Quote:
Originally Posted by RYU
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.
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.
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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