Tein Flex A vs Flex Z

[VOSS]

Hey guys,

I've read a decent amount of threads on the forum but couldn't find the definitive answer i was looking for.

I'm looking to get the Flex Z but the hydraulic bumper has got me thinking maybe its worth going for the Flex A with our Toronto roads.

Anyone have experience with both these coilovers? Do the Flex A really make that large of a difference on the ride quality? Is it worth it if i will be driving through the winter? This will be my DD.

[HaXx]

Theres word that more affordable tiens are made in Taiwan, and their more premium options in Japan. Not sure if that sways your decision, just fyi. Someone with more fact can weigh in.

[churchx]

IIRC Flex Zs are made in Japan. What enabled them getting price of Zs down is designing them unrebuildable, with whole shock "cartridge"/insert replaceable instead.
Flex A are similar to Zs on many accounts, but for higher price they are rebuildable/revalveable & have hydraulic bumpstops. I guess that due those bumpstops difference should be mostly at full compression with otherwise being not that different in beginning of travel. Speedbumps and such.

[VOSS]

Originally Posted by HaXx

Theres word that more affordable tiens are made in Taiwan, and their more premium options in Japan. Not sure if that sways your decision, just fyi. Someone with more fact can weigh in.

Originally Posted by churchx

IIRC Flex Zs are made in Japan. What enabled them getting price of Zs down is designing them unrebuildable, with whole shock "cartridge"/insert replaceable instead.
Flex A are similar to Zs on many accounts, but for higher price they are rebuildable/revalveable & have hydraulic bumpstops. I guess that due those bumpstops difference should be mostly at full compression with otherwise being not that different in beginning of travel. Speedbumps and such.

I heard both were made in Japan so i'm not too worried about that. In regards to rebuildable, isn't giving the ability to replace the shock make them some what rebuildable?

Guess i just want to know if that hydraulic bump stop is worth the extra price tag especially with the roads here.

[churchx]

VOSS: you can replace shock insert and have it perform "like new", even better - with minimum downtime, as you don't have to depend on shipping times or revert to stockers while shocks are sent to rebuild, or even have some as spares, in that way i even prefer flex-z approach, as i don't have much need for revalving. If stock springs and stock valving adjustment range doesn't cut it, imho it rather shows that proper homework wasn't done prior purchase in reasearching which coilovers/springrates will fit one's use best.
If you expect much improvements in hydraulic bumpstops on very bad paved roads .. i'd probably choose other coilovers, not Zs, not As, as imho their drawback might be their limited travel. For example something like bilstein B6 or something from KW/ST (eg. RCE's SS1).

[VOSS]

Originally Posted by churchx

VOSS: you can replace shock insert and have it perform "like new", even better - with minimum downtime, as you don't have to depend on shipping times or revert to stockers while shocks are sent to rebuild, or even have some as spares, in that way i even prefer flex-z approach, as i don't have much need for revalving. If stock springs and stock valving adjustment range doesn't cut it, imho it rather shows that proper homework wasn't done prior purchase in reasearching which coilovers/springrates will fit one's use best.
If you expect much improvements in hydraulic bumpstops on very bad paved roads .. i'd probably choose other coilovers, not Zs, not As, as imho their drawback might be their limited travel. For example something like bilstein B6 or something from KW/ST (eg. RCE's SS1).

I'm not planning to slam so i dont think travel will be too much of an issue for me. I'm planning on about 1.4in at most.

Thanks for the overall help

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by HaXx

Theres word that more affordable tiens are made in Taiwan, and their more premium options in Japan. Not sure if that sways your decision, just fyi. Someone with more fact can weigh in.

They are all made in Japan. Perhaps, misinformation being spread by other brands that focus on "assembled in the USA", but sourcing everything from China/Taiwan.

[EndlessAzure]

Originally Posted by VOSS

I'm not planning to slam so i dont think travel will be too much of an issue for me. I'm planning on about 1.4in at most.

Thanks for the overall help

Travel is going to be independent of your ride height because of the way the Flex A/Z (and other independent height adjustable coilovers), as long as you're only touching the ride height adjustment collar.

I run about that much of a drop, and I still sometimes bottom out the front because the front shocks are shorter than OE shocks.

On my "street softness" setting (6 hard /16), I always have to be careful and ease over speed bumps because the front will drop and bottom-out. I definitely have to run on close to the stiffest settings on the track to avoid bottom-out.

[churchx]

Also from what i've hear for twins, "not slamming a lot" is to not lower more then 1", with suggested roll center adjustment kit to fix front geometry & diff risers to reduce wear of rear right and left driveshaft joint bearings if one goes more then that. After all, our cars even stock don't have much shock compression travel to begin with. Dropping that little by a lot and then mention bade state of local roads? Physics cannot be fooled by expecting shocks to perform impossible miracles. Leave little travel? - Use higher spring rates to not bottom out. And that is not exactly "ride quality" route.