Tesla Model 3 Suspension Arriving Soon!

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Paul P.

So we’re a bit late to the party. But better late than never, I suppose. We’ve probably said this many times before.

As Electric Vehicles continue to grow in popularity, and with many nations looking to reduce carbon emissions or become carbon-neutral, it was only a matter of time for the Electric Vehicle market to take off. And it really has taken off.

That’s a great opportunity for aftermarket manufacturers such as TEIN. People may need to rely on their Electric Vehicle strictly for commuting. However, that doesn’t mean they cannot enjoy their car for what it offers at face value. As always, where there’s a vehicle, the performance market is not far behind, and everyone wants that extra bit of performance, whether it be in power or handling, or just to simply have something different or unique.

As many of you have seen by now, the modern Electric Vehicle, namely the Teslas, are quite quick in acceleration. The manufacturer has done pretty well in setting their cars up. But let’s be honest, they’re catering to a global market. You can’t appease each and every person with a “run-of-the-mill” Tesla, regardless of which model Tesla it is.

So, we’re coming out with some performance suspension kits, starting with the Model 3, and soon the Model Y.

For the Model 3, both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models, we’re making our S.TECH lowering springs, ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorbers, as well as our FLEX Z coilover kits.

The S.TECH lowering springs will provide a nice lowered ride height without being too aggressive. These will pair well with OEM shocks and struts, but for sure our ENDURAPRO or ENDURAPRO PLUS shocks will be a better pairing.

S.TECH Lowering Springs for Tesla Model 3 RWD (Standard Plus Model)

Part number: SKGP2-AUB00

Ride height drop: Ft- -1.6″; Rr- -1.4″

MSRP: $385

*Sold as a set of 4 springs

S.TECH Lowering Springs for Tesla Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor; incl. Performance Model).

Part number: SKGP4-AUB00

Ride height drop: Ft- -1.2″; Rr- -1.4″

MSRP: $385

*Sold as a set of 4 springs

ENDURAPRO and ENDURAPRO PLUS (16-click damping adjustable) shocks are true performance replacement shocks. Damper tuning is optimized to reduce body roll and provide better response to fast inputs. But beyond the tuning, the internal Hydraulic Bump Stopper (HBS) in each shock absorber provide increased comfort and safety by reducing a typical shock absorber’s tendency under full compression (bottoming out) to oscillate. This feature also increases vehicle stability in emergency maneuvers, especially in vehicles with added weight. Also, although designed to be a direct OE fitment, we incorporate a lot of features typical of our coilover kits- larger diameter damper bodies (increased damper oil capacity, larger diameter piston rods, and use of ultra high-strength steel in its construction.

ENDURAPRO Shock Absorbers for Tesla Model 3 RWD

Part number:
ENDURAPRO-
FL- VSGP2-A1MS2-L
FR-VSPG2-A1MS2-R
Rear- VSGP3-A1MS2

ENDURAPRO PLUS-
FL- VSPG2-B1MS2-L
FR- VSGP2-B1MS2-R
Rear- VSGP3-B1MS2

MSRP:
ENDURAPRO-
VSGP2-A1MS2-L – $145
VSPG2-A1MS2-R – $145
VSGP3-A1MS2 – $120

ENDURAPRO PLUS-
VSPG2-B1MS2-L – $160
VSGP2-B1MS2-R – $160
VSGP3-B1MS2 – $135

*sold as individual units

**Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor) shock absorbers coming soon!

Our FLEX Z coilovers, on the other hand, are for consumers who need much more than what our lowering springs and performance shocks can offer. FLEX Z coilovers provided full-length adjustability (separate spring preload and ride height adjustment), 16-way damping adjustment, upper mounts for front and rear dampers, high-rate springs, and valved to provide greater handling performance without compromising ride feel. For sure, much more aggressive for street, but not at the ride quality penalty typically associated with aftermarket coilover kits. Lastly, our FLEX Z coilovers are compatible with our optional Electronic Damping Force Controllers (EDFC)- ACTIVE and ACTIVE PRO, giving you the added benefit of damping adjustment from the driver’s seat. No need to have to manually set your damping by hand, and you can also save up to 10 different presets. However in Active mode, you can have damping that changes based on driving speeds or g-force load. This EDFC setup makes the FLEX Z a true adaptive suspension setup.

FLEX Z Coilover Kit for Tesla Model 3 RWD

Part number: VSGP2-C1AS3

Spring Rates: Ft- 9kg/mm (504lbs/in); Rr- 10kg/mm (560lbs/in)

MSRP: $1,200

*Model 3 AWD (Dual Motor) coilover kit coming soon!

So again, we’re late to the party. We tend to take our time on product development to make sure we get it right, and to make sure we have products that fill the needs of our customers. If you need help deciding on what suspension setup suits you the best, please give us a call at 562-861-9161, or email us at tus_sales@tein.com, and we’d be happy to assist you in getting the suspension you need!

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Suspension

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Paul P.

Alright, so plenty of you may still have a lot of time on your hands due to being stuck at home due to COVID-19, even though our country seems to be opening up to business as usual. But still, it is forcing many “non-essential” (man, that really doesn’t sound nice) businesses to remain closed, and many of you without much to do.

This really has led to a lot of our customers taking the time to do some vehicle maintenance, which is great since we highly recommend you check your suspension.

As we have mentioned in the past, we recommend periodic inspections of your coilovers. For customers in drier climates, typically twice a year is good. While areas in cold or very wet areas should inspect at least 4 times out of the year, or at least after the wet season.

Getting chance to fully disassemble your suspension would be great. This lets you get to all the individual components- bare shock absorber, spring seats/seat locks, springs, upper mount, dust boots, bump stops, eye ring bushings, pillowball mounts, etc. and give them a good cleaning, or replacement if necessary. Sounds like a lot of work, which it is. But for some of us, this can be a rewarding task and help keep your vehicle road-worthy.

With an adjustable suspension kit, so many movable/removable parts should be checked, like spring seats and seat locks- making sure they’re able to move freely on the threads and also finally torqued to specification. Making sure the threads on the damper bodies are clear of debris prevents the spring seats/seat locks from seizing in place. Some consumers believe that because we use aluminum spring seats/seat locks on a steel threaded body will lead to them seizing because they’re two dissimilar materials (galvanic corrosion). However, that is not the case. Our aluminum spring seats and seat locks are hard anodized (forming aluminum oxide on the surface), and our threaded damper bodies are either chrome plated (older models) or coated with our ZT coating (and based coated with zinc). This will prevent potential issues with galvanic corrosion. So, please check to make sure the threads of the damper body, as well as the spring seat/seat locks are clean. Lastly, a little bit of lubricant on the threads is actually important, not just to prevent seizing, but to allow proper torque application when tightening. Anything from a light distillate (WD-40 is very common and readily available), or even a little bit of oil, will work just fine.

Even with that said, wet/coastal areas, or areas with snowfall will require a bit more maintenance, and actual cleaning of threaded components, as salts can eat away at aluminum and steel, and even cause the metal surfaces to expand slightly causing seized seat locks. You can use car wash detergents to clean these threads, and dampers in general. Again, even WD-40, which will displace water and lightly lubricate components, works well (we’d just apply this after any type of cleaning you do).

Also, it’s a good time to check the overall condition of your coilovers coated (painted) surfaces and making sure there is no peeling, scratched off surfaces, etc. For our green powder paint, customers can touch up surface blemishes with spray paints that are commercially available (Krylon or Rustoleum enamel; Meadow Green paint color).

A full disassembly lets you assess the condition of all individual components for your coilover and check if any part needs replacement. Also lets you give it a good detailed cleaning.

Lastly, and as a note for you TEIN suspension owners, if you need any assistance with your suspension or need replacement parts, or need the torque specifications for coilover kit, give us a call at 562-861-9161 Monday-Friday (9a-6p PST), or email us at tus_sales@tein.com. We’re open during this time, and we’ll do our best to help you out!

Stimulus Money Well Spent.

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Paul P.

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

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

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

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

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

2017+ Honda Civic EDFC Install

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Sergio M.

With the release of the current body style Civic FLEX Z Coilovers, we have been receiving more and more inquiries of how the EDFC Motors would mount, specifically the rears due to its limited accessibility. Luckily a close friend of ours was interested in the EDFC Active for his vehicle so I went ahead and did the install for him.

Since I had never really had a chance to look over the vehicle you can say I went into this blindly. Initially accessing power for the EDFC Active controller and driver units seemed to be impossible (at least in the engine compartment area) without requiring modifictions. I basically just wired up all three to the main fuse box under the dash. Also for reference, the Driver Unit power cables are be able to reach the main fuse box under the dash, the rear being longer and front slightly shorter in length. I was under the impression that they were the same length. The front Driver Unit was installed next to the Engine Compartment Fuse Box and the rear was placed on the backside rear bulkhead. Both were in decent areas for placement. However it’s eventually up to you on the placement for the driver units. Just make sure the heat sink portion of the driver unit has enough space to dissipate heat. Power source was setup first as I wanted to avoid staining any of the interior, since the rears required the shocks to be removed.

Installation of the front for this Civic required the use of the EDFC Motor Extension Kit to relocate the motors. Although it looks like the EDFC Motor will clear the hood, it in fact does not. The Click Assembly is first removed with the Hex Bolt. Once removed I applied the supplied grease to the hex bolt hole, wiping any excess grease from the piston shaft.

Next a small amount of Thread Locker (also included with the EDFC Motor Kit) is lightly applied to the piston shaft outer thread on both sides (where the Extension Kit’s Top Adapter screws on to).

Then the Top Adapter base is tightened onto the shaft using a 19mm wrench. Please note that a very minimal amount of force was exerted to the Top Adapter and should not be overtightened as it can break. Next the gold adjusting rod (Conversion Rod) is installed in the Top Adapter hole.

Prior to installing the 90 degree angle (Cover) and clip to the Top Adapter, I installed the Extension adding threadlocker on it and hand tightened it. Make sure that the Inner Shaft is turned out as to avoid any hangups with it against the gold Conversion Rod when installing.

Then proceed to install them on to the Top Adapter pressing down firmly to also press down the gold Conversion Rod and allow you to insert the locking clip to lock against the base. Afterwards add threadlocker to the other end of the Extension and proceed to install the EDFC Motor and also hand tightened it. Motor mounting location is up to you as some may have different locations preferred then the ones I had chosen. Also, do not bend the Extension (no U bends). It only allows a minimal amount of bending.

The fronts were not too bad to install. However, the rears were another story. Since only TEIN Japan had a chance to do an EDFC installation noting down key areas in the rear shock’s mounting tower where the EDFC motor cable is to exit, this gave us an opportunity to see if this would be the same for U.S. market applications. The wheelwell liner should be removed before uninstalling anything as it allows for a clear view of the shock mount tower area.

Due to limited accessibilty of the lower shock bolt, the rear spring should also be removed. Once the shock is removed the upper mount also needed to be disassembled to allow removal of the click assembly.

Once the click is removed apply the grease into the hex bolt hole then (applicable to EDFC ACTIVE and ACTIVE PRO models) install the supplied gold color hex bolt flush with the top of the piston rod. Reinstall the mount back on the damper. Apply grease to the hex bolt, then apply threadlocker to the piston shaft threads.

Proceed to install the EDFC motor hand tight to the threaded piston rod. Now, check that the EDFC Motor’s shaft turns freely by using a flathead screwdriver to turn the shaft- you should be able to complete several turns in either direction (it should eventually stop in either direction). The EDFC Motor cover was a slight pain to install since accessibility of the motor inside the cup-shaped upper mount was extremely limited. On a side note, I have seen where the Motor cover was preinstalled and a slit cut on the top of the EDFC Motor allowing for screwdriver access to the Motor’s shaft. Then once you check for free movement of the shaft, the slit can be resealed with silicon. Either method of EDFC Motor install works.

Prior to reinstalling shock, the EDFC Mid-Cable would need to be installed. As you can see in the images, there is a small access hole next to the main tower hole where the shock would mount.

The male connector of the mid cable needs to be fed through the smaller access hole over to the shock hole. Please take note that the cable connector also needs to be pushed through a small clearance on the top upper corner of the smaller access hole (as shown in the noted image).

Once pushed through, position the shock on its mount (I recommend to install the bolt through the lower shock eye ring bushing for support.) then connect the two cables together and gently pull the mid cable and EDFC motor cable through. During this time you would also need to move the shock’s upper mount closer to the tower to avoid tearing the cable wire. Once the shock mount is close enough, a bolt can be threaded on to hold the upper mount in place allowing for the cable slack to be removed then the mount to be completely reinstalled. Afterwards you can reinstall the shock bolt and spring, applying suspension preload when tightening up the loosened bolts.The EDFC Mid Cables were ran through existing grommets into the trunk area to the driver unit.

Though this install took a little longer than anticipated, we have a better understanding for installing EDFC ACTIVE (and EDFC ACTIVE PRO) on 2017+ Honda Civic models. Hope this helps out for any out there looking to install our EDFC systems on similar applications. As per usual you can alway contact us direct should you have any technical questions.

TEIN MONO RACING Coilovers

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Paul P.

While we still sell plenty of our FLEX Z and MONO SPORT coilover kits, and since they fit the bill for most consumer’s needs, we feel and also see the need for more race-oriented suspension setups. To date, we still produce our SUPER RACING coilover line for those needing a setup to match more aggressive chassis and tire setups people use for road racing and the ever-so-popular Time Attack races. However, for some, there is no necessity of 2-way damping adjustability. In fact, for some consumers, having that extra adjustment (separate compression and rebound damping), might be confusing. Again, probably why we still sell plenty of FLEX Z and MONO SPORT coilover. There’s a certain simplicity to these coilovers.

But, in between a MONO SPORT or SUPER RACING coilovers is a bit of a gap. This led to our development and release of the new MONO RACING coilover line.

MONO RACING coilovers take all of the features of the MONO SPORT line- monotube construction (with our proprietary “Strong Upright Tube” setup for strut suspensions), threaded shock body (for separate spring preload and ride height adjustments, and use of our Micro Speed Valve (M.S.V.) for improved low-speed damping control. With that, we add some features of the Super Racing line, mainly items for strut type applications, such as camber/caster adjustable front upper mounts and extra camber adjustment at the lower bracket (camber washer). Along with those features, we valve the MONO RACING dampers far more aggressive and include stiffer springs, making the package a much more race oriented feel. Damping adjustment is rebound only (16-click, like our typical coilovers), and is of course compatible with our EDFC systems. Like all TEIN coilovers, we still treat the MONO RACING coilovers to our proprietary ZT and powdercoating for long-lasting durability. MONO RACING coilovers are also serviceable (rebuild and valving) and customizable.

Again, the setup is aimed towards consumers who done vehicle modifications that are complimentary to a track setup. Typically a very good summer tire or even R-compound will work well with this suspension package, but also other additions like small aero upgrades can take good advantage of the more aggressive damper and spring setup.

Most importantly, we wanted to bring this user-friendly race coilover kit at a reasonable price point, starting at $1800 and going up to $2220, all depending on the vehicle application (strut type or independent spring/shock type suspensions are more expensive).

Now available for the following applications:

Honda Civic Type R (FK8) *includes Error Canceller Units

Toyota 86 (Scion FRS)/Subaru BRZ

Mazda Miata (NA6C/NA8C/NB8C/NDERC)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions VII/VIII/IX (CT9A) and X (CZ4A)

Subaru WRX/STI (GDBE/GRF/GVF/VA

and more applications to come.

ENDURAPRO Shock Absorber Testing on S550 Mustang GT (w/ Performance Package)

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Paul P.

This past week we had a 2018 Ford Mustang GT (S550 chassis) come in for testing. This particular one has the Performance Package. This package looks to include “heavy-duty” front springs and a thicker rear sway bar. Our guess is that the factory shock absorbers and rear springs have also changed from earlier S550’s Performance Package, with the shocks being a tad big more aggressive in valving, and so far we can say that we feel these differences.

ENDURAPRO PLUS (damping adjustable) for S550 Mustang shown

You can say it is a much sportier ride now. However, for some of us older fellows at TEIN USA, it was a bit too uncomfortable, whether it was street or highway driving. Personally I don’t really like how overly sensitive the steering was. Felt like I could accidentally loose control should my reflexes overreact. It just felt very twitchy and unstable.

Anyway, we wanted to test our upcoming STREET BASIS Z coilovers for this vehicle. BUT, it was also an opportunity to test our ENDURAPRO shock absorbers on this car, and it was definitely an improvement from our point of view!

As mentioned, the new GT Performance Package offers factory upgraded suspension. It was a far cry from how the first S550 GT we tested felt (when we were developing our FLEX Z coilover kit).

With the ENDURAPRO shock absorbers, ride quality was much more bearable for a daily drive. Much of the harshness we feel from the factory suspension is gone (however we can feel a difference with the stiffer front spring). Turn-in hasn’t changed dramatically, which we can possibly attribute to both the front springs and the larger rear sway bar.

Front ENDURAPRO strut compared to OEM strut.

Rear ENDURAPRO shock absorber compared to OEM shock.

How this compares to earlier S550 GT suspension is quite different, however. Again, with the current Performance Package suspension being more aggressive, the ENDURAPRO shock absorbers now make the car feel more compliant (not soft, not boaty, just better comfort). On an earlier S550 much of the sportiness is still there. But in both cases, the included Hydraulic Bump Stopper of our ENDURAPRO shock absorbers adds a much smoother ride quality under heavy loading. Over very large bumps, like expansion joints or overpasses on a freeway, this Hydraulic Bump Stopper really helps suppress upward jolts and smooths out the rebound. Given that the Mustang has relatively short suspension stroke, this pays huge dividends to providing comfort!

ENDURAPRO shock absorbers for the S550 Mustang are in stock and ready to ship!

Part numbers:
Front- VSGC0-A1MS2-L (left side)
VSGC0-A1MS2-R (right side)
Rear- VSGC1-A1MS2

Also available in ENDURAPRO PLUS (16-click damping adjustable)!

Front- VSGC0-B1MS2-L (left side)
VSGC0-B1MS2-R (right side)
Rear- VSGC1-B1MS2

Rubber Suspension Bushings (and Revisiting Bushing Preload)

Featured

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Paul P.

This isn’t the first time we bring this up to you, our customer. Actually, it is a very common problem for people setting up their suspension. Once our suspension is installed, they lower the car back to the ground and notice uneven ride height from left to right side.

We’ve found this to be an issue with a few vehicles, mainly vehicles with a multi-link or “double-wishbone” suspension. And mainly this is because these types of suspensions have more rubber bushings in their suspension arms.

Once you disassemble some suspension arms in order to access the shock absorber assembly, like in a Mazda RX-8 for example, you’ll have to reassemble the arms through their respective nuts/bolts. That’s not uncommon, and this probably sounds relatively straightforward to you.

However, what we fail to account for is the fact that we typically do this when the vehicle is in the air, on jackstands or on a lift, leaving the suspension drooping down (fully extended).

Why is this important to note? Well, once you start to loosen these nuts/bolts at suspension arm joints, you’re essentially removing any tension on the bushings associated with each arm. When that same bushing needs to be reinstalled (by way of connecting the arms with the nuts/bolts you removed), you end up tightening all these bushings while the suspension is drooping down (fully extended). Those bushings that were just recently relieved of the tension they were once under are now at zero preload. Now, when you put the suspension back on and the vehicle back on the ground, these zero preloaded bushings start to twist. The only issue is the twist isn’t necessarily going to be even from any specific corner. This leads to the uneven ride height you might be experiencing.

How can we prevent this uneven ride height? Well, this requires loading up the suspension PRIOR to tightening any nuts/bolts to these suspension arms. Obviously this isn’t easy to do since the best way to load the suspension is to put the car back on the ground. There are 4-post lifts that also serve as ramps. This gives you undercar access to these nuts/bolts that you can tighten. Those with vehicle ramps tall enough to let you creep under the car to tighten any nuts/bolts is also good. However, this is the BEST way to avoid any bushing preload issue. We must note, though, that this doesn’t cure uneven ride height completely, since all vehicles do have a weight bias from one side to the other, and of course from front to back.

Does this mean that rubber bushings are a terrible design? No, not at all. In fact pretty much all production vehicles use rubber bushings. They’re effective in terms of performance and cost, which most OEM companies are very sensitive about. Quite honestly, they’re probably more durable that some aftermarket floating bushing designs since they really don’t require maintenance (periodic greasing), with the exception of sway bar bushings. Once they’re bad, you have to either replace the bushing or replace the arm that the bushing is pressed into (the latter being the most commonly offered for ease of installation).

Again, the difference between rubber bushings compared to typical aftermarket floating bushings is that the rubber bushings have any steel components, such as the crush tube and shell, bonded together through the rubber filling. Floating bushings, typically polyurethane in the aftermarket, simply have the bushing free moving between the shell and crush tube. This is great for having free-pivoting arms, allowing the damper and spring to do their job more effectively, but also requires quite a bit of maintenance to make sure they’re greased properly (you don’t want polyurethane to dry up). Not a big deal if you really enjoy wrenching on your car, and in some cases, aftermarket bushing manufacturers have included zerk fittings to either the steel tube or crush tube to ease the greasing process! Not all bushings have easy access for a zerk fitting to be placed, however, which has led to the development of bolts being gun drilled and cross-drilled and a zerk fitting threaded to the end.

Rubber bushings, again bonded to any steel shell or tube, don’t allow this free pivoting. Instead, the bushing relies on strain, or stretching of the rubber, meaning you have a limited range of motion either up or down, or even side to side. For most cars, this isn’t a problem.

Because most rubber bushings are “maintenance-free”, over long periods of time, they will dry rot and the rubber material will break away. This creates excessive movement of the suspension arms (moving in directions not intended), and can cause poor and unsafe driveability.

JZA90 Supra Development

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Paul P.

Every year a new car release puts us consumers in a tough spot- choosing between a “want” and a “need”. Actually, that’s pretty much the market that TEIN is in. We have a performance product that either a customer simply just wants, or in fact really needs, all depending on what they’re using it for. And for us, just like these new car releases, we have to determine which of our products the customer is going to want, especially for something like the much anticipated new Toyota Supra.

Even on a spec sheet, a stock A90 Supra is a very good package. Of course, as always, the OEM leaves a bit to be desired in many aspects. However, we can see a change in demographic in what they “want” and “need”. Even before the A90 made its way to the consumer, we received inquiries on this platform, mostly with potential owners wanting coilovers. In fact, we got our head start working with Toyota Motorsports as they prepared a couple of A90’s for pace cars to be used at Toyota sponsored events, such as NASCAR races. It was a great opportunity for our in-house engineer to get all the measurements he needs and make a suspension that works well for a pace car, no different than what we’ve done for the Camry pace cars that Toyota Motorsports has worked with us on suspension over the past few years.

Again, on OEM specs alone, the new A90 Supra is very well equipped. Even though we knew that a “pace car” suspension will never be made as an out-of-the-box setup for our end-users, we had to really think of what, of our products, is the best fit.

A90 Supras have factory electronically controlled suspension. It’s sharing basically all the underpinnings of BMW’s Z4 platform, and BMW technology is found throughout the Supra. So, we know that some consumers are going to want to retain that feature. So first on the list is lowering springs, our S.TECH line specifically.

Next, we knew that coilovers were inevitable. So development on that naturally came next. We’re for sure making a street compliant kit, most likely based around our STREET ADVANCE Z, FLEX Z or FLEX A line. However, the issue is compatibility with the factory electronic solenoids. Much like the FK8 Civic Type R, we’re having to develop our Canceller Units to avoid any issues unplugging these said electronics. This means that the customer can opt for one of our EDFC kits instead of the factory electronics. Yes, that’s an added cost, but our EDFC systems (specifically ACTIVE and ACTIVE PRO) are very advanced and a worthwhile upgrade. Still, we may consider something like our FLEX AVS coilovers which is aimed at Toyotas and Lexus’s using Adaptive Variable Suspension. BUT, this car uses BMW based suspension, and not Toyota’s AVS. So, that will take a bit more time to develop.

On top of making a FLEX type of coilover, we will plan for a more race oriented type setup, most likely around our new MONO RACING coilovers.

Preliminary testing has been completed on production A90’s (the Supra Pace Cars were technically pre-production vehicles, to my understanding). But we’ll still be working on development once other coilover prototypes arrive. So, give us a little time to get these products out!

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!

TEIN Makes the Headlines in Thailand!!!

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Paul P.

Well, kinda.

The fact is TEIN already has a great reputation in Thailand through our distributor operating as TEIN Thailand! However, this most recent news really helps put TEIN on the map!!!

It was recently discovered that two men, one Canadian and one Thai, have been working together on smuggling drugs into Australia. “How does this involve TEIN?”, you may ask?

These guys ingeniously used some TEIN coilover kits and opened them up, then stuffed them full of drugs. Total count: over 3,700 grams of heroin, 1 kilogram of marijuana, 1 gram of cocaine, & two ecstasy pills. Quite a haul, considering this all had a reported value of 7.5 million baht (about $240,000 USD).

So the story is that these drug-filled coilovers were sent to an address in Australia, but unfortunately the address was either incorrect or non-existent. So the coilover kits were sent back to Thailand, and upon inspection by customs, it was discovered that they contained the illegal drugs.

Authorities were able to trace the coilover kits back to the original shipper.

Seizure of the property included quite a bit of cash, other illegal drugs, and some expensive luxuries like Rolex watches, a Mercedes E300 (if you know anything about buying/owning a car in Thailand, you’ll know it’s really expensive to do so and have, especially European cars).

I mean, we know our coilover kits are a great value, but we didn’t realize it would be that much! Hahahahaha!

Pictures and information were found in this article by The Nation