Tein SRC Coilover Review
 

Tein SRC (Super Racing Circuit) Coilover Review

Introduction

Welcome to our impression of the Tein SRC (Super Racing Circuit) coilovers for the BRZ and FR-S. We have compiled an exhaustive amount of information we hope will answer all questions that you may have about these highly anticipated coilovers.


Table of Contents:

1. About the coilovers
2. The setup
3. On-track experience
4. Street experience
5. Conclusions
6. Acknowledgements
7. Photos and Videos


About the coilovers

The Tein SRC is Tein's high end, two way adjustable coil-over for the BRZ/FR-S. The goal with these coilovers is threefold: offer an acceptable ride on the street, offer exceptional performance at the track and canyons, and a wide range of adjustment to suit everyone's needs. The stock spring rate with these coilovers is an eye-popping f10k/r12k. Don't let the spring rates fool you into thinking that these coilovers will give your car a bone-jarringly stiff ride; damping is what sets one shock apart from another, and that is one area where these coilovers excel!

The front is an inverted monotube strut, promoting exceptional cooling (yes, shocks can overheat!), offer more resistance to lateral loads (in case you ever spin out or fly off track sideways), and most importantly, provides for faster displacement within the shock for maximum damping flexibility. Compression damping is on the top of the shock, while rebound is at the bottom.

The rear is a standard monotube with an external reservoir. This construction design promotes cooling, and again, allows for faster displacement within the shock for maximum damping flexibility. Compression damping is on the external reservoir, while rebound damping is on the top of the shock.

All adjustments can be easily reached. The front wheels should be turned to easily reach the rebound adjustment, while compression adjustment can be accessed by opening the hood. Rear compression can be accessed by reaching around the rear wheels, and rear rebound can be accessed directly into the trunk.

Factoid: Subaru/Toyota conveniently put a hole where the rear adjustment for rebound is, so there's ZERO permanent modification necessary to install coilvers with adjusments on top of the shock...


Our testing setup

2013 Subaru BRZ
Tein SRC coilovers
Enkei RPF1 17x8 +45 with 225/45/17 Hankook Ventus RS3
Berk Axleback Exhaust prototype (because we love the sound)
AP Racing Sprint BBK
Everything else is stock!

Alternate wheels/tires:
Wedsport TC105N 17x9 +35 with prototype Maxxis Victra RC1

We followed Tein's recommended right height drop of -1.4"


On-track inpressions

Simply superb. Whether you're making the tires howl at the limits of adhesion on a smooth sweeper, or you're hitting a berm at the apex of a turn, this combination of spring and camper simply keeps the tires in contact with the ground.

Our track testing was held on three separate days: one day at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, two days at the Streets of willow springs, and a brief visit to Willow Springs international raceway. Buttonwillow offers a wide variety of conditions, including mid and high speed sweepers, slaloms, and berms that can upset badly damped cars. Streets tests cars on a highly technical, low speed road course, while WSIR subjects cars to very high speed turns. Buttonwillow revealed an ideal setting for our setup, which proved to also be ideal at the other two tracks, allowing us to break the street tire record at all three courses.

Buttonwillow 13CW
2:04.99 - 225 RS3, stock suspension, "BeltedBiscuit"
2:01.41 - 225 RS3, Tein SRC

Streets of Willow Springs CW
1:29.24 - 225 RS3, stock suspension "BeltedBiscuit"
1:25.86 - 225 RS3, Tein SRC

Willow Springs International Raceway
1:38.00 - 215 Z1SS, Stock suspension, "CSG Mike"
1:36.91 - 225 RS3, Tein SRC

We also planned on testing higher spring rates with stickier tires, but unfortunately, we were rained out of that track day. That testing is still yet to come!

However, at the end of the day, suspension is about the overall balance of the car. All of the modifications that are on the car need to be considered, and the suspension has to match that. Tein's goal here is to offer a coilover that provides balance to a car that will be driven hard. A delicate balance of under and oversteer is achieved with the SRC, and the car simply responds to the input you give it.


Street impressions

The high spring rates come with an expectation of a harsh ride, and this is understandable given that the majority of enthusiasts have never experienced a truly well damped suspension. The SRCs can be adjusted to offer a firm, but refined ride that hugs the ground without disturbing the occupants of the vehicle. There is neither excessive harshness, nor bounciness.

We gathered feedback from enthusiasts at meets, driving on any and all roads and conditions that we ran across, and even performed "the girl test". Most people asked if we were on lowering springs since the car sits lower than stock, but nobody had any idea that they were riding on spring rates roughly FOUR TIMES stiffer than a stock BRZ until we told them!

Again, suspension is about the overall balance of the car, and that balance is maintained with the SRCs, even with our street damper setting.


Conclusion

This is, simply the best all-around damper available for the BRZ and FR-S for it's price point. Yes, it is a bit pricier than some options, but this is a perfect example of "you get what you pay for". Here, we have a coilover that is fully height adjustable, and offers a damping range wide enough that it vastly enhances both performance and stance on the street, while being track worthy, perfect for the weekend warrior.

MSRP for the Tein SRC damper is $3650.00. This includes everything BUT the springs. Spring choice is left to the end user for maximum flexibility. The dampers can handle springs ranging from 8k-12k front and 10k-14k rear.


Acknowledgements

A special thanks to our sponsors. The CSG BRZ build would not be possible without them.

Berk Technology
Essex Parts
Extreme Speed Track Events
Fit Motorsports
K.R.O.P.S.
Maxxis Tires
Tein USA
West End Alignment


About Tein

TEIN USA (TUSA) was first established in August 2001 to meet the demands of North and South American consumers. Our original location was in Paramount, California, which is about 25mins outside of Los Angeles. This office handled all US operations including product testing. By 2003 we had outgrown our building, and moved to our current facility in Downey, California. From this location we perform all sales, operations, marketing, repair/ revalving, new product testing, demo vehicle preparation, and West Coast warehousing. TEIN USA is dedicated to providing high quality products at reasonable prices.


About CounterSpace Garage

CounterSpace Garage is the brainchild of a few passionate grassroots enthusiasts with a mission to spread knowledge. CSG builds are shared on public forums for everyone to see, and CSG is always willing to answer any and all questions. CSG believe that carefully selecting high quality parts that synergize is key, and every part selected for the CSG BRZ is a readily available, off-the-shelf part.


Photos

The coilovers.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps26f39833.jpg

Stock front vs SRC front
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps2ca13040.jpg

Front compression adjustment
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps68fa1696.jpg

Front rebound adjustment and camber plate
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps3d2a02f2.jpg

Rear comparison
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps47b700e0.jpg

Rear compression adjustment
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...psea0a466c.jpg

Rear rebound adjustment
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps047bca6a.jpg



At recommend drop of -1.4"
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps86fde4a3.jpg


Tein product engineer and our driver discussing damping adjustment changes (that's the Tein engineer's s2k...)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...psfb8c2ca4.jpg

Chasing down the big boys...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...pse0387d88.jpg

Willow Springs
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps647581ba.jpg

Rain ruins a day of testing alternate spring rates and tires...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps70bce628.jpg

Dampachi, Tein's mascot
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75...ps43810b89.jpg

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYG_jGxgvCw"]BRZ/FR-S/GT86 SoWS street tire lap record - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGBZWkoQO-s"]CSG BRZ Buttonwillow 2:00 lap - YouTube[/ame]

These are some general settings with 10k front, 12k rear springs.

Adjustments are made starting from the stiffest setting, clockwise all the way, and then turning back until the adjustment knob settles into the first groove. This first groove or click is "0". Each click from here increments the setting by 1.

All setting are in the following format: front compression/front rebound, rear compression/rear rebound.

track: 5/6, 5/6
"looser" track setting: 5/6, 7/7
"tighter" track setting: 6/6, 5/6
Canyon: 7/7, 7/7
Daily/comfort: 8/9, 9/10

My personal preferences are 5/6, 5/6 on track, and 7/7, 7/7 on the street (all the time).

great review mike! damn those things look sexy! haha

damn...that was some good driving:burnrubber:

I've been in his car... All I can say is that the ride is excellent.

Questions are welcomed! The more specific your question is, the more specific our answer can be.

We've put on over 6k miles with these coilovers on now, including some canyon miles ;)

Thanks for sharing your impressions. That is a very thorough review.

I don't doubt they are very good, but that's ... umm ... a big call.

quality review

Thanks Mike & David. Saw this on FB at 2am!

I'm glad you guys are putting some credence to the importance of damping. I much prefer a stiff spring on a high quality damper. My other car is 2800~ lbs and runs on 9k/14k DG-5 coilovers. At the softest setting it rides like a Cadillac on 80% of the roughest conditions a lowered car will see in LA. It's actually too soft and I bump up the firmness just a bit for DD duties. On the track I can dial in plenty of stiffness. The range is so drastic that it's certainly enough to tune in/out oversteer and understeer in conjunction with playing with tire pressure.

I say all this because the SRCs remind me of the DG-5s. I'm very interested in experiencing these one day. I love the inverted front shock and the external reservoir in the rear!

Questions:
1. Springs are not included, are they an extra costs? What if someone wanted Swift springs instead? (as an example)

2. At a conservative 20mm drop (my preferred street ride height) will the SRCs still be within the optimal operating zone? Shock travel looks shorter than stock but these still look longer than some of the "cheap" coilovers I've seen for the BRZ. ~20mm also appears to be the recommended drop from Tada-san to maximize suspension and steering geometry on this car? <-- I could have read this last part incorrectly somewhere though.

3. How's the weight of these compared to the JRZ which seem to be the logical competition in this price range? More importantly, these are monotubes vs. the twin tube JRZs. Any comments on this difference?

4. How do these compare to the RS*Rs (on my consideration list) & KW V3s (I don't like that they're designed for a soft spring but seem to be liked by many)

5. I must admit, my experience with the Monoflex, S-Techs, and especially the RAs have been less than stellar. Has Tein really turned things around here? The price seems to reflect it.

6. Glad you mentioned canyon runs. Our local mountains have a few bumpy patches mid turn. Really unsettles lesser suspension packages. This is a OT but maybe related question.. with all that spring stiffness do you guys notice a decrease in need to upgrade into stiffer sway bars for the BRZ and let the superior damping handle these high load, bumpy turns?

A few folks, including myself, are waiting to see what the BRZ/FRS has in store come March. The rumor is Eibach, Bilstein, Koni, etc... are coming out with their offerings as well. I'm very happy to read your satisfaction with the SRCs. I'm sure they're quality...now it's just a price consideration. Thanks for putting Tein back on my radar.

Good writeup!

Funny you bring up the Cadillac feel... these can get that way too if you go deep off the soft end of damping. I personally prefer a firmer ride because I feel that the car's handling gets slopping when it's so soft, but a setting of 12/12, 12/12 definitely achieves that. I never experimented with going full soft.

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, springs are additional. Tein springs are $140/pair MSRP, you'll need two pairs to complete the coilovers. The springs are not included by default to offer end users maximum flexibility in selecting springs.

2. Due to the higher spring rates (which lead to shorter shocks to achieve the same height when at loaded at rest), Tein's recommended height is a drop of 25-52mm in the front, and 25-59mm in the rear. I'll ask them directly if the shock is usable with a 20mm drop.

3. I haven't had a chance (yet) to hold a set of JRZ RS in my hands for the BRZ and FR-S, but I would imagine that they would be similar or slightly lighter in weight. The twin-tube construction of the JRZ allows for a more compact design (note no external reservoir), but that comes at the cost of decreased piston diameter. The monotube RS-Pro would be a more similar comparison with the Tein SRC in terms of construction type. The RS-Pro should definitely offer at least comparable performance to the Tein SRCs, albeit, at a higher price point. JRZ makes spectacular dampers, and while I personally would pass on the RS-Ones, I have no hesitation recommending the RS and RS-Pro to those that are interested. We have access to the entire JRZ lineup for those that are interested, but our objective here was to look for, and find a viable cost-effective alternative to the ultra-high-end (and admittedly, deservingly well established) brands.

I do look forward to working with Frank of JRZ North America again :) We were offered the opportunity to review the JRZ RS for the BRZ/FR-S, but felt that the Tein SRC is a more relevant product; anyone serious about motorsport is already aware that JRZ makes an excellent product, and reviewing the JRZ would only reinforce that, rather than expose the BRZ/FR-S enthusiasts of a product that is relatively unknown.

4. Those systems have a different target audience from the Tein SRC. The RS*R I-sport and KW V3 coilovers are high performance street coilovers that have acceptable performance at the track, similar to the Tein Monoflex, while the Tein SRC is a high performance circuit coilover that has acceptable ride on the street.

The construction of the Tein SRC allows for both higher spring rates and larger spring rate stagger than the RS*R and KW dampers. While it's difficult to quantify street testing, which is mostly subjective, the track results speak for themselves.

5. The SRC is not a coilover that is typically marketed, or even offered to the North American market, as Tein did not believe that there is a market for high-end dampers here. It's REALLY easy to understand that viewpoint when you see how many sub-$1k sets of coilovers are sold (BC Racing, Megan, Yellowspeed, Stance, etc.). As can happen with any company, some Tein products have developed a less-favorable reputation due to a combination of a market that cares less about their cars (late models) and lower price point, allowing broader access to their product line. When it comes to motorsport, the results simply speak for themselves, and you seem to already be familiar with the extremely flexible damping range of high-end dampers.

As always, we will never recommend a product that we would not be comfortable running on our own cars.

-Mike

What does this mean when it comes to warranty and servicing? We would go through Tein USA or Japan? Also, did you mention the release date?

Everything would be through Tein USA. They have a fully staffed and equipped facility local to us in Downey, CA.

The SRC is available now! We reviewed a production unit, not a pre-production prototype :thumbsup:

Fantastic feedback Mike. You did our little community heaps of good by showcasing a viable and competitive option here. Thanks man! Like I said, you put Tein back on my, admittedly shortsighted, radar.

Hope to hear back about the 20mm ride height issue. 20mm is barely just enough to clear most parking blocks (as a point of reference) not to mention steep driveways and speed bumps. All of which I encounter daily.

Thanks. Is there any warranty and if so how long?

Mike, I also added a #6 question. Would love to hear your feedback if any. Sorry, I updated my original post not realizing you'd reply so quickly.

Tein suspension all comes with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty against defects.

For those that do plan on keeping the suspension for a long time, we can arrange for overhaul and revalving services though Tein USA.

We believe the sways are a fine tuning tool. First, you pick the springs and dampers to achieve the rough balance you want. Then you play with the damper settings to refine that balance. Change springs and/or dampers if the settings are way off. Once you've achieved the best you can do with just springs and dampers, you use alignment, tire pressure, and sways to fine tune that balance.

We're still on stock sways, and feel no need to change them at this time.

The bumpiness and rough patches you mention are rarely worse than some of the conditions we run into at the track (SoWS, I'm looking, glaring even, at you), but you don't want to run on the ragged edge when there's so much risk involved. That's why I recommend a softer 7/7 setting, rather than 5/6. 7/7 is the setting I was using when I was... taking the CSG BRZ for spirited drives.

Do you mind showing a picture of what that looks like from the trunk?

I can vouch for this setup. I was astonished at how smooth it rode after I was told what the spring rates were.

Nathan

I can totally relate to this. :thumbsup:

To clarify, the JRZ RS1 coilovers (which we helped JRZ test and created a thread for on here) are single damping adjustable monotubes.

The JRZ RS are double adjustable twintubes. JRZ RS PRO are double adjustable monotubes. Most agree that the RS1 and the RS PRO (both of their monotube offerings) are the ones to get in the JRZ line.

I've never tried a high end Tein but would be interested in giving the SRC a shot. :)

- Andrew

Actually, for a lazy mofo like myself, who has yet to discover the added benefit of having a separate rebound and bump adjustment on the damper, I would prefer a single adjustable unit for simplicity sake. I liked Mike's description of adjusting the lower settings on the SRC seems easy enough to get to but I know me.. i'll probably find an all around setting for bump and play around with the rebound on a more frequent basis. It's just a bummer that because of the inverted shock (which is nice) rebound adjustment ends up on the bottom for the front. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Any thoughts on the dual adjustment vs. single adjustment nature here guys? Do you really find the need to adjust compression damping that often? At the track I worry enough about tire pressures/temps, damper settings, engine vitals, etc where anytime I can simplify the variables involved I end up having more fun by focusing on just driving.

Awesome review. As usual thanks for posting all the great and useful info.

That's why you bring someone to dial in your car FOR you based on your feedback :D

But, in all seriousness, once you discover the settings you like, you'll probably never move away from it without making a major change to your car. The BRZ stays at 7/7, 7/7 whenever I'm driving it, except when I'm at the track, where I change it to 5/6, 5/6.

I can attest to the ease of adjustment on these, at least in the rear. @CSG David was messing with the settings the other night while we were talking. He just reached under the rear wheel and *click* damping change. Because the rear is on the reservoir it seems really easy to get to.

Nathan

Awesome review, I didnt know Tein had a good coilover for the racetrack for these cars.
It is alot of money but if it really does offer high end damping, without the harshness from cheap stiff coilovers i guess its worth the cost.

A few updates, after chatting with Tein USA:

-25mm will be the minimum drop the dampers can achieve, reason being the lower bracket has a relief cut for the external reservoir hose fitting coming from the swivel base at the bottom of the damper. Tein doesn't recommend having the relief cut sitting right against the hose fitting. Also, there is a minimum amount of thread on the lower bracket that must maintain contact with the damper shell case. Going beyond the recommended minimum may cause undue stress to the shell case.

So what do you suggest when it comes to these coilovers and someone that is still learning the basics on the track. I've read some older reviews from Maxrev and other S2K owners of the SRC and basically it seems like you have to be quicker to correct driver errors and less "feedback" since you don't roll much.

Basically right now I know the stock suspension is good enough for me but I rather not upgrade over and over. Like going from stock to street to street/track to track coilovers. Same thing with tires, I'm still running the stocks since I've been told and read going straight to extreme tires might mask errors. Maybe i'm not looking at it right.

When you're running a setting that is pushing your tires to the ragged edge in terms of load, it'll make the car edgier. However, with a slightly more conservative setting, the coilovers will actually make the car easier to drive.

Remember, the S2k is an extremely twitchy platform; it is unstable by design. This inherant instability is what allows the s2k to turn so quickly. It's also what makes the s2k turn quickly, even when you don't want it to.

You also have to realize that the s2k application of the SRC was designed specifically with a GT wing in mind. The relatively staggered spring rates of the stock s2k is changed to a square 16k/16k. It destabilizes the car by design to allow for faster rotation in low speed corners, and utilizes a wing to stabilize the car at high speeds.

The BRZ/FR-S's SRC application is a bit different. The recommend springs retain the relative factory stagger (of the FR-S, not the BRZ), and does NOT destabilize the car. Rather, what it does is build upon the strengths of the platform. The platform is amazingly stable and aerodynamically sound.

The higher spring rates allow for faster weight transfer and transition while reducing body roll (remember, the actual amount of weight transfer doesn't change, the roll is reduced because the springs are stiffer; the reduced roll allows you to potentially dial in LESS static camber). Yes, the car may become less forgiving in that it'll respond to driver input exponentially faster. It's taking away the "masking" effect of the soft stock suspension that takes the edge off of hard, rough inputs that destabilize the car. Because the car is now responding more precisely to your inputs, it's also easier to push the tires beyond their limits. In essence, it gives you more precise control of your car.

The relative balance of the spring rates (in relation to suspension geometry and stock-ish weigh distribution) allows for tuning in under and oversteer based on driver preference. Fine tuning the damping allows for you to use the maximum amount of grip available from all four tires, and allow you to maximize contact between the tires and the ground. For example, our setup is fastest with a damper setting of 5/6 compression/rebound, front and rear. With my driving style, I would dial in more oversteer by decreasing damping in the rear to 7/7, while leaving the front alone. Intuitively, it would see that the fronts would overload faster due to the damping, and the car would understeer. However, I generally tend to "throw" the car around, utilizing lateral weight (load) transfer. Because the rear is now softer, the lateral transfer is exaggerated, and causes the rear to break loose first, whereas someone not throwing the weight around as much may get understeer.

Once you get beyond the basics, a lot of suspension tuning is based on personal preference. We are more than happy to help our clients dial their cars in so that it handles exactly how they want, and are available for trackside support.

Yes, going to ultra sticky tires can mask driving errors, but this is generally the case ONLY because the grip is so extreme that you're not actually pushing them past the limits of adhesion.

We agree, rather than modifying the car over and over, we'd rather get it done right the FIRST time, and not have to do it again. That's why we've kept our car extremely simple, and right to the point. (I take that back, we'll do alignments over and over...)


We are always available to answer general questions about setup. Please don't hesitate to ask; we want to help educate the community and share our knowledge.

Thanks Mike! Another question is does it have the feature to adjust preload like other Tein SRC?

I'm pretty set on the SRC. Possibly the Ohlins R&T or Bilstein PSS series but I feel the SRC are much more track oriented. I'm a fan of Euro companies when it comes to suspension but it seems the SRC are great for the money.

I have always considered the KW V3 but from my understanding is that they will not do custom valving. To me that could be a big option down the road if I felt I needed that "upgrad"

We do offer revalving services through Tein USA.

And yes, you can adjust preload :)

Hanakuso - it's in my limited understanding that most suspension companies have the ability to make a good damper. It's the R&D and testing time done on the platform that really sets them apart. I'm not 100% sure if KW is really focusing on the BRZ/FRS as much as they do for their other platforms. I'm going to guess they aren't focusing on the 86 much given their quick to market release of the V3s but riding on the success from their other platform (BMW?)... that's just my gutt feeling, no proof here and would love to be proven wrong.

Mike - I think tire pressures and alignment also can be low hanging fruit. I've considered buying a pyrometer but the last few years i've been so caught up on setup I have done little to focus on me, the driver. My lap times don't nearly reflect what my car(s) can do. Sometimes it's just TMI...

It's also my limited understanding but suspension companies that cater to the more focused or hardcore guys should let some custom tweaking available, which KW does not allow. From what I know, suspension settings will change when looking at different factors such as tires, weight, power, type of LSD, driving style, etc.

That's why I'm liking these Tein SRC since the manufacturer gives those options. Not saying I will but it's nice to know I won't have to keep buying new sets of coilovers in the future if I "outgrow" them.

What is the length of spring required? i think you guys have made up my mind on which dampers i'm going to get. (-1.4" front, -1.2" rear prefer a little rake) but i think i'm going to run Swift springs 10k/12k. Would an offset caster front bushing (ie perrin PSRS) for a little bit of geometry correction be a good thing? i haven't set up this car yet (still waiting on my order) but have experience with an S2K (4 years worth auto-x and track).

70mm ID, 140mm length fronts
65mm ID, 150mm length rears

We haven't played with geometry correction yet. @robispec would be the best person to contact for that, IMO.

Do you post in R&C on s2ki? Do you have SRCs on your s2k? :)

i dont post there anymore at all. i had KW V3 (came with the car) before stepping up to PSi's Ohlins TTX36IL/TTX36 setup. that was awesome i must say.

Swift springs are amazing springs (a setup I had thought about on the S2k) and will provide a slightly different suspension modulation from Tein race springs. The difference will be how the Tein dampers/valving will respond to compression and rebound, therefore, there may be some minor (or possibly negligible) setting differences compared to the settings that work on our BRZ. The Tein R&D/Product Engineer stated that Tein, Hyperco, and Swift springs all work slightly different and will provide different experiences between different car setups. Looking forward to the feedback on that setup and what your compression/rebound settings are. :thumbsup:

you will know as soon as i have them set up!

Hello ya'll! We just posted up a Group Buy for the TEIN SRCs! The coilovers will come with 10k front / 12k rear springs. Custom rates are available upon request.

Other spring options:
8k front / 10k rear for a softer setup
12k front / 14k rear for R-comp/slick use

TEIN SRC GROUP BUY