Tein Street Flex

[Aussie Stig]

Tein redesigned their S.Streets for Australian roads (i.e. crap)

They do this for many Australian applications, so the Oz spec are easier to live with.

Sure you could get a cheaper product overseas but one that would not perform as well on the street.

[YanMa YatTai]

I asked a Sydney reseller about this. They said they were aware of Fulcrum doing local tuning for some cars like the Commodores and Falcons, but he never heard anything like localising for an MX5 kit and was not sure.

Fulcrum said they have some SS left and they are straight from Japan with no local mods. Not sure whether that meant they dont localise for MX5 at all or only the stock leftover is straight from Japan???

Would they really go through the cost to re-valve for each car for Australia? Springs would simply be supplying diff spring rate so they could do that, but looking at the US specs on spring rates they are identical.

Fulcrum said they are happy to supply diff spring rates as an additional purchase.

[hks_kansei]

Tein redesigned their S.Streets for Australian roads (i.e. crap)
Sure you could get a cheaper product overseas but one that would not perform as well on the street.

Depends on what roads they designed it for though.

My guess is the roads around Sydney (since that's where Fulcrum are, and they're the Aussie distributor)
Last time I was in Sydney the roads looked like they'd just survived a carpet bombing raid with all the potholes and misaligned edges.

Whereas the roads in Brisbane were much nicer, smooth.

Melbourne I find is a bit inbetween the two.

[Charlie Brown]

Tein redesigned their S.Streets for Australian roads (i.e. crap)
Sure you could get a cheaper product overseas but one that would not perform as well on the street.

Depends on what roads they designed it for though.

My guess is the roads around Sydney (since that's where Fulcrum are, and they're the Aussie distributor)
Last time I was in Sydney the roads looked like they'd just survived a carpet bombing raid with all the potholes and misaligned edges.

Whereas the roads in Brisbane were much nicer, smooth.

Melbourne I find is a bit inbetween the two.

Fulcrum HQ is in Brisbane not Sydney.

Yes you can have them revalved, I did but, and it is a BIG BUT, it's VERY expensive and I don't think you'll notice a difference. I didn't.

As for the price drop. Part of it is due to the devaluation of the Yen.

[Aussie Stig]

From Fulcrum:

Jap Spec SS Part # GSM40-A1SS2 / GSM40-B1SS3

Aus Spec SS Part # QSM40-EZSS3

‘Q’ indicates that it is an Aus-Spec kit

[Ted]

A late reply, but I don't get on here much. Only commenting on Fulcrum's process as I have seen it.
I have had 5 of my own cars, plus a few of friends cars been used as r&d cars by Fulcrum (incl the NB and NC MX5s). They would start with the product as supplied, and then through a series of processes that begin with straight out measuring, to shock dyno testing and modelling, then to on-road driving, come up with an Aussie spec if required. Spring rates as well as bump and rebound rates are looked at, and then applied to subsequent sets.

As for all this talk about Flex or Superstreet/Advance, there is no doubt that the Flex is a superior unit. But for a road car, I have never felt any need to go higher than their Street (Advance) range. But then these folk must drive a lot harder and better than I can, as I have never overheated a twin tube Superstreet on road conditions, or in 5 laps at a circuit.

In terms of adjustability, there is always going to be a huge tradeoff in single adjustable (height excluded) units as it would alter both bump and rebound in one adjustment. So a lot would basically go for high bump or high rebound rates. Getting the valving to the spring rates right in the initial case will give a much more compliant ride and more grip.