With the newly released S.TECH lowering springs for the A90 Toyota Supra, we wanted to put a notice out to owners about modifications needed to the rear bump stops.
S.TECH Lowering Spring set part number: SKTJ4-S1B00
Our S.TECH spring kit (part number: SKTJ4-S1B00) includes a pair of bump stops and dust boots specifically for the rear shock absorber. However, it is to be used in conjunction with a modified OEM bump stop.
Please follow along as we show you what needs to be done.
First, the rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed. Then, the the OEM bump stop can be pulled out of the mount. Now, the OEM dust boot is simply press fitted around the OEM bump stop. You can just pull the dust boot out, or you can leave it attached. Either way, the OEM bump stop needs to be trimmed significantly, and the portion to be removed also removes the OEM dust boot. Our included TEIN dust boot will replace this piece.
The rear shock absorber mount needs to be removed from the shock absorber assembly.
With the OEM bump stop removed, you need to measure 20mm from the top of the bump stop (widest portion) down and mark this location. This 20mm piece will be reinstalled in the rear shock absorber mount. You can use a razor blade (utility knife will do fine) to cut the bottom portion of the OEM bump stop off.
The OEM bump stop and OEM dust boot are assembled as one piece. The OEM dust boot is easily removed by pulling it off the OEM dust boot.The top of the OEM bump stop will need to be remained. This should be 20mm thick after trimming.
Now, the included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed. 10mm needs to be trimmed off the bottom (narrow portion) of the TEIN bump stop.
The included TEIN bump stop also needs to be trimmed, too. The bottom portion needs 10mm but from the bottom, which is the narrow portion of the bump stop. A utility knife makes trimming of the OEM and TEIN bump stop easy work. Just use caution when cutting.
This picture shows how it is to look on the rear shock absorber (without the TEIN dust boot, for example only) along with the trimmed OEM bump stop.
For reinstallation, hand fit the modified TEIN bump stop onto the piston rod. Then, fit the TEIN dust boot onto the piston rod.
Then, reinstall the rear shock absorber mount (with the trimmed OEM bump stop hand pressed in) onto the piston rod. Now you can tighten the rear shock absorber mount with the 16mm flange nut.
Make sure the TEIN dust boot and bump stop are placed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop (basically you are going to sandwich the top of the TEIN dust boot against the trimmed OEM bump stop and trimmed TEIN bump stop).
The final assembly should look like this. The TEIN bump stop is covered by the TEIN dust boot, and both pieces are pushed up against the trimmed OEM bump stop. The TEIN bump stop is a tight fit around the piston rod in order to keep the TEIN dust boot in place and to protect the piston rod from any debris damage while driving.
The rear shock absorber assembly is now ready to be installed back onto the vehicle.
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.
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.
Engine Compartment Driver Mount
Rear Bulkhead Driver Unit Mount
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.
I’m lucky enough to be one of the first in the U.S. to put our new ENDURAPRO shock absorbers to use in the U.S. My 2008 Honda Fit was fitted with the ENDURAPRO PLUS (16-click damping adjustable) shocks and struts, which I eventually added our S.TECH lowering springs, around March 2018. I figured it’s time to visually inspect these shocks and see how they’ve held up.
As previously mentioned, this car is typically my daily commuter for work. I average about 14,000 miles in driving a year. While I technically have just over 21,000 miles on these ENDURAPRO PLUS shocks, the other miles I drive for the year has been on my truck. Still, I think over 21k of miles on our ENDURAPRO PLUS shocks is a pretty good age to finally give them a look-see. Mind you, the average shock absorber lifespan is typically 36,000 miles in the U.S. Not too sure how that average came to be. We see shock absorbers last much longer than that. Quite honestly, I should have inspected these shocks a long time ago (a reminder to all to inspect their cars)!
Prior to giving you a run-down of the inspection, I will say that overall the shocks still feel great! Over time, I’ve readjusted the damping click settings simply to find that “sweet spot” in comfort. After all, installing lowering springs will alter the ride quality. Currently I have the fronts and rears set to 8 clicks from stiff (essentially the middle setting). I had previously had it somewhat softer in front and stiffer in back, as I felt it worked well whenever I had the car fully loaded. I may end up softening the front just a little, once everything is reinstalled.
Speaking of fully loaded, that is probably the most awe inspiring experience that showcases how our shock absorbers perform! It really is! As you probably already know, our ENDURAPRO/ENDURAPRO PLUS line includes internal Hydraulic Bump Stoppers, which helps alleviate that ever-so-fun suspension oscillation whenever the car is at maximum capacity.
Again, since it’s my daily commuter, typically there isn’t much extra weight in the car, other than my kids’ seats and some kids junk in the back seats. With lowering springs that are a bit stiffer than stock, it can feel relatively firm over bumps and gaps in the highway. Overall, our S.TECH springs aren’t terribly stiff.
However, after my bi-weekly trip to Costco, which usually consists of purchasing several cases of bottled water, my kids’ diapers and formula, and a bunch of other necessities you have no choice but to purchase in bulk, the trunk gets heavily loaded, and you can both see and feel that added weight. Then add my sons, when i have to pick them up at their Nana’s house. It’s basically like I’m loaded for a long-distance road trip.
This is where our Hydraulic Bump Stopper really comes in to play. Our Southern California highways are anything but smooth, and there are plenty of large gaps, expansion joints, dips, pavement cracks/potholes, ramp-like bumps over overpasses, etc. It’s a great way to put suspension to work, and at highway speeds, this provides us with a horrific ride, and one that puts our vehicles through pure torture. Did I mention that I also have to listen to “Elmo’s Song” on repeat whenever the kids are in the car???
But seriously, over this type of highway terrain, TEIN’s Hydraulic Bump Stopper really does its part in helping absorb these high-speed impacts, preventing the polyurethane bump stop from doing that work and helping the shock absorbers rebound nice and smoothly. Honestly, it has to be one of the more rewarding parts of my commute. Now I can understand what trophy trucks must feel like over big jumps,,,,,, just at a much smaller scale. Hahahaha!
Anyway, on to the inspection:
One thing I noticed was the front strut mounts were making a bit of noise, especially when steering at slow speed. I initially thought it was the bearing making the noise. But, for all I know it could have been a problem with the struts. This just confirms it was indeed the upper mount. However, as mentioned during the initial installation of these ENDURAPRO Plus shock absorbers, the front mounts probably contributed to a slightly lower ride height than target, due to the mostly rubber mount taking a set after 80,000 miles of use. Now at 101,000 miles, it is time to change these components out to fresh new factory style mounts.
Old mount on the left, new on the right. You can see how the mounts have sagged over time. It was starting to make some noise, most notably at low-speed.
For the rears, the only thing I noticed was a hole being worn into one section of the dust boot. Looks to have made contact with the tire. Not a big deal, and replacement dust boots are readily available.
I also checked gas pressure while the shocks were off the car, and all of them seemed fine. By checking I mean I fully compressed each damper by hand and checked the rebound, as well as tried different damping settings during the same procedure. I will say the damping click adjusters were slightly stiff up front. However, that could be due to not using the included ADD Caps to cover them (this keeps dust out of the system). A simple spray of WD-40 or similar type lubricant will displace any dirt or corrosion in between the click knob and its base. Also, any exposed thread on the piston shafts for the front dampers accumulated some surface rust. A wire brush cleaning and some WD-40 helps clean that up. But since I removed the struts from the original upper mounts, the threads got a decent clean up simply from the removal process.
Front strut out. I needed to remove the bearing, as I thought this also contributed to noise I was hearing at low-speed driving.With the bearing out, I decided to inspect the shock. All components removed help to make a more detailed inspection.
Good thing I inspected the struts! There was some dirt I had to clean up around the dust seal.
While I’ve had the ENDURAPRO shock absorbers off, I checked bushings in the control arms, ball joints, sway bar end links, and tie rod ends just to make sure of their condition, which fortunately they are. I’m sure at some point I’ll change out the front lower arms (bushings by themselves are not readily available). For the rear twist bar, it’s hard to source just the rear bushing, so I’m going to keep searching for a solution.
I did have the tires changed at around the 3,000 mile mark on these shock absorbers. I wanted to try something a bit more sport oriented, but not very expensive. Also, my “tuning philosophy” (if you will) for starting to modify a car is usually in the order of- decent tires, sport (not race) brake pads/shoes, and some decent suspension (as in shock absorbers and possibly springs), especially if there is a damping adjustable option. This before ever considering more power. With ENDURAPRO Plus shocks and S.TECH lowering springs and some Stoptech Sport pads and plain rotors installed, I needed decent tires. So, I contacted the guys at GT Radial to order a set of their Champiro SX2 Summer tires. I’ve followed the 86 Cup group and saw that these tires offer very decent performance and very good wear resistance, and I wanted to try something other than all-season tires that this car has used over the years. I opted for a size slightly smaller in diameter than stock just to see if there was any gain in performance.
A new set of tires go on the Fit, courtesy of GT RadialA big thanks to Gonzo, who invited me over to his Chateau. He’s got a full tire changing station in his garage! His son Enzo also came out to help. Good kid!
I will say that these SX2 tires still provided very good comfort. Being a daily commuter, this car only gets an occasional spirited drive. For me, that comes with the excitement of driving through Angeles Crest, since it’s kind of in my “back yard”. Interestingly enough, I found that these tires at 31psi cold, and a 13-click front shock setting (soft) and 6-click rear shock setting (somewhat stiff) had very good and predictable feel. I could very lightly get the back end to rotate with a touch of left-foot braking, and the feeling was pretty consistent throughout my drive through the hwy. The Fit is a very front-heavy car, so it takes a little coaxing to get the car to turn in, since the car understeers easily. One thing I could appreciate from these tires is the wear resistance. Rated as a 200 treadwear, these tires held up better than some 360 treadwear tires I had on previously (which actually only lasted about 13,000 miles before I changed them out to these SX2’s). Dunno what the deal is with that, but those are my figures.
Mind you, these aren’t all-season tires, so I take it a little easier during rainy days. However, wet weather driving is actually quite nice on this setup. Not that I was expecting to hydroplane on a summer tire on wet pavement, it actually handled heavy rain and puddles very well.
While this is sounding like a tire review, what I’m getting at is that these small changes to this daily driven econobox (TEIN S.TECH Springs, ENDURAPRO Plus Shock Absorbers, and GT Radial SX2 tires) have already made this car more enjoyable for my drive. Does it make me miss having a much more sporty car? Absolutely. But, gotta work with what I got. I think most importantly is the value of all these parts as a whole- Not a lot of money spent (granted, I got the shocks for free for testing on my car) to “upgrade” the car. So, for most of you guys looking to make your car a little bit faster and more fun to drive, this should be something to think about.
By the way, the slightly smaller diameter tires I chose actually helped improve a few things such as MPG (when I really take it easy on driving) and acceleration (most notably in higher gears). I was expecting MPG to be a bit worse. However, it has affected actual speedometer readings a tad, but the factory speedometer reads ~1 MPH lower than actual.
All in all, I’d say I’m more than pleased with the car as it currently sits. Not a ton of money invested in getting some performance out of it. Decent suspension, very good tires, and sportier brake pads up front, and I’m a happy camper!
With the Endura Pro line still relatively new to Premium OEM replacement market, we would like to continue the promotion with another Endura Pro install. This installation of our Endura Pro dampers was done on a 2011 Toyota Carmy base model. Being that the vehicle was in for some other product testing, we said “why not” and see how the install goes.
Upon initial side by side comparison between the factory and the Endura Pro, they are overall similar with the exception of the strut body being thicker larger on the Endura Pro for added oil capacity which improves the durability and increases damping force performance long-term.
When we design our Endura Pro line replacement struts and shocks, we try our best to mimic the OEM strut or shock design as to allow worry free component and coil spring installation.
With the Endura Pro Plus offering the damping force adjustability, some top strut mount covers may not pop on as before and would need to be removed. However the struts and shocks will include our add caps to protect the click adjuster from any debris.
Since all of the OE strut components were in decent shape, we proceeded to just clean them up the install them on the Endura Pro as seen in the image below.
With all components installed including the upper mount being tightened down, everything lined up just as it would on the factory struts. Even the install onto the vehicle, all components lined up and mounted as they should.
Initial test drive impressions left me very surprised. Now obviously most folks would feel that this is biased being that I work for TEIN USA INC. However this was based on how the factory felt as well as other vehicle experiences with the auto parts Monroe and/or cheaper replacements. I feel that the vehicle rode as though it were brand new from the dealership even though with around 70K on the chassis. This would put the factory shocks slightly over the manufacturers recommended replacement interval of 50K for shocks and struts which can attribute to the original struts being worn but not completely blown. Now another contributor to this ride would be from the Hydraulic Bump Stop system offered on both ENDURA PRO lines.
I can honestly say I am impressed with the ENDURA PRO and look forward to getting a set for my daily driver civic as I am interested in ride comfort of the Hydraulic Bump Stop and the damping force adjustment offered on the ENDURA PRO PLUS. I will definitely be making a post on the install one the time comes.
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.
Camber Washer for Strut Type SuspensioTEIN developed Micro Speed Valve
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)
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!
Lately one of our greatest developments to hit the mainstream in TEIN suspension kits is our Hydraulic Bump Stopper (H.B.S.) system.
This technology isn’t anything new. However, the current derivative is a much more affordable design, and has now made its way into coilovers like our FLEX A and FLEX AVS kits, and now our ENDURAPRO & ENDURAPRO PLUS shock absorber lines.
Why are we creating so much buzz about this system? Mainly because a comparable Hydraulic Bump Stop system isn’t typically found in passenger vehicles, outside of trucks where you’d have to opt for something like an externally mounted bump kit.
Even our current Hydraulic Bump Stopper system used in our FLEX A, FLEX AVS, & EnduraPro/EnduraPro Plus shock absorbers differs from systems used in rally suspension, which are typically much more expensive units and require rebuild. Our current system is more affordable to make and doesn’t require servicing (FLEX A and FLEX AVS dampers are rebuildable, but the H.B.S. system doesn’t need to be rebuilt, per se).
Still, all this hype we’re making about a Hydraulic Bump Stopper doesn’t mean much if you don’t know what it does. So, picture this: You’re in a fully loaded vehicle (max occupancy) and have the trunk fully loaded. Already you can picture the suspension starting to sag. Then, while driving, you hit a big speed bump. On any normal suspension, chances are you’re hitting the bump stops, which will do a great job of preventing the shocks from bottoming out. However, the consequence of hitting the bump stop is a harsh impact and resulting bouncy or wallowing feeling.
Now, a Hydraulic Bump Stopper eliminates this bouncy/wallowing feeling. It does so by creating more damping force towards the end of the damper stroke.
Typically our dampers are valved to offer a digressive feel, meaning that as piston speed (of the shock absorber) increases, it will only increase damping force to a certain extent, then it actually does not increase in force if piston speed is even higher. That is typically fine, but when this high piston speed is towards the end of the shock’s stroke length, it will have that harsh feeling (remember that bump stop?) we’re mentioning about.
Honestly, a damper with progressive or linear rate damping can still hit a bump stop and cause that harsh feeling.
But why does creating more damping force with the Hydraulic Bump Stopper help? Essentially it’s slowing down the piston of the damper. It gradually builds up this damping force so that the end result is a smoother absorption of force, while letting the damper rebound normally without oscillation.
When you see Stadium Trucks or Baja Trucks take on a massive jump, what you see on its landing is actually quite impressive. The suspension fully compresses, but as the suspension extends again, it’s nice and smooth. No crazy up and down oscillation. That’s what our H.B.S. system does, but for a smaller scale (shorter stroke length than Stadium or Baja Trucks, obviously).
Or, another example: Using lowering springs on OEM or replacement shock absorbers. While this setup is common place, and most work relatively well, some lowering springs might be too low of a ride height or too stiff a spring rate for the OEM valved shocks. A premium replacement like our EnduraPro line is a better match. Valved to offer a beneficial increase in performance, the added Hydraulic Bump Stopper is a nice addition because of the lowered ride height with lowering springs.
While our EnduraPro/EnduraPro Plus shock absorber line is a match in terms of overall length (compared to OEM), they offer larger internal capacity and more damping oil, and improved damping characteristics. So from a performance standpoint, these are a great upgrade for your lowering spring. Again, these include our H.B.S. system, and when lowering a car using OEM/standard replacement shocks, reducing that stroke length can mean exacerbated issues with ride quality and more chances of hitting that dreaded stock bump stop. You’d end up with similar ride issues in a fully loaded vehicle. Now we can resolve this potential issue by using the increased damping force the H.B.S. system creates further down the shock absorber’s stroke length!
It really is an ingenious system, and one that we’re glad to bring into mass-production. The fact that we can adapt this product into our replacement shock absorber line means that this feature is available to all consumers, whether their budget allows for just our premium shock absorber replacements only, or for those looking for greater handling performance (like our FLEX A or FLEX AVS coilover kit). We’re hoping to add this to many more of our products in the near future!
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.
Toyota Pace Car
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!
