sup guys i want to get some nice coilover for my 2005 tl but i can't decide what to get so i was hoping if you guys can help me out deciding what to get. The tein Flex look nice but don't know if there a better options i'm kinda a newbie. I also plan on getting a type s (07) next year and switching over my aftermarket parts.

any advice is helpful thanks guys!

 

i currently have the tein flex and i love them! however, on certain very "dip heavy" or bumpy roads on softer dampening levels you may get a floaty feeling. it's not bad but at times it's noticeable. i run my car fairly stiff (usually 2 from full stiff front and 4 from stiff rear) so the car behaves extremely well for me and it makes my car feel like it's on rails around corners

i went with flex because it provides the most adjustments because you can adjust the preload to your liking (hence the name flex) and when i talked to tein they said this setup would give you the most comfortable ride due to the separate preload. on most coilovers once you start to lower the car you change the preload of the spring and the ride gets more harsh. with the flex, no matter what height you're at you can fully adjust the spring preload and get the car ride dialed in to exactly how you want it. the flex also come with top hats included so you don't have to buy some or switch them from your current stock setup.

the flex is also great for tracking purposes because you can change that preload on the fly and really get some good suspension response.

that being said, the tein SA are a great everyday driver coilover and if you're not going too low they will be fine for you.

there's a lot of things to compare back and forth and know what you're going for. let me know if you have any questions...i will recommend TEIN Flex or TEIN SA without a hesitation!!

 

+1 what he said

 

good! then i will go with the flex then, i wasn't sure but i have done some research and everyone seems to like the flex thanks anyways!

 

SA's are more comfort based. Not sure if comfort is important. Which flex model are you looking at? There's like 17 billion different models.

Recommendations usually depend on the model you buy and your purpose for buying them.

If you want to agressively lower the car or track it or want a stiffer sprung setup....buy the flex. Otherwise, the SA is probably a better system.

 

^^ there's only one flex for the TL

 

I see. Looks like just the street flex. Extremely strangely, it has the same spring rates as the SA. I'm guessing the dampers are more agressive?

 

I don't think they are different other than the adjustable preload and the pillow ball mounts (both models have 12/6 spring rates). Either way both are great products but I agree with you the SA is more applicable to most people.

 

Street flexes don't use pillowballs. At least not for the TL. They use isolator mounts (IIRC).

Stock mounts or isolated mounts are better for street and all weather use. Stock mounts are better for comfort.

 

^^

TEIN.com: STREET FLEX - PRODUCTS

 

*Pillow upper mounts for camber adjustment* -- Not for the TL.

Edit: I may be thinking of the Flex Z.

 

yea I was just posting the info so you could see because you said IIRC

 

Haha no they have pillowball mounts. I'm saying all this stuff because I literally have the flex coilvers haha.

Thank you haha

 

I think what its saying at least how Im reading it.. they do use pillow ball upper mounts but they are camber adjustable for those specific applications

 

too many blunts to the head for ya today roland

 

LOL. I may be thinking of the Flex Z. So the SF has metal bearings in the metal mount? Not rubber isolators?

Its strange they use the same relatively soft feeling spring rate on the SF. Full body coilovers are usually travel limited...but the travel doesn't change as you lower the car. Do they just spec a ton of preload?

 

I'm honestly not the person t ask about the technical aspect of it. I think sockr1 is more versed in that but I can say that my city has very dip heavy and rough roads and these coils drove me kinda crazy in the summer in terms of bounciness and I was ALWAYS playing with the dampers to get it right.

​​​​​​​to this day my rear seat is still out

 

Try measuring shock travel...and then try adding preload to the spring. Lower the car back down via the bottom cup.

​​​​​​​IDK wheel rates or MR's for TL's. Otherwise, I may have had some suggestions.

 

MRs?

mortality rates?

​​​​​​​so if I added more preload you think they would be less bouncy?

 

Depends on why they're bouncy.

Underdamped can cause floatyness and some slow bouncing. Turn up the damping.

Hitting the bumpstop can cause bounciness because it acts as an extremely stiff spring. Add preload to keep the shock off the bumpstop.

Overdamped can cause the really fast, constricted bounce that is associated with "racecar". Turn down your damping.

I find that Tein's recommendation for damper settings is WAY underdamped. I've found that on every tein system I've installed. For example, Tein recommends like -8F and -8R for SA damper settings. I run my SA's at -4F and -5R. This gets rid of a lot of the float and bounciness.

I live in the Chicago burbs. The roads here suck. I've also driven to/from Detroit, NYC, Toronto, etc. My shit ride premium.

 

I'm at -2F -2R lol but I've played with every possible combo for dampening. even going 2 clicks less stiff in the rear and it really doesn't seem to change much.

​​​​​​​

 

What city do you live in which has bad roads?

Try adding some preload. Use about 5-10mm at a time until the ride improves.

 

Tein told me their default preload is 1mm and 2mm I forget which is front but I have it written down. I can add more info later right now I'm in the garage installing my nexus 7 in my TL

 

Saint John New Brunswick Canada

Its not that they are all tore up but the dips and dives and what not. The back roads are tore up though very bad.

Dave, good luck and report back with some info

 

1-2mm seems to be fairly standard. It just doesn't seem adequate. TL's have long travel shocks...but they're not THAT long. I'd be inclined to check travel.

Or if you're not feeling scientific, just add 10mm of preload at a time. Then lower the bottom bracket to make up for the height you just added. Drive. Re check.

My set of Öhlins calls for 2mm as well. But...its not enough. The car hits bumpstops way too hard and way too often.

Ok. I thought you were gonna say something like "I live in Los Angeles and the roads are bad". To which, I would reply thusly:
"LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL".

-2 from full stiff, yes?

 

from full stiff yea.