Tein Street Flex suspension issue (lowering itself over time)

[Streetthrowback]

I love tein, been using them for 12 years never had a problem

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by solidONE

Pictures will definitely help. Before and after they lower themselves. Also If it is un-threading itself then basically you have no preload and when the shock is fully extended (car jacked up and wheels in full droop) you'd have a gap between the top of the coil and the perch thing above it. I still don't see how it's going to be unthreading itself on the shock body...

If it's the collar that locks the lower 'cup' in position, then somehow that collar is not doing it's job and allowing the shock body to rotate threading into the 'cup'. Might want to call Tein and complain to them. Maybe they already know of this problem and have a solution.

Hmmm.... the spring on the right side, I can move it up and down with my hand, it's loose in between the locking ring and the top of the coil... So maybe my pre-load got fucked? I've never touched it, but I noticed that when I removed the tire Tuesday.

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Hmmm.... the spring on the right side, I can move it up and down with my hand, it's loose in between the locking ring and the top of the coil... So maybe my pre-load got fucked? I've never touched it, but I noticed that when I removed the tire Tuesday.

Yeah... that's not good. lol You need to check and redo all of them. Typically the suggested preload for these types of coilovers is about 3mm. Assuming the thread pitch is 1.5, it will be 2 turns on the collar after it's threaded up to and against the spring before compressing the spring. Those collars are not doing their jobs. ]My best guess is that the locking collars weren't tight enough. Call Tein.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by solidONE

Yeah... that's not good. lol You need to check and redo all of them. Typically the suggested preload for these types of coilovers is about 3mm. Assuming the thread pitch is 1.5, it will be 2 turns on the collar after it's threaded up to and against the spring before compressing the spring. Those collars are not doing their jobs. ]My best guess is that the locking collars weren't tight enough. Call Tein.

Thanks. I called and I'm waiting for them to send me the manual... can't believe they are not available for download

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Thanks. I called and I'm waiting for them to send me the manual... can't believe they are not available for download

hope you get that sorted out soon.

[babykwiss]

I know a TON of guys locally running the same setup and we never had an issue other than my self which was a complete install issue. You definitely have not tighten the fronts enough therefore causing it to probably lower it self when you turn. It would not be so bad if the front was not Mcpherson but due to it turning, if it is not tight enough it will move.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Hmmm.... the spring on the right side, I can move it up and down with my hand, it's loose in between the locking ring and the top of the coil... So maybe my pre-load got fucked? I've never touched it, but I noticed that when I removed the tire Tuesday.

If the actual locking collars are turning, then you will lose preload. If the entire damper is turning on the bottom mounting assembly, then you will only lose height.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Thanks. I called and I'm waiting for them to send me the manual... can't believe they are not available for download

It's probably going to be in Japanese :p

[superleggera]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Hmmm.... the spring on the right side, I can move it up and down with my hand, it's loose in between the locking ring and the top of the coil... So maybe my pre-load got fucked? I've never touched it, but I noticed that when I removed the tire Tuesday.

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

If the actual locking collars are turning, then you will lose preload. If the entire damper is turning on the bottom mounting assembly, then you will only lose height.

So that's how I noticed it the other day... maybe the ride height was fine, but I had tons of slack in the spring. When I originally installed it, the preload didn't allow the spring to move (perhaps I didn't have the collars for the preload tight enough... like Sportsguy83 I didn't touch it)

[superleggera]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Thanks. I called and I'm waiting for them to send me the manual... can't believe they are not available for download

In the meantime, you can use this


http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=30

[solidONE]

It's also possible that the springs shortened over time causing the initial preload setting to be lost. So it's possible the collar for the spring didn't move at all.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by solidONE

It's also possible that the springs shortened over time causing the initial preload setting to be lost. So it's possible the collar for the spring didn't move at all.

a few mm would be plausible but 1 inch?

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

It's probably going to be in Japanese :p

They were gracious enough to send them in English

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

a few mm would be plausible but 1 inch?

so there was an one inch gap between the spring and the upper perch thing? If that the case you know for sure it unthreaded. I doubt Tein use spring material that is that shitty and sag that much.