Tein SS coilover question and advice needed

BlackMX · Postby **BlackMX** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:35 pm

Anyone here tried the SS coilovers brought in by Fulcrum? I have been told that they were redeveloped "for Australian conditions" and have spring rates of 335F/280R- can anyone confirm this?

I currently have Kings and Koni's but need a little more ground clearance(thanks to Mazda front spoiler and yellow metal parking space guards at work-a painful grind each day, literally!).

I dont' want a super stiif ride however (correct me if I'm wrong but those spring rates are higher than the Kings) as this is my DD.
Impressions and opinions would be most welcome!

Oh it's a 2002 NB. no tracktime as yet but someday

Babalouie · Postby **Babalouie** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:56 pm

I have the JDM Tein SS's which have the same spring rate, but my (and the others on the forum who have the Aussie ones) opinion is that notwithstanding the stiffer springs, for some reason it actually rides better than the Koni/Kings.

Not sure why...they just do.

Philip Lee · Postby **Philip Lee** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:31 pm

i also have the JDM SS too and they're not stiff at all. mine is a daily driver and the ride is good. i don't know how they compare to Kings n Konis tho.

namster · Postby **namster** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:44 pm

i have the aussie tein ss (purchased from MX5Mania)

They are great for the street, doesnt feel stiff either!
Nice ride much better than the worn out bilsteins i had ('94 clubman)
The standard bilsteins + springs in the clubman were teeth shattering.
Personally, i think the spings are a tad on the soft side regarding track/street usage. but its not a big fuss for the street.

sorry cant confirm the spring rates atm, but i dont think they were different to JDM spec ones. Replacement springs can always be bought if you're unhappy.

Dampening factor, i wish they could be stiffer for track, but its no real biggie.

Height adjustability, they dont go as low as the tein flex, but in your situation you dont want it lower.

rain902 · Postby **rain902** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:04 pm

namster wrote:Nice ride much better than the worn out bilsteins i had ('94 clubman)
The standard bilsteins + springs in the clubman were teeth shattering.

bilsteins are world renowned for being stiff - if you lie a bilstein on the ground, it will extend itself fully. (makes em a pisser to install) konis shrink like old fella in a winter ocean.

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:17 am

I have had King/Koni and koni/Eibach and now have the SS's.

Out of the box the ride height is marginally lower than normal but no dramas with clearance( I may even go 5mm lower at some time); ride and grip is heaps beter than anything I have had before,I would say go for them!!!!!

Peter.

DCMau · Postby **DCMau** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:34 am

I actually have the car that Fulcrum used and the difference was amazing compared to the standard install. Within a few Km's it showed that the car was handling the road much better and the ride wasn't that much stiffer either. The spring rates are higher than you would expect but they actually work very well. Out of the 20 or so different makes/models of cars that they tested with the Tiens with, this was the one that they all felt was the best improvement.

This is also my DD and I have ended up using a stiffer dampening setting on the front, but that could be because I like corners.

edit:
Original thread started by Ted in the old forum

BlackMX · Postby **BlackMX** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:56 am

Sounds very positive thus far..Excellent. Thanks for the input guys and to DCMau for the link. Will give Simone a call..

Just as an aside I was having a look at the Tein USA website and in the instruction maunal it specifically states that the SS/Flex/basic are NOT for use on public roads. Any one have an idea as to why this is? legislation?

CT · Postby CT » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:56 am

BlackMX wrote:Just as an aside I was having a look at the Tein USA website and in the instruction maunal it specifically states that the SS/Flex/basic are NOT for use on public roads. Any one have an idea as to why this is? legislation?

It's a crock of proverbial because quite literally anything you modify on a car can make it illegal for the road. They are just putting it there so they can say - "we told you not to fit them to a street car" which covers their butt legally in case they get sued in litigation mad USA.

BlackMX · Postby **BlackMX** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:56 am

Thanks for everyone's input
Went and had them installed -thanks to David and Simone.
Had a couple of drives through the gorge and was surprised how surefooted the car was, thought it was a little soft at first compared to the koni's but they feel terrific when pushing on. Finally settled on 10 clicks from soft as a starting point with the car set 8mm higer (on the body) than in the instructions. I really like the comfy low speed ride and this morning didn't scrape the spoiler for the first time in ages!!!

Babalouie · Postby **Babalouie** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:55 pm

BlackMX wrote:Thanks for everyone's input
Went and had them installed -thanks to David and Simone.
Had a couple of drives through the gorge and was surprised how surefooted the car was, thought it was a little soft at first compared to the koni's but they feel terrific when pushing on. Finally settled on 10 clicks from soft as a starting point with the car set 8mm higer (on the body) than in the instructions. I really like the comfy low speed ride and this morning didn't scrape the spoiler for the first time in ages!!!

You'll probably find that it will settle that 8mm in the first month or two.

Mick_98MXV · Postby **Mick_98MXV** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:35 pm

Coincidence that i first heard of Tein SS Coilovers a day before reading this post...

Are they the same as Tein Super Street Dampners? (just an assumption from the SS)

It sounds like quite a few of you have them so how much would one expect to pay for a full set, installed? (i already have the basic 40mm low kings)

Thanks, i had to ask since my stock shocks have done 140,000km, sound and feel like they've had it.

Babalouie · Postby **Babalouie** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:40 pm

Mick_98MXV wrote:Coincidence that i first heard of Tein SS Coilovers a day before reading this post...

Are they the same as Tein Super Street Dampners? (just an assumption from the SS)

It sounds like quite a few of you have them so how much would one expect to pay for a full set, installed? (i already have the basic 40mm low kings)

Thanks, i had to ask since my stock shocks have done 140,000km, sound and feel like they've had it.

Yup...SS = Super Street. Not sure what they cost here, I bought mine overseas and installed it in the garage.