we talk quite a bit about our overhaul service, Jonathan points out something very true- not a lot of customers are aware of this service. With some of the new coilover lines we’re introducing, such as the FLEX Z, STREET ADVANCE Z, & STREET BASIS Z, which don’t require rebuilds, chances are that customers will never really know what else we can do with our existing products. It isn’t uncommon for customers to get our kits second-hand, and most don’t know much about our brand after that.

As for all TEIN suspension owners out there, we must mention that there is no set rule for when a damper should be sent in for servicing. Some customers may send in their set well before 30,000 miles of use. We’ve seen others come in with well over 100,000 miles of use. We do recommend inspecting your suspension every 30k miles, though. Really, it’s up to the customer to inspect and maintain their suspension. Surprisingly enough, simply keeping the dampers clean may extend the life of the dampers. An area prone to causing damper leaks is at the top of the damper body (not the piston shaft). At the top of the damper body is a dust seal where the piston shaft slides past as it functions. Spraying this area with water, or even with WD-40 or something similar, helps keep the dust seal debris-free and prevents it from getting damaged and eventually leaking any of the gas charge. Doing this also keeps the piston shaft from scoring from such debris. A damaged piston shaft can be anywhere from $40 and up depending on the model (on top of the base overhaul fee). If you’re doing this type of maintenance, it’s also good to inspect the rubber dust boot and polyurethane bump stop for any damage. They can easily be replaced and are a good insurance to maintaining a long lasting damper.

Here’s R&D Assistant Chris A. disassembling a FLEX damper for service.

We’re glad that Jonathan was able to see himself what we could do. Definitely some good insight for customers with our products and to know what we can do for them!!!

2014 Honda Civic Coilover Caution

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Paul P.

Hello all,

We wanted to give warning to owners of 2014 Honda Civic’s. Not too long ago, we conducted some more testing on the late model Civic, only to find that coilover fitment is not the same. This is due to a difference in knuckle/hub design from the 2012-2013 over the 2014 models.

Current Civic body style for 2014:

Here is the Front Strut from the 2012-2013 Honda Civic:

Here is the picure of the 2014 Honda Civic Front Strut:

As you can see, the bolt holes have a different alignment. That means that an attempt to install any of the GSHC0- coilovers will not be able get the correct camber angle, among other issues.

Because of the differences, our current line of coilovers, the following list of part numbers will be listed as 2012-2013 Honda Civic only.

-GSHC0-1UAS2 (STREET BASIS DAMPER KIT, FB6/FG4

-GSHC0-2UAS2 (STREET ADVANCE DAMPER KIT, FB6/FG4)

-GSHC0-5UAS1 (STREET FLEX DAMPER KIT, FB6/FG4)

Please keep posted with us for updates on 2014 Honda Civic coilover development!

Super Lap Battle/Global Time Attack 2013

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Paul P.

Another year has passed, and we were waiting in anticipation to see what every competitor for this year’s Super Lap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway Park will bring.

Just like last year, TEIN staff attended to be able to assist any of the teams and drivers on TEIN suspension in any way possible. For us, it is great to get their feedback on our suspension and how it is performing for them. It also gives us plenty of insight on what vehicle modifications are being made and how we can help adapt their suspensions to their specific setups.

In total, there were seven vehicles using TEIN suspension. In no specific order,

Limited AWD Class- Evasive Motorsports’ Mitsubishi Evo VIII (Super Racing coilovers)

Limited FWD Class- Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R (Super Racing coilovers)

Limited FWD Class- Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord (CL7 Mono Flex coilovers)

Street RWD Class- Will Wattanawongkiri’s Nissan 240SX (Flex coilovers)

Enthusiast FWD Class- Pradana Wilianto’s Acura CSX (FA5 Mono Flex coilovers)

Street FWD Class- Ken Suen’s FB6 Honda Civic Si (Mono Flex coilovers)

Street RWD Class- Ryan Houck’s Honda S2000 (Super Racing coilovers)

Fortunately, once again, each team and driver had their cars setup very well, with only little input from us. A majority of time was spent with Evasive on their Evo to see if we can get the most out of a minimally tested new setup they’re running (upgrades to power; different tire). So, there was a bit of a learning curve with this car.

The best part of the event was that many of these guys logged their fastest times in early sessions.

Sportcar Motion’s Integra, with driver Tim Kuo returning again for this event, was able to shatter their old record of 1:54.xx with a 1:52.886, and that time held throughout the day giving them the win in the respective class! Mechanical issues prevented any further sessions for them, but the damage was already done. A new benchmark for Limited FWD has been set!

Evasive’s Evo, plagued with some turbocharger issues (failure) and transmission problems, still locked in a respectable 1:49.102, taking the Limited AWD class win and getting very close to taking the overall win. Hopefully, with more testing and developing in 2014, this car will take top honors. It must be noted that this car skipped over a full year of development, as they focused on their Scion FR-S and Honda S2000 for last year’s event. So, with that said, this year’s finish is an impressive result. We were glad to speak with driver, and Evasive Motorsports co-owner, Mike Chang, to get his feedback. We’ll be working with them more on this car, as well as a few other project cars in their stable, for 2014!

Will Wattanawongkiri’s S13 240SX was able to clinch top time in the Street RWD class with a 1:54.969. He’s been able to dial in his out-of-the-box Flex coilovers to work well with his vehicle, enough so that he could take the championships in various other Time Attack series’ this year.

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord sported updated aero (larger front splitter and wide fender to fit wider tires; side skirts; rear diffuser). They also had revalved their CL7 Mono Flex dampers for much stiffer springs. Prior to this event, then were hoping to get some testing done with this new setup, but a catastrophic wheel failure prevented them from making final adjustments leading to Super Lap Battle. Didn’t seem to matter as they logged a 1:59.158 time, approximately 3 seconds better than 2012. Although unusual to see an Accord at a Time Attack event, Bobby Lane Racing showed that it can still be plenty fast for track duties.

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX dipped into a 2:01.314 ET. That’s about two seconds faster than his time last year. He also got the win in his class!

Ken Suen brought out his new FB6 Honda Civic Si. Still a street car with full interior, modifications were minimal. In fact, he used the Mono Flex from his infamous “Big Red” FA5 Civic Si on this new car (had some modifications done to make it work. Other than that, front aero, larger wheel and tires, and brake upgrades were all that this car had. Not looking to break a new record, he still recorded a 2:06.271 lap time!

Ryan Houck’s S2000, which was backed by our friends at Counterspace Garage, sported custom valved Super Racing dampers, along with some simple aero upgrades. His times during the first few sessions were looking very favorable for the Street RWD class. However, a major driver’s side front brake rotor failure prevented any further outings. Quite unfortunate. Without a doubt, he’s on pace to reset the current record. We’ll see him next year!

So, that makes it 4 class wins on TEIN (Limited AWD, Limited FWD, Street RWD, and Enthusiast FWD)!

That’s really good news for us. Once again, we went back to the office happy with the results for these drivers and teams. A huge congratulations to each and every one of these people, especially for their continued support for TEIN! In turn, we will be there to assist them as best we can, in the same way we strive to assist all of our customers, including YOU!

Until next year!

Oh, and apologies to our engineer, Shuichiro…

As you can see, we prevented him from watching any racing. Instead, we put him to work! SOWWY!!!

SEMA 2013 in Review

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Paul P.

To those that have attended SEMA for several years now, it may not seem new and exciting each time you’re there. In fact, there are many new things happening. A lot of great, innovative designs and products being made or to look forward to for the new year.

It still holds true, though- sometimes it doesn’t feel so new and exciting. I’ve been to SEMA for 8 years consecutively ever since I started working here- 5 years as an exhibitor, 3 as a visitor. Each time, it just feels like there are only running changes within the industry.

However, being able to work with a manufacturer like TEIN, you get an inside view of how the industry is evolving. Some of these new and exciting things I’m looking for are hidden within the details of the product. That’s what’s great about SEMA, because you’re able to speak directly with representatives of each manufacturer and get some insight into their latest developments and offerings.

Unfortunately, we didn’t exhibit this year. But you can be sure to see us there in 2014, as we have some new products to show and explain to our customers!

As I had mentioned, we didn’t exhibit, but I was still a visitor. I was able to walk all the halls and lots to check out many of the vehicles being displayed. I also met with many of TEIN’s authorized dealers and distributors, as well as many of the media personnel who work hard to keep the performance parts industry in the minds of consumers like you! It was great to be able to do all of that during a relatively short week. As always, I was on the lookout for TEIN related vehicles.

Here are a few new vehicles we helped out with, some of which we previously mentioned on our blog or on our Facebook page

First up was the 2014 Acura RLX we recently did testing on. This one is on a prototype set of Street Flex coilovers

Acura also brought out last year’s ILX, which we provided TEIN Super Street coilovers for. This year, it had a different paint scheme, as well as a few other cosmetic updates.

The Toyota booth also had a few project vehicles we assisted with.

The new 2014 Corolla. This one is on a set of Gravel dampers built through our Specialized Damper Program.

It also had some unique railing on the front and rear bumpers. That way, the Corolla doesn’t only serve as a rally car, you can do some bike tricks off of the bumper. Hahahaha!

Their 2014 RAV4 was also a unique display vehicle. The concept was a recreational vehicle with some very off-the-wall amenities fit for a triathelete! It had a mini fridge, blender, and sink in the back seat area. In the trunk was a mini shower. And yes, these items were all functional! We had to create a suspension kit that would take the weight of the shower equipment, plus water storage. Quite a unique opportunity for us to build something special!

At the Toyo Tire booth was a Lexus IS AWD that the Rally xD team built. As you would guess, these guys have a relationship with Scion, which in turn has ties to Toyota and Lexus. It was definitely a far cry from their usual rally purposed builds. But, damn, it was great looking car. This one is also on a prototype Street Flex coilover set. Oh, and that bike up top was actually made by Lexus!!! Full carbon frame and fork!

Some other notable vehicles that returned from last year were Crawford Performance’s Subaru BRZ at the Enkei booth. He’s still on our Mono Flex coilovers, which he uses for track days. Those wheels look great! Soon to be released, btw!

Our friend Robert from Magnaflow drove his 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to display. Unfortunately he had to work the show, so we weren’t able to speak with him much. His car looked great, though! Love the stance he was able to get with our Street Basis coilovers!

Also, Ken Suen, driver of the red FA5 Civic Si sponsored by Sportcar Motion brought his new 2014 Civic Si, which was at the TSW booth. He apparently modified his set of Mono Flex coilovers to fit this car. We, on the other hand, are making a Mono Flex kit specifically for this platform (we already have Street Basis, Street Advance, and Street Flex available).

A non-TEIN related display I really liked was Falken Tires’ ALMS Porsche. Battle scars and all on display.

Also, Dai Yoshihara’s Rocket Bunny V2 kitted BRZ

I know I’m missing a bunch of photos you all wanted to see, like the Liberty Walk stuff. But, that’s not really what I’m into. Don’t get me wrong, the F430 looked great! I just really like the sport compacts out on the market a bit more.

Oh, and the last, but definitely the first thing I saw at SEMA was Morgan Jade Bui of Sportcar Motions’ EH Civic drag car! about 1,100 hp to the front wheels! Can you handle that much power?

Yeah, I still love import drag racing. Don’t judge me.

CUSTOMERS ALWAYS WELCOME!

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Sergio M.

I would like to thank Joe Monsalud from Chicago for stopping by and taking the time to visit us during his small vacation here in California.

He looked around our showroom and found the EDFC Active very interesting and will hope to add it soon to his ride. It’s always good to hear the customer’s feedback on our products on the vehicles and how they like the ride quality compared to other manufacturers, but of course everybody has there own liking for their car. We informed him that we are always looking for customers’ pictures of their vehicles with TEIN Suspension that they can submit so we can have their rides up on our blog and he was kind enough to send us the below images..

TEIN Super Street dampers on his car.

Thank you, Joe, for your constant support for our product and for stopping by and talking with us!

If you would like to stop by and check out our showroom and possibly get some replacement parts or some TEIN goods, feel free to stop on by TEIN USA.

Unfortunately we do not sell lowering springs or coil-overs directly to the public, but these can only be purchased through our Authorized Dealers.

2012+ Honda Civic Non-Si Conversion Kit

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Sergio M.

With the release of the Street Basis and Street Advance for the 2012+ Civic’s, we found a change in the design of the knuckle assembly from the Si models to the standard Non-Si models. This change in design is new to the civic this year as previous model years shared the same knuckle assemblies between models only changing out the brake systems to a larger size for the Si models.

P1070634 (Small)

This conversion kit consists of two pairs of 14mm bolts and eight collar washer. When installed properly this kit will convert the 16mm bolt hole on the TEIN damper to allow fitment to the 14mm knuckle assembly. Part number for the kit is SPS12-P9043. This kit is price at $146.00 and is readily available. This kit is a little on the pricey side but would be required if the kit is to be used on a Non-Si model.

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