TEIN MONO SPORT DAMPERS

Recently TEIN has been releasing there new updated version of our already popular coilover kits.

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The BASIC coilover kit has been updated and released as the STREET BASIS.

The Super Streets have been superseded by the STREET ADVANCE.

And our Flex damper has been superseded by the STREET FLEX.

All of these have been updated with new internal components and some minor changes to the outer portion as well. We’ve also been able to reduce MSRP a significant amount to make it much more affordable for our customers! You can find all the new product information through this link http://www.tein.com/products/index.html

bumprubber

Well now it’s time for the Mono Flex to have a change as well.  They have been finding new ways to have one of the best suspensions in the market for a very reasonable price.  Starting in 2014 TEIN will be releasing two variations of the MONO Sport.

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The MONO SPORT and the MONO SPORT TOURING Coilovers. Both lines will carry our newly designed Upright Strong Tube for strut type suspensions. With this newly design, it reduces friction using a revised internal lubrication method. With this design we are able to have the click assembly for the dampening force adjustment on the top, making the adjustments or installation of the optional EDFC/EDFC Active much easier.

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The system still offers the 16 levels of compression and rebound together, but now it is equipped with exclusively-designed “ADVANCE M.S.V.” With the use of “ADVANCE M.S.V.”, damping force adjustable range is made about three times wider, yet superior damping force characteristics are maintained in all parts to improve steering response, road ability and traction performance.

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These are just some of the few revisions done to the MONO Sport line for further information on the system please follow this link. http://www.tein.co.jp/e/products/mono_sport.html

EDFC Motor Extension Kit?

That’s right!! TEIN Japan is currently in the works designing an extension component for the EDFC motors and is called the EDFC Motor Extension Kit. This kit would allow the adaptability of  EDFC and EDFC Active to those kits which may not have enough room or space in the engine compartment or rear trunk/ bulk head area.

P1070198 (Small)

 

Although this extension kit will allow for fitment for those hard to fit areas, keep in mind that some kits even though not EDFC compatible may have other reasons as to why they would not be compatible. The best suggestion would be to either reference my previous blog post “EDFC Fitment Check” to determine  initial compatibility or contact us direct to assist you in determining the compatibility.

This kit seems to be an excellent option even if you have sufficient space in the mounting area. It would tidy up space as well as add a more compact look to the coilover. We will follow up later in the year with an expected release date for the kit, until then you can periodically check both our main website and our blog for any news.

EDFC Active Has Hit the U.S. Shore!

We’re glad to see the production units of EDFC Active hit our TEIN USA warehouse! Well, actually, it is a production kit we will be using for a test car so we can try it out for ourselves. In any case, glad to finally get our hands on it and play around with different settings and stuff.

Below are some pics that we took of what comes inside the box.

EDFC Active Controller Kit:

The Controller Kit will be packaged with the Control Unit, Power Supply Filter, Two Driver Units, EDFC Motor Cable, Power Cables for the Front and Rear Driver Units. It will also include some necessary installation pieces like Double-sided tape, Zip ties, Branch Connectors, EDFC Hex Screws, and a few other parts.

EDFC Active Production Kit 007 (Custom) EDFC Active Production Kit 008 (Custom)

After getting past the outer box, which is how we ship it out, you’ll find the actual box for the EDFC Active Controller Kit

EDFC Active Production Kit 009 (Custom) EDFC Active Production Kit 016 (Custom)

 

This package contains the Front and Rear Driver Unit Power Cables, Zip ties, EDFC Hex Screws, Branch Connectors (T-taps, as it may be referred to), and a few other install items.EDFC Active Production Kit 018 (Custom)

 

This is the Front and Rear Driver Unit (which the EDFC Motors plug in to), EDFC Active Control Unit, and Power Supply Filter.

EDFC Active Production Kit 021 (Custom)

As you can see, the Driver Unit has the plugs for its own power source to power the EDFC Motors as well as connectors to each EDFC Motor (2 motors per Driver Unit).

EDFC Active Production Kit 022 (Custom)

This is the Power Supply FilterEDFC Active Production Kit 023 (Custom)

This is the EDFC Controller which features all the functions for setting damping to your preference for incremental G-force load. With the optional GPS kit, you will be able to set damping setting increase/decrease based on the vehicles rate of travel (speed). It has a host of other features in such a tiny package.EDFC Active Production Kit 024 (Custom)

The Backside of the EDFC Active Controller has a relief to place the cable, should you need to mount it in a specific fashion that needs the cable to run from either side or below the controller.

EDFC Active Production Kit 029 (Custom)

The optional GPS Kit will come as a small package, too. Basically, it is the sensor and cable as a unit, along with some double-sided tape and serial number.

EDFC Active Production Kit 001 (Custom)

The GPS Unit is physically small. In all, we’ve tried to make the EDFC Active as discrete and unobtrusive a package, so as not to detract from the vehicle’s interior and create excess bulk.

EDFC Active Production Kit 003 (Custom)

We will do a follow-up post once we get this on a test car to give you our evaluation!

New EDFC Active Video!

We’ve received a lot of requests on the upcoming EDFC Active. Mainly- When will it be released?; What will price be?; What coilovers are they compatible with?

All good questions. So…

When will it be released?

TEIN USA is expecting to receive its first shipments before the end of January. Nothing confirmed yet. But even so, we’re still looking at possibly a mid-February delivery, with several more shipments received from late-February and mid-March. Many of our authorized dealers are taking preorders now to help and secure some sets for their customers.

What will price be?

EDFC Active Controller kit (part number EDK04-P8021) will retail for $433.
EDFC Active GPS Kit (part number EDK07-P8022) will retail for $80.

*Current EDFC Motor Kits (part numbers EDK05-10100, EDK05-10120, EDK05-10140, EDK05-12120, EDK05-12140, EDK05-14140) will work with these new EDFC Active components. Retail for EDFC Motor Kits is $165.

What coilovers are they compatible with?

Some Super Street and Street Advance, as well as all SS-P, Flex, Mono Flex, Super Drift, Comfort Sport, and Super Racing dampers can use the new EDFC Active.

*Super Racing dampers will require, two EDFC Motor Kits (one set for compression and one set for rebound adjustment), as well as two additional Motor Driver Units (1 unit for 2 EDFC Motors).

Please check our website for information on EDFC compatibility

http://www.tein.com/price/index.html

And now, TEIN Japan has released a new video demonstrating EDFC Active and its functions

We are definitely excited to have this new addition to our product lineup. As we had mentioned, this, along with the new Street Flex dampers are sure to make 2013 a great year!

We’re bound to receive more frequently asked questions, so keep posted with us as details become available!

TEIN EDFC ACTIVE

What’s up guys?

As previously mentioned in a post last month, we are glad to announce our new EDFC ACTIVE.  I know, I know, you’re all excited as much as we are. So to ease the anxiety we are detailing all the features on the new product. Feel free to visit our Facebook page, our website, or take a look at last month’s post by Paul to get the full details.

Besides the new EDFC having wireless capabilities and all those extra bells and whistles, did you know that the actual display color can be adjusted to your liking? If not, then as I once heard in a song “If you don’t know, now you know” lol. You can choose from white, green, amber, & blue. In addition to those colors, fine-tunable custom colors are also available.

 

This is a great feature that was not available in the previous model.  So to all who’s pet peeve is not being able to coordinate the color of your controller unit  to your gauges or interior. It’s safe to say that you can now see the colors of the rainbow by tapping a button as if you where sending a text on your phone.

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing The New TEIN EDFC ACTIVE!

If you follow us on Facebook, you’ll know that we’ve posted a few hints toward some new product. This past year, TEIN Japan has been hard at work at developing a new EDFC (Electronic Damping Force Controller).

If you asked me earlier in the year as to what kind of features will make the current EDFC even better, I’d probably tell you that I don’t see how it can get any better- we already receive great feedback on this item, and most end-users find the current features to fit their needs very well. Shows what I know! The TEIN engineers have outdid themselves once again!

The new EDFC Active is the result of several concerns our engineers felt needed to be addressed. The “Active” part of the system is what makes this so unique.

Imagine having a suspension that is adaptable to your driving conditions, whether it is based on speed(rate of travel), or by g-force. That’s what this new product has to offer.

Using a supplied g-force sensor, this new EDFC Active can make real-time adjustments for vehicle pitch under acceleration and braking. It allows the end-user to adjust/set damping to a predetermined click setting for every 0.2g increment. What this translates to is a direct change in damping force (to your preset) based on the amount of g forces you are pulling under acceleration and deceleration.

Here’s an example using 32-way adjustment for click setting at different g loads

In the G Linear mode, you are able to make a much more seamless damping force change as g loading increases or decreases

Combine the available GPS sensor, and you can have automatic (again, to your desired presetting) based on the vehicle’s rate of speed. For example, if you want to run damping much softer for street driving (ex. 25 miles per hour), that is completely possible. Then, if  you want increased damping force for highway speeds (ex. 65 mph), you can also have that saved. In fact, you can have up to 10 preset speed/click settings saved.

With the GPS sensor, you can use S-Arrange mode to set damper click setting to your predetermined speed (vehicle rate of travel)

Or you can use the S-Linear function to make the click setting transition much more smoother as vehicle speed increases or decreases.
Just like the G-Linear mode, this translates into damping control fine setting for smaller incremental changes in vehicle g loading, instead of the much more direct change of G-Arrange mode.

There’s the obvious benefit of combining both the included g-sensor with the optional GPS sensor- since both speed (rate of travel) and g force are not directly related, your car is now completely adaptable to the driving conditions it faces. Imagine having to panic brake at highway speed (and that you have a preset speed/click setting), the car will now react to the rate of speed it is already traveling, and now factor in the amount of braking force you’ve applied. The EDFC will now compound the two settings (one for speed and one for g force).

ALSO, with the new EDFC Active, you still have the ability to change from the 16 click setting to 32 click setting (finer setting). But now you have an available 64 click setting (extremely fine setting), making for a much more seamless feel in damping change.

All EDFC’s are calibrated to have 16-way damping adjustment, just as if you did this manually with the click knob. EDFC always had the 32-way fine setting adjustment as an extra feature. Now there’s an available 64-way setting for even finer, seamless damping change!

That’s just a little insight as to what new products we’re working on. We’ll do a follow-up installment with more details on the new EDFC Active, and the other many features that it has.

TEIN USA, Inc. will have this new EDFC Active available in the beginning of 2013. So stay posted with us for more updates as they become available!

 

Super Lap Battle 2012 at Buttonwillow Raceway

Yesterday was the final Super Lap Battle (in conjunction with Global Time Attack) for the year. Taking place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA., it has proven to become one of the most anticipated events on this side of the U.S.A.

We were in attendance assisting any of the driver’s on TEIN suspension. For us, it was a narrow group- Evasive Motorsports with their S2000 (using our Super Racing dampers), Sportcar Motion with their Integra Type R (also on Super Racing dampers) as well as an FA5 Civic and Canadian Acura CSX both using our Mono Flex dampers. Another entry we came across was Bobby Lane Racing in their Accord (their Mono Flex damper setup is from a CL7 Honda Accord Euro R).

We arrived really early (7:30a) to meet with the teams and see if they needed any assistance from us. As experienced as these teams are in setting up their cars, there was very little for us to do except take some setting measurements and click settings the teams are using for reference.

TEIN Engineer, Shuichiro, getting data from the Sportcar Motion team.

Working with the Evasive crew and their driver, Robert Walker, to get their car dialed in.

We stumbled upon the Bobby Lane Racing team and their Accord using our Mono Flex dampers.

With each practice session having at least one TEIN-equipped car, we kept close to the hot pits. Our engineer, Shuichiro made sure to get as much feedback from the driver to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Again, maybe only a few click setting changes were done to the suspension, while some of the teams adjusted tire pressures. Lucky for us, Evasive Motorsports uses EDFC for their S2000’s Super Racing dampers. I’m sure our engineer appreciated that! Rather than having to lie down on the ground or get under the hood or rear trunk to make any damping click setting changes manually, the driver can make real-time adjustments to the dampers and stay out on the track.

Robert Walker pulling into the hot pits with the Evasive team standing by.

The morning sessions gave some of the best lap times. In Sportcar Motion’s case, their Integra Type R laid down a 1:54.2 lap time on the #13 track configuration that has become the standard for this event. That was a really good pace, and it looked like the car could even do better than that. Driver, Dr. Tim Kuo, was in pursuit mode the whole time, having very little issue with the Limited FWD class car. A broken 4th gear prevented any chance of getting in a faster time, but their time held as fastest of the day in their class.

Sportcar Motion’s red FA5 Civic Si piloted by Ken Suen was also on pace to beat their personal best. Mechanical issues brought the car in and prevented any futher timed sessions out on the track. Final time was 2:04.3 which netted a second place finish in Street FWD.

The Acura CSX also under Sport Car Motion’s stable clocked in a 2:03.

The Sportcar Motion trio all on TEIN dampers.

As for Bobby Lane Racing, they were hoping to best their 2:05, and in the end a 2:02.2 for the Limited FWD class. It was a great event for this small team!

That’s a familiar face! Dampachi along for the ride with Bobby Lane Racing.

Evasive Motorsports’ revamped Honda S2000 (newly boosted with the HKS GTSupercharger) went all out. New record for the Street RWD class now sits at 1:53.9 thanks to the newfound power. This car has 7 years of development into it, which has paid big dividends for all that hardwork. We’ll be working with them closely to help and develop the car for even faster times. Until then, a 1:53 lap will be the new mark for teams to achieve.

Evasive’s S2000 into the hot pits for some driver feedback.

Bobby Lane Racing Accord into the hot pits to discuss any changes in handling.

The Integra Type R from SportcarMotion was relatively trouble-free, making our engineer’s job a bit easier!

All in all, it was a good event with very little in the way of mishaps on the track. As the day temperatures got higher and as more cars went out for timed sessions, it proved to be harder for the teams to try and get faster times. It was great to see many of the teams socializing amongst themselves. I found it hard to differentiate whether these people were competitors or best of friends. We were thankful for the hospitality of each team. Bobby Lane Racing was nice enough to provide the TEIN staff with lunch- they came with their own grill to make burgers and hot dogs! Thanks, guys!

We look forward to next year. If the saying “Records are made to be broken” holds true, we may very well be seeing these guys best their current times.

Bobby Lane Racing’s owner and driver with TEIN Staff.

Evasive Motorsports crew with both of their race cars.

Congratulations to each of these teams for all their hard work and efforts. We’re glad we can be a part of it!

EDFC Fitment Check

Back again with some more useful tech info this time for EDFC fitment verification.

We are always receiving calls regarding EDFC fitment on older kits or kits which may not have any details of EDFC compatibility. I was able to obtain some info on some specific areas ,clearances, and measurements that should be focused on when checking for compatibility.

 

Checking piston shaft compatibility

Inspect the top threaded portion of the of the dampers piston shaft making sure that the shaft is threaded all the way to the top of the shaft. Some shafts may have the flat machined edges, but the threads continue on the other rounded sides. Those can still work. The other type as shown below would have an area around the top of the piston shaft with no threads which not allow the EDFC motor to mount up.

 

 

Measuring piston shaft thread amount

Taking a measurement of the same area which protrudes out from the mount, measuring from the edge of the nut to the tip of the shaft. If the measurement is more than 7mm in length, then the EDFC would have enough space to bolt on. Any less and there would not be sufficient space for the motor.

 

 

Checking compartment space for EDFC motor

 Taking a measurement from the top of the click assembly a vertical measurement of over 24mm as well as a 50mm horizontal measurement using the center of the piston shaft as the center point. Any clearances less than those detailed would interfere with either the hood or other engine compartment components and/or interior.

 

 

Caution! When checking these areas please note that the measurements provided above are the minimum required clearances for the EDFC motor installation. Please keep in mind that depending on the mount type used on the damper kit, the motor might move vertically which may require further clearance. Modifications and/or removal of supportive device around piston shaft top, insulator and/or interior might be required to allow for fitment. EDFC, in conjunction with any tower bars/strut bars may not allow enough clearance across the piston shaft for certain applications. Installation of the EDFC on any vehicles/ dampers on which TEIN had not confirmed fitment compatibility should be done at your own discretion. TEIN assumes no responsibility for any damaged and warranty void for such installations.

 Always exercise caution when trying to install the EDFC units on your application whether the kit has been confirmed for fitment or the guide detailed above is being used to determine fitment. Uncertain of the installation? You can always take a look back at an early post for the EDFC installation for help.

http://teinusa-blog.com/edfc-motor-install/

J.T. Motoring Built G-ya

Hey everyone, back again with something different than usual. Recently my good friend  Brian of J.T. Motoring in Hyde Park, MA. had sent me over picks of a car he had been working on for a close customer. This is definitely a clean ride.

 

 The owner Bill Petrucci definitely knew what he wanted when he came to Brian. From the Nardi E-brake lever to the custom one-off Project Mu big brake kit this car is eye candy. Of course me being a (Low Down Spec) type of guy I would say that the ride height of the vehicle is not too bad but can always go lower!

 

The interior is set up with matching Bride XAX red leather seats, Limited Edition (Top Secret) Personal Neo Grinta steering wheel with Works Bell Splash hub and quick release matching well with the seats, and  Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi Shift Knob which is a sweet looking knob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exterior is sleek Black Obsidian with some custom painted headlights and grill which look awesome. The car is rockin’ 20″ Advan RZ-DF on Falken FK45deuces sitting on TEIN Type Flex’s with a custom mounted EDFC unit in the ashtray.

 

Listed below are all of the mods done to this G. Brian definitely took his time and extra effort to make this G37 S look like it came right out of a Hyper-Rev or Options JDM Magazine. Hats off to him for this build. If you are looking to change up your ride and are in the Hyde Park area, hit up Brian at J.T. Motoring to get you hooked up.

 

J.T. MOTORING  http://www.jtmotoring.com/index.html          
1183 Hyde Park Ave
Hyde Park, MA 02136
PHONE (617) 364-6888
FAX (617) 364-0788

MOD LIST:

EXTERIOR

Zele Performance Front Bumper
Zele Performance Side Skirts
Zele Performance Rear Bumper
35% Tint

Painted Front Grille
Custom-Painted Headlights (w/ HID D2S 6K Super White Bulbs)
 
SUSPENSION

Tein Flex w/ EDFC Technology
SPC Front Camber Arms
SPC Rear Camber Arms
Cusco Front & Rear Anti-Sway Bars
Cusco Front Strut Tower Bar
GT Spec 2 Points Subframe Reinforcement Brace
GT Spec 4 Point Ladder Brace
GT Spec Rear Lower Lateral Brace
GT Spec Rear Lower Tie Brace
 
INTERIOR
 
Bride XAX II Seats – Red Leather w/ Gradation
Bride Rails/Sliders
Nissan R35 GT-R Start Button
Redline Goods E-Brake & Shift Boot
Nardi E-Brake Lever
Tommy Kaira Hebi Bebi Shift Knob
Personal Neo Grinta (330MM) Steering Wheel (Limited Edition Top Secret/Personal Wheel)
Works Bell Quick Release
Works Bell Splash Hub
LED Lighting
 
PERFORMANCE
 
Power House Amuse R-Titan Exhaust
Tanabe Y-Pipe
MXP Double-Resonated Test Pipes
HKS Racing Suction Reloaded Intake
UpRev Tune
Stillen Short Shifter
HKS Limited Edition Oil Cap
HKS Limited Edition Radiator Cap
 
WHEELS AND BRAKES
 
20″ Advan RZ-DF Wheels (Matte Black)
Falken FK452 Rubber
One-Off Forged Project Mu Big Brake Kit
Project Kics R40 Revo Open-Ended Lug