Super Street Magazine’s Cars of Formula Drift New Jersey

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Paul P.

For sure Formula Drift New Jersey, which took place on June 17 & 18, had a great crowd turnout, as well as a nice showing of cars both inside the venue, out in the parking lot, and of course on the track.

We were glad to have ourselves a beautiful booth car for our TEIN booth. The Evo X owned by Max Solarz was tastefully set up using our MONO SPORT coilovers, and a host of other JDM goodies. That really helped our booth stand out.

That’s not to say that there wasn’t any other good looking car at the event. As we mentioned, it seemed the whole venue was packed with nicely built cars. Super Street Magazine was gracious enough to share their pics of cars from Wall Speedway’s pit area. Check it out!

Formula D New Jersey 2016 Pit Walk

Super Street Magazine’s Top Ten Nissans of SEMA 2015

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Paul P.

Super Street Magazine (or Online, for that matter) has put out a list of some of their favorites from SEMA! One segment, favorite Nissan’s, shows two of our sponsored vehicles:

The S14 240SX of Brian and Julia Duong made the list, as well as Evasive Motorsports’ R35 GT-R which happened to be our booth car for the show!

Congrats to both! I mean, it’s quite obvious that both cars look great, so it should have been easy enough to both be favorites!

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!!!

Another Set of TEIN Specialized Dampers Made!!!

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Paul P.

Honestly, our Specialized Damper program hasn’t really taken off like it has overseas. However, there are a few customers stateside that have interest in getting a completely custom suspension made by us, instead of having to piece together their own coilover using damper inserts and some spring setup they’ve found online. Nothing necessarily wrong with that setup. In fact, it’s quite common since that is pretty much the only option available for consumers.

We, on the other hand, pride ourselves in designing kits specifically for each vehicle application and to the customer’s specifications.

Not too long ago, Troy from Five Axis Designs, the guy responsible for many of Scion’s prototypes, as well as some of Toyota’s prototypes (like the FT-1 concept), contacted us about his personal project. He’s currently working on a Datsun 240z.

His car is all original, including paint, and Troy wants to avoid doing anything really crazy to the car. In fact, he’s planning on keeping the paint as-is, even with a little fade after all these years! It’s also a relatively low mileage car!!!

Anyway, Troy had an extra set of factory suspension that had damper inserts. He wanted to get a set of TEIN dampers made after he saw one of our posts on a similar project TEIN Japan posted on Facebook. Troy essentially wanted the same thing. And since TEIN USA really wants to show what we are capable of doing for customers stateside (even though the manufacturing still has to come out of TEIN Japan’s factory). So we ordered up a set for Troy!

For this particular application, we still needed the factory suspension since we needed to cut and remove the damper inserts, then send the factory assemblies to TEIN Japan to have the bottom front spindles and rear hubs retrofitted onto our dampers. This means that the factory components must be inspected and have to be in serviceable/usable condition (in other words, TEIN is not responsible if they receive components out of factory specifications).

A few months later, we received the completely assembled coilover kit from TEIN Japan. Below are some pictures:

First, we took the factory suspension and inspected them. Again, this should be done by the customer prior to sending them to us (and before we send to TEIN Japan).

For the rear factory dampers, we had to press out the wheel bearings from the hub.

After sending to TEIN Japan and having them work on retrofitting a completely customized damper setup, this is what we ended up with:

Each Damper is individually serialized.

This helps us whenever the customer may send them back to us for either rebuilding or revalving the dampers, especially if they decide to change spring rates, or if they just want to alter the handling characteristics of their dampers.

Also, if the customer plans to reorder another set of the same dampers, we can refer to our catalog data from this part number and determine what components we used, what spring rates we used, as well as the damper specifications we used just for this customer.

We’re looking forward to updates from Troy, as he continues to do a mild restoration to this car! Stay tuned for those updates!!!

If you’re in the market for custom suspension, whether it be because no one offers a suspension kit for your vehicle or if you need something that isn’t exactly like the factory suspension, or if you just need some customized components like upper mounts only or custom wound springs, give us a ring at 562-861-9161 and speak with one of our sales staff. We’d be happy to help you in creating your very own TEIN damper kit made to suit your needs!!!

Year-End Specials on Coilovers!

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Paul P.

With 2014 coming to a close, it’s now time for TEIN USA to work on bringing you some new products for 2015, and we’re working hard to get a new line of “Z” coilovers available by Spring of 2015!!!

That means that we have quite a few specials on coilovers, such as our STREET BASIS, STREET ADVANCE, and STREET FLEX coilover lines! Through our authorized dealer network, we’re running a “December Special” for the remainder of 2014. While I cannot disclose how much we’re giving our dealers, I will say that these are some of the deepest discounts we’ve ever offered on new products.

Now is a great time to purchase the suspension you want while saving some money,,,,,,,, that can go towards Christmas gifts,,,, for friends and family,,,,, I guess!

Contact your nearest authorized TEIN dealer for more information and pricing!

Need help in finding the nearest TEIN dealer in your area? Follow our dealer link to find one!

BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY SALE

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Paul P.

Yes, it is that time of year again where you take all that money you saved for gifting others and you end up gifting yourself!

Don’t feel bad. We all do it anyway! At least you don’t have to stand in some crazy line with a bunch of wacky people bumping into you or taking goods right out of your hands! Or even fighting with them? Hopefully that’s never the case.

We’re launching our sale items through our eBay page. Sales start at midnight on November 28th and runs through December 1st (Cyber Monday)! Be ready… Be very ready…

TEIN Coilovers at super low prices!!!!

and some Defi, Carbing, Takata, and ATI products!

Happy shopping!!!

Wheel Fitment Complaint

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Sergio M.

It seems as though lately we’ve been having a high increase in complaints from consumers about tire rubbing.
Now this rubbing encountered is not necessarily coming from the original OE wheel and tires but rather aftermarket wheel and tire set ups.

Wheel Fitment 4

With this in mind a common sense factor should be taken into consideration but is always thrown out the window as the car must look sweet with an aggressive offset. Bear in mind that not just any wheel and tire set up can be used on any vehicles.

Wheel Fitment 2

Many consumers that do achieve the desired fitment would also require further modifications to the wheel well and other suspension components. The rubbing has nothing to do with the lowering spring or coilover set up as it never was any type of issue upon the initial testing of the vehicle with the OE wheels. Now the lowering spring or coilover set up may not be to the consumers expectations, either allowing for too much travel when weight is placed on a particular corner of the vehicle causing the rubbing, or not enough to bring the wheel and fender clearance to the desired place.

I, too, have ran across this dilemma thinking that the wheel and tire set up would be sufficient enough for the drop I was looking to maintain. With the same issue encountered, rather than blame others for my error, I decided to make further modifications as to allow for the fitment. Let’s just say that it still encountered rubbing at full suspension compression but worked well enough for me.

So, before you decide to lower your vehicle and get new wheels, consider certain factors such as wheel size (diameter, width, and offset) as well as tire size (width and outside diameter). These factors can affect overall wheel fitment and can cause problems with rubbing if not taken into consideration.

***Images shown above were those found on google search and I do not take any type of claim to them being images of my own.***

Short Spring Dilemmas Part 1

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Sergio M.

I will be going over the details of some issues encountered with the use of shorter springs. Part 1 of a 2 part post would explain the use of shorter length springs with a ride height adjustable coilover. Many consumers think that the use of a shorter length spring on a ride height adjustable coilover such as the Street Basis, Street Advance, Super Street, Basic’s, and Comfort Sport dampers would allow for the coilover to drop even further than the kits current maximum lowest setting. Essentially this is correct if the damper assembly has sufficient amount of range left on its body threads and/or overall damper length. Any consumer kits which have this type of set up will initially encounter the issue of the upper mount assembly riding against the bump rubber. This will eventually cause the bump rubber to break down causing either the damper to prematurely wear the seal and, in worst cases, cause internal damage of the damper. Other issues also experienced are spring slop (the spring moving out of its seat positions during operation due to the shortened length) damaging the damper body and threads, noises due to excessive damper component movement, and damper component failure (upper, lower spring seats, bushings, and bearings) from the loose fitting spring.

The images above shows a Super Street damper assembly from a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX utilizing the standard 6KG spring rate with a 225mm length offered with the kit but set to a significantly low ride height. The second image above shows a load on mount assembly placed against the spring. This is not what the springs normal position would be with the vehicle weight added to it. For this application, the calculations of the spring rate (6KG) with the vehicles sprung weight (the weight above the spring excludes suspension components below the spring) (sprung weight is 235) which would compress the spring another 39mm placing the upper mount assembly closer to the bump stop.

Now, if a consumer looking to utilize a 1 inch shorter length spring in the same spring rate, the images below shows (the same ride height setting is maintained) the increase in gap between the upper mount assembly as well as the amount of piston shaft stroke exposed. The second image below would show the dampers shaft compressed to the point at which the mount sit against the spring. With the previously mentioned sprung weight compressing the spring the additional 39mm’s the spring would compress further placing the upper mount assembly even closer to the bump stop eliminating stroke from the damper. At this point it would begin to hit the bump stop over slightly larger bumps on the road and slowly break down the bump stop.

Now, should the consumer consider an even shorter length spring (in this case 2 inches shorter with the same spring rate; again, if the lowest ride height position is maintained), the images below show how the size in gap between the upper mount assembly and spring has immensely increased. The second image would again show the damper assembly compressed to the point at which the upper mount and spring meet. With the details previously mentioned of the sprung weight added to the spring, the upper mount would sit up against the bump stop with no type of real movement on the dampers stroke. The end result if utilized in this manner would be horrible ride quality, as their would be no stroke available, the upper mount assembly would immediately begin to damage the bump stop which in turn would either break the bump stop wedging the pieces into the seal portion and tearing at the seal or worst case splitting the bump stop apart allowing for the piston shaft to fully compress and hit the base of the damper damaging the unit internally.

The use of a stiffer spring in conjunction with a shorter length spring would be advisable as it would further support the vehicle weight minimizing the amount of contact between the upper mount assembly and bumper. This of course would also need to follow the spring rate change recommended range depending on the damper model. For any spring rate changes beyond our recommended range, we highly advise for the dampers to be sent in for a revalve service. Oversprung dampers can prematurely wear out as the dampers are not be able to keep up with the stiffer springs need for more rebound force.

For part 2 of the Short Spring Dilemmas, I will be going in depth to discuss full length adjustable coilover utilizing shorter lengths.

TEIN USA’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday Specials!!!

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Paul P.

Yes, it’s that time of year where you’re debating whether to spend money on some great after-Thanksgiving deals or just wait until Christmas.

Well, unlike so many other Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, we have some items at substantial savings over retail! Not just an extra 10% off. We’re talking 37% and up to 86% off MSRP!!!! How’s that for a savings?!

Although the list is somewhat limited, we have some great deals on some very popular applications. We’ll be posting these items on our eBay account (seller name: tein-usa). Sale starts at midnight November 29 and we’ll continue through December 2nd. Also, free shipping within the 48 contiguous states (please contact us for shipping to HI and AK)!

Link to our Facebook page for part numbers/applications

TEIN USA, Inc. Facebook

Or just take a look below!

…

EDFC Motor Extension Kit?

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Sergio M.

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.

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.

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The latest news and info from TEIN USA

Tag Archives: Super Street