Tag Archives: Coilovers

One Roaring S13

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Well hello there world. This month I want the spotlight to focus on Rob Symonds’ S13.

Rob contacted us around mid May for an overhaul + revalving for his TEIN HE dampers. We got the job done and satisfied our customers expectation.  After everything was said and done he shoots us an email that makes me fall out of my seat! Yeah I’ve seen s13’s driving around and in car shows  but this one I must say is at the top of my list.

His request sounded easy enough. But Rob was also pretty specific with what he wanted. This didn’t turn out to be a standard damper rebuild for us. Then again, Rob isn’t your regular ‘ol car guy. He knows exactly what he wants. To get the most out of a damper revalve, we ask a gamut of questions about the car, the setup, the types of road courses it races on, etc. Sometimes we get more information than we need, but Rob didn’t talk up a storm about his engine modifications- in fact, his motor is a stock, naturally aspirated KA24. It was previously a turbocharged motor, detuned for simplicity and reliability’s sake (did we mention that Rob is an engineer at Garrett? He definitely knows his way around a motor!),  Roll cage, or vented fiber glass hood. Not once did he mentioned his 17 inch Enkei RPF1 wheels, Hoosier A6 slick tires, or HAWK DTC-60 brake pads. He also did not tell us about his long list of sponsors or 5 minutes of fame on this years January edition of Modified Magazine. Then again, some details are better left unsaid. Maybe not! We wanted to hear more!

Rob is simply a race enthusiast. He spends time building his car to get the setup right, just like many of you out there, all in a quest for the quickest time around the track! We appreciate guys just like Rob!

Check out the images and video below to get the corner panels point of view of this 240 on the track.

  [vsw id=”28997157″ source=”vimeo” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”yes”]

Japanese Spec Vs. US Spec Coil-overs

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Recently I have noticed that a lot of consumers and dealers of ours inquire about the differences between a Japanese-spec coilover kit and a U.S.-spec coilover kit. Relax, grab a cup of coffee, and let me do some explaining. It’s actually quite simple.

One of the main differences between these kits is the valving and in some cases spring rates. The U.S.-spec coilover kit comes with a more aggressive valving. The reason behind this is because consumers in the U.S. prefer a slightly more aggressive coilover in comparison to consumers in Japan. U.S. vehicle’s may also have some manufacturing differences opposed to the ones released overseas.

But as mentioned earlier, another factor is the spring rates. Some of the U.S.-spec coilover’s come with a stiffer spring to match the aggressive valving of the dampers. Of course there are other differences between the dampers besides the valving and spring rate. Damper designs may vary from U.S. to Japanese kits such as damper mounting points, damper body and stroke lengths, and required OEM parts.

As a side note- some U.S. applications may be compatible with Japanese dampers with no modifications whatsoever. But we recommended to verify with TEIN prior to purchasing these kits.

In conclusion, regardless if the coilover kit is Japanese or US spec they both come down to one thing- they both cater to different markets which is a matter of consumer preference. However, TEIN is able to assist with customization of your TEIN dampers through our Overhaul and Revalving service available Stateside through our in-house service departments in the East Coast and West Coast facilities. As a performance suspension manufacturer for a global market, we realize it is difficult to appease all customers. But we can definitely assist our customers in dialing in their suspension for their specific needs, all of which is for your driving pleasure!

TEIN USA R&D Needs Your Car

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TEIN USA’s R&D Section is in need of your car to do testing on.

If you, anyone in your family, one of your friends, or your neighbors owns one of the following cars or any of the cars listed on this page, let them know that TEIN USA needs their car to do testing on.

If your car is chosen to be used for testing you may have your car returned to you with lowering springs or maybe even coilovers free of charge.
The only sacrifice that need be made is your time.
Testing can take anywhere from 3-5 business days.

So let us know by filling in this Test Vehicle Application and one of our staff will be in contact with you.

Remember, we only need one car per testing application, and it’s first come first serve, so apply quickly.

To Match or Not to Match

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Hey everyone its been a while but I’m back.  This post is gonna be about the different part numbers found on the lowering springs or dampers themselves.

Many folks call in wondering why the part numbers are different, which lowering  spring or damper is front or rear. Well here’s some info to help out all of those folks that are not so mechanically inclined.

              Each lowering spring and damper kit has an individual alphanumeric part number which is part of the manufacturing process and to also help determine whether the part is a front, rear , left or right as shown in the photos above.  The lowering spring shown have an even part number (partially matching the kit number SKS84-AUB00) which would indicate that the spring belongs in the front, and odd number would belong in the rear. The springs would also have an F (Front) or R (Rear) in the beginning of the part number designated its location. The last digits are the springs lot number. Note: the springs should always be installed so the printed part number is right side up.

Though the springs have an individual part numbers they cannot be purchased individually like dampers can. However the part numbers can help you determine where the spring belongs and what vehicle they belong on or are compatible with.

        The dampers have the same type of alphanumeric part number as the springs but have additional information as to its location, damper type and what application the damper is for. Older dampers ( exa. HR or NR dampers) would have the part number engraved into the lower section of the shock body.

I hope this helps clarify some part number you may encounter on either TEIN lowering springs or dampers. Next time I will go deeper into the part numbers of both the lowering springs and damper kits. Also a special thanks to our TEIN male model Jonathan Lee (the guy in the snazzy overalls NOT the one in the blue bikini) for his professional modeling. Keep it up and you might be on the TEIN Calander or even a TEIN Poster. LOL J/K . Thanks for the help Dude.

Counterfeit.. Defi & Coilovers!?

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We have recently become aware of counterfeit items going around. In past years we have known of counterfeit lowering springs being distributed, but have not seen much lately. We received a few emails to our general tech and customer service email address from customers questioning if they should purchase a specific product.

The following two pictures were from a customer who searched “Defi” on Ebay and found these gauges as the cheapest listings (under $25 each).

This is not a product of Defi. The seller did not list all the features and did not provide any other detailed pictures.

The next two pictures were from a customer checking out a RX7 forum and were confused if these were real.

The seller was claiming that these were our TEIN Super Drift Coilovers made for the FC RX7 going for $800.00 brand new.

If you have any questions or concerns about purchasing a product that may or may not be an Authentic TEIN product, feel free to email us at tus_sales@tein.com so we can verify. The safest route of purchasing TEIN products is through any of our authorized dealers from our Dealer List.

Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid Testing

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Product testing for the Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid, the highly anticipated successor to the CR-X, has been completed.

H.Tech Lowering Springs & Super Street Coilovers.

The H.Tech Springs will provide a drop of: Front -20mm and Rear -25mm

The Super Street Coilovers will provide a drop of: Front -35mm and Rear -40mm

Drop quantities at this time are only approximations, as Honda has yet to provide information on different Grades, Packages, Equipment, etc.

The CR-Z when it first entered the garage. Almost time for us to begin removing and disassembling the suspension.

With the H.Tech Lowering Springs installed the CR-Z is already looking better.

For those that desire a more aggressive stance and slightly sportier ride quality over the stock suspension.

Riding on Super Street Coilovers the CR-Z now truly looks like a Sport Hybrid.

This product not only provides an aggressive drop, it also has a much sportier feel that won’t compromise your comfort.

These products will arrive on our shelves and be available for purchase very soon.

TEIN Coilover PRICE DROP

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As of today, June 14th, TEIN USA has lowered the MSRP price on all* BASIC, Super Street, Super Street with Mounts and FLEX coilovers.  Price decrease is about 10% which relates to some significant savings. On some part numbers the price has changed by $290. Median price change is $160.

The product remains completely unchanged. This is simply a price drop. If you have been saving your money for a set of coilovers now is the time to buy TEIN.

Do not settle for inferior products. Many of the cheaper brands have come and gone over the past few years. Once they are gone there is zero product support/ service. TEIN has been producing coilovers for 25 years and we are growing. We test fit each application, coilovers are made in-house and we have two US locations for product service.

*Price decrease does not include special order JDM applications.

Coilovers for 1st Gen Integra & CR-X / 3rd Gen Civic

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TEIN Authorized dealer Heeltoe Automotive specializes in Honda/ Acura tuning and asked TEIN to produce a coilover kit for the ’84-87 Honda CRX/ Civic and ’86-89 Acura Integra. The result is called the Medieval Pro Coilover Kit exclusively sold by HeelToe.

All product development was performed in our HQ in Downey CA and the kit is manufactured in our Yokohama Japan factory.

The kit has features similar to our Super Street coilovers. 16-way damping force adjustability with a ride height adjustable rear. The front suspension retains the standard torsion beam from Honda. Heeltoe allows customers to pick the TEIN rear spring rate and also offers different diameter torsion beams for the front.


Additional stock of these limited edition coilovers is now available through HeelToe. Please visit Heeltoe’s website at, www.heeltoeauto.com for additional technical information or to place an order.