...for those that have it, what setting do you have? Now the diagram shows that 16 is the stiffest and 0 is the softest. Right now it is set to 8 in the front and 12 in the back and it is bumpy!! What setting would you recommend to come close to stock without losing too much handling? I'm thinking 4 all the way around.

 

I'm also trying to adjust mine to find the best ride of both world: comfort with good handling. So far, setting at 7 or 6 in the front and 6 to 4 turn in the back is pretty much stock. Turn clockwise to increase stiffness, turn counter clockwise for softness.
Currently, I set at 10 front and 7 back. The ride with current setting is much better compare to H&R Sport with stock shock and handling is very good. Since I'm lower my car a little too much for the street around my area which with soft setting (6 or 7 front), I notice that it very easy to scrap or bottom out when go over low dip or high speed bump at more than 10mph.

 

To clarify and support LacViet, all the way clockwise is full stiff.

I would suggest clicking the front counter clockwise from full stiff maybe 8, and click back the rears between 10-12. This should make the car more compliant. If you still want it softer, click the rear back to full soft, 15-16 clicks.

You can regain any handling compromise here by adding a rear sway bar from comptech. It it has the effect of making the rear stiff while turning, but soft while going straight.

Ride quality is in the stiffness of the rear setting. Making the front softer will do little to make the car ride better, but will make it dive more and reduce understeer when pushed. Also, if the front is softer, you are going to hit the ground more. I usually like to keep the front middle or middle-hard. The rear can be middle to soft, depending on your preference.

Marcus

 

I'd like to add in a question too hahah, i lost count of how many clicks exactly i've turned it and i want to set it again. I believe the tein instructions said never to click over 16 or it will damage the damper? so do i just try and set it all the way softest until it doesn't click anymore and then set it from there? (any help would be appreciated)

 

Yep, turn it counter-clockwise and count the number of clicks. Once it stops, you will know what the previous setting was.

 

so it will eventually stop once it hits zero?

 

Yes. When you're turning it counter-clockwise, it'll stop at 0.

But when you're turning it clockwise, it will go beyond the specified 16 clicks. Do not go beyond the 16th click, even though physically you can (well, at least on the 2G version... I'm not sure if it's the same way on the 3G coilovers).

 

You got that backwards...all the way CW is full stiff, 0.

16 CCW is full soft. Do not click is CCW until it stops....

 

I'm used to 0 being stiffest, because of the EDFC. The only time I ever turned the knobs was during installation and setting the EDFC.

Still makes me wonder to this day why Tein would do it the opposite way.

 

0 is the stiffest...and that is full CW.

I don't think there is a "correct" way for them to be "backwards" of...just how they do it....

Marcus

 

According to the directions from TEIN 16 is full stiff and 0 is full soft. It states when adjusting to turn full stiff or clockwise until it stops. That should be full stiff. You can theoretically keep turning it stiff but with much force. From the stiffest setting I turn counterclockwise until desired setting. I set mine to Front 4, Rear 2. It rides wonderfully compared to what I had it on before which was 12 all the way around. Hope this helps!

 

i just tried that out marcus and i like it. I have my edfc set at 6 for the front and 10 for the rear and i rides great, still handles but definitly a nice compromise between handling and ride comfort, thanks

Travis

 

To suppliement, see page 6:
http://www.tein.com/ti/inst/ka16u.pdf

I don't see where it defines 16 or 0 as full stiff or soft. They only state a number of clicks back from full stiff. In my mind, if full stiff is the reference point for how many clicks you go, that is 0, and 16 back is full soft...when comparing settings we should make a distinction between "setting" and "claicks back from full stiff." There seem to be 2 definitions for any given number setting...

You cannot keep turning it full stiff. When you get all the way CW the thing won't turn any more. If you force it, you can break something.


Marcus

 

Okay, so you say that it will stop at full stiffness (clockwise) but Pure Adrenaline says its will stop at full softness(counter-clockwise)? Which is it? The instructions says it is set a full stiffness, but I turned it clockwise to make sure, but it still turned. Did i do anywrong or damaged anthing?

 

^Anyone with Tein SS that can help me out??

 

Tein's instructions say turn all the way clockwise 1st (that's the hardest/stiffest setting).

From there click counterclockwise til you get what you want.

Hence, at full clockwise, you are at 0.
One click counter-clockwise would put you at 1
continue til you get where you want.

I currently have it at their suggested "standard values." 8 clicks in front AND back.

although the counter-clockwise clicks can go PAST 16, it isn't good.

From the Tein directions, "USE ONLY LEVELS 1-16. Exceeding level 16 may damage the damper."

 

So if im at 0 (full clockwise) it will stop and not turn? Because in the instructions, it says they are set at 0 from factory but i check on all 4, they can all still turn clockwise. If im at 0, it wont turn anymore right?

 

Correct

 

Forget how they came out of the box. Turn full right until they stop and you are at 0=stiffest.

They stop at full left as well, but don't do that. Count 16 left from 0 to get 16.

Marcus

 

Somebody is correct but who is it? Man this has become a confucing thread!

 

Marcus is correct. Upon receiving the coilovers turn fully clockwise to get the stiffest setting. You can call it 16 or 0, whatever you want. Turn back (counterclockwise) 16 clicks for the softest setting but no further. You can still click back further but doing so will possibly damage the damper.

 

So there is no way of damaging the damper turning clockwise because it will stop right, not like counter-clockwise?

 

CORRECT!

to clear it up for everyone:

turning all the way clockwise til you can't go anymore, leaves you at 0 (stiffest setting)
you can turn MORE than 16 clicks in the counter-clockwise direction, but this will damage the damper.
from 0, turn counter-clockwise to the stiffness at which you want the set the Tein SS to. (16 being the softest!)

 

Here is a question... Does anyone notice that their Tein SS coilovers make an odd squeaking/air sound when going over speed bumps. This only happenes in the front. I have also NOT noticed any detirioration in the ride quality so I have not really thought much about it other than if I have my radio volume all the way down I can hear it when I go over speed bumps.

 

I've been running mine at 4 in the front and 2 in the rear w/ a Comptech RSB. Handles well with a real smooth ride

 

Okay this time i have a question for the ride height. When i put the seats up, does that lower the car or lift the car? I tried alot of different heights on the seat locks, but it doesn't seem to make any difference!

 

I've been running 3 clicks back front and 4 clicks back rear...

 

anyone can compare the Basics with the SS.? What kind of setting for the SS would be ike the ride for the basics? just wondering!

 

I set mine on full softness front and back and it's no where near the stock ride. I like the stiffer ride but i was wishing the soft setting was more soft like stock. There isn't much difference between hardest and softess setting to me

 

Basics are SS set at the medium setting all around. The shocks and springs are all the same from one kit to the other one.


Overally, the Basics will ride a little firmer than stock over long or large bumps at high speeds, like if you are diving at about 45 mph down a road with a lot of potholes. This is when you feel it the most. Over smaller more abrupt bumps, like expansion joints, botts dots, and railroad tracks the car wouls feel fairly close to stock.

But 95% of our customers feel the Basics, and the SS for that matter, ride pretty close to stock. The car feels more stable and handles better. There is more confidence inspiring and sure-footed feel. Plus the look is awesome when you take the fenders down to the tires

But yeah, long story short, the Basics and the SS are the same thing, for the most part. Don't look for a huge change in ride from stiff to soft on the SS. It is great for fine tuning for more enthusiastic drivers, but most of my Acuraziners end up with the Basics.

Marcus

 

It is always a little tough to tell though...I have had a lot of people in Basics say they hardly feel a difference. I agree with both statements. The car feels nowhere close to stock, but I am a LONG way from calling the ride stiff, hard, or rough.

I agree that in many cases the the ride is stiffer, but is it really a STIFF suspension? I have sampled a lot of kits on a lot of cars, and these setups are not stiff. Just stiffer than stock. And they are still dampened VERY well.

On the range of adjustment, you it would be great to have that kind of latitude, but the shocks can only be valved to handle a certain range given one spring. Have you considered swapping out the rear springs for something a little softer? The damper adjustment will handle up to 2 kg-f change stiffer or softer....

Marcus

 

Moving the spring seats up raises the car. Now, I concern that given you comments about wishing the ride was more stock, you might be trying to attain a more stock height as well.....


I have a few bits of tech info on the ride height adjusting.

* raising the spring seats raises the car, lowering them lowers the car. For the correct baseline, the springs should not be compressed by the seats when the car is off the ground, nor should they be loose fitting so the fall out of the seats. Teins baseline setting is with the springs just snugly fitted in the seats, and you go up or down from there.

* when raising the car, there is not a direct translation in the ride height to the spring seat height. In other words, to raise the car 1/2", you need to move the spring seats 3/4" or so, or maybe more. There is not a direct correlation to the seat movement and the height of the car. This is because to raise the car you need to preload the springs (compress them). You are basically removing droop from the suspension in order to get the height.

* when lowering, the seat height and car height relationship is more direct. 1/4" movement on the seats down lowers the car 1/4". There is a limit to how low you can go an maintain ride. At the lowest height setting you will probably run out of suspension travel and will need to trim the Tein-supplied bump stops. The minimum amount of bump-stop you should retain is 1/4" of the top portion of the stop. This is the firmest part of the stop. Never completely remove bump stops.

* When changing vehicle height, it is important to drive the car around the block after each adjustment. When you raise the car off the ground, the suspension will droop. After you make you adjustment and put the car back on the ground, the tires gripping the ground will prevent the suspension from going into it's neutral position. Ideally, you will drive the car a short distance (up and down the street once) to get the suspension back to it's neutral state. NOW measure the height. If you don't do this, the car will always appear to be at the same height with every suspension adjustment.

* Never measure the height of the car on uneven pavement or on an incline. These situations distribute the weight of the car unevenly and will result in a false measurement. Always measure on flat level pavement.

* The most accurate way to measure relative front/rear height is from the center of the wheel to the fender lip. I usually measure from the ground to the fender lip since it is hard to guage the center of the wheel sometimes. But really, using the 'finger' method to guage tire gap is the fastest and easiest way to determine relative front/rear height.

I am sure there is more bouncing around in my head, but this is all I got for now.

Marcus

 

Thanks Marcus! All great info! What springs do you recommend for the rears with in 2kg-f change?

 

Maybe you want to go from 6kg to 5. Another member here had 4 in the back and he felt it was a little TOO soft....going down one kg will help smooth out the ride over bigger bumps. You'll still feel the more performance oriented dampening, but the softer springs will be a little stock-feeling.

They are about $65 each spring.

Marcus

 

Are these Tein springs?

 

Yes, same thing you have on there now, just different stiffness.

Marcus

 

Good info. How would you compare an aspec with the tien ss/basic? i.e. if you were to set the tien to a comparable soft ride as the aspec would they compare equally in performance or what? anybody with real experience on this?

 

Aspec barely does anything to the car imo. You can feel the body is a little more controlled. I think they car handles better with it. Ride impact is barely noticable.

Definately Tein is going to provide a better look and better performance. That is only to be expected though. It is all a balance and compromise.

Stock is +ride, -handling, 0 drop
Aspec is +ride, so-so handling, almost 0 drop
Tein is so so ride, +handling, nice drop

My only experience is driving around my normal test loop. Not daily driving or long term, but enough to get an impression.

Marcus

 

On the softess setting 16, and its not close to a-spec ride at all. But i have to say the Tein SS are very smooth but on big bumps it is stiff compared to the A-spec. The performance is significantly greater than A-spec even on the softtess setting.

The thing that i dislike about the A-spec is that is feels just like stock on highway speeds. Meaning that it was floaty on crests and large bumps at high speeds.

 

Hmm, I really want to do this but can't justify spending more money.