CSG Spec Tein Flex A Owners Thread

[TurboLag23]

Question for the group! I just got a set of CSG Spec Tein FLA V2s for my 2018 BRZ; doing some research before I delve into the install. If possible, I would like to eliminate the OEM front camber bolts (run two sets of lower bolts per side). For anyone who has done this, what range of front camber are you able to achieve? Thanks!

[Daedex]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

Question for the group! I just got a set of CSG Spec Tein FLA V2s for my 2018 BRZ; doing some research before I delve into the install. If possible, I would like to eliminate the OEM front camber bolts (run two sets of lower bolts per side). For anyone who has done this, what range of front camber are you able to achieve? Thanks!

I am running -3 on mine in the front. All the adjustment is from the camber plates. I think I can go further than -3 as well.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

Question for the group! I just got a set of CSG Spec Tein FLA V2s for my 2018 BRZ; doing some research before I delve into the install. If possible, I would like to eliminate the OEM front camber bolts (run two sets of lower bolts per side). For anyone who has done this, what range of front camber are you able to achieve? Thanks!

Actual camber will depend on your height, but you'll have zero problems hitting an acceptable range of camber without the need for camber bolts.

[TurboLag23]

[IMG][/IMG]

Originally Posted by Barefootdan

The slit that was made to clear the adjustment knobs in the rear:

OK - Another question for you all! This picture stood out to me... this lil guy looks pretty exposed, and I'm slightly worried about it getting whacked by groceries or autocross gear. Has anyone done anything to mitigate this possibility, and if so what worked best? I was thinking that a strut tower brace that sits higher up (ex: Cusco, Carbing, DC Sports), or has secondary bracing (ex: Revo Technica) could actually help with this (I realize that from a performance perspective they are widely considered placebo), although damping adjustment may become more challenging. The Carbing's mount design would actually be ideal for this, if it only extruded a bit further upwards (and didn't have the connecting bar )

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1600155916

[EndlessAzure]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

[IMG][/IMG]



OK - Another question for you all! This picture stood out to me... this lil guy looks pretty exposed, and I'm slightly worried about it getting whacked by groceries or autocross gear. Has anyone done anything to mitigate this possibility, and if so what worked best? I was thinking that a strut tower brace that sits higher up (ex: Cusco, Carbing, DC Sports), or has secondary bracing (ex: Revo Technica) could actually help with this (I realize that from a performance perspective they are widely considered placebo), although damping adjustment may become more challenging. The Carbing's mount design would actually be ideal for this, if it only extruded a bit further upwards (and didn't have the connecting bar )



https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1600155916

The thread for the rear EDFC motor is the same as for the lug nuts (M12x1.25).

Therefore, you can just put some lut nuts over the rear adjusters to cover them. That's what I do

[TurboLag23]

Hey - follow-up question after install! I have finally (after like four months!) had a chance to drive on the new coils. I have a slight clunk coming from the rear, likely driver's side, over speed bumps at very low speeds. I realize that "what could this be" is not exactly a helpful question - but are there any culprits that jump out immediately for these coilovers?

NOTE 1: I also reinstalled stock sway bars and SPL endlinks F&R - the latter were length-adjusted to remove preload once suspension had settled for a few days. Formerly was on Whiteline sways/endlinks.
NOTE 2: I did not check torques on everything that was marked as factory-inspected. This includes the top shock nut, the preload adjustment collars, and the height adjustment collars (yes - collarS plural, there were actually two height adjust collars on mine!). I was assuming the adjustment collars at least would be touched & checked once I had the car aligned & corner-balanced (my next priority after hopefully addressing this clunk). I did check lengths/heights per the Tein instruction manual recommendations and verified that everything was exactly where it should have been, so decided not to mess with it. Was this the right call?

Thanks!

Also btw - per earlier question, I capped the rear shock adjustment post with Blox Racing open-ended lug nuts, which worked great!

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

Hey - follow-up question after install! I have finally (after like four months!) had a chance to drive on the new coils. I have a slight clunk coming from the rear, likely driver's side, over speed bumps at very low speeds. I realize that "what could this be" is not exactly a helpful question - but are there any culprits that jump out immediately for these coilovers?

NOTE 1: I also reinstalled stock sway bars and SPL endlinks F&R - the latter were length-adjusted to remove preload once suspension had settled for a few days. Formerly was on Whiteline sways/endlinks.
NOTE 2: I did not check torques on everything that was marked as factory-inspected. This includes the top shock nut, the preload adjustment collars, and the height adjustment collars (yes - collarS plural, there were actually two height adjust collars on mine!). I was assuming the adjustment collars at least would be touched & checked once I had the car aligned & corner-balanced (my next priority after hopefully addressing this clunk). I did check lengths/heights per the Tein instruction manual recommendations and verified that everything was exactly where it should have been, so decided not to mess with it. Was this the right call?

Thanks!

Also btw - per earlier question, I capped the rear shock adjustment post with Blox Racing open-ended lug nuts, which worked great!

A clunk can only originate from some kind of play, which means something is loose.

Possibilities:

- Any nut/faster involved in the suspension
- The top hat top nut
- Damaged/bad/worn sphearical (top mount).

The third option is unlikely, so you'll want to go and double check your torque on every other bolt.

The top hat nut is difficult to tighten properly while on the car. This is ***NOT*** standard procedure, but if you have a cordless low-torque impact, give it a two taps. DO NOT use an air impact, as that will go right through the threads, and DO NOT use a high torque cordless impact, like a big Milwaukee M18.

If you are not comfortable doing this, take the damper off, and use a passthrough socket and wrench to tighten using the proper method.

[TurboLag23]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

A clunk can only originate from some kind of play, which means something is loose.

Possibilities:

- Any nut/faster involved in the suspension
- The top hat top nut
- Damaged/bad/worn sphearical (top mount).

The third option is unlikely, so you'll want to go and double check your torque on every other bolt.

The top hat nut is difficult to tighten properly while on the car. This is ***NOT*** standard procedure, but if you have a cordless low-torque impact, give it a two taps. DO NOT use an air impact, as that will go right through the threads, and DO NOT use a high torque cordless impact, like a big Milwaukee M18.

If you are not comfortable doing this, take the damper off, and use a passthrough socket and wrench to tighten using the proper method.

OK - will do a bolt check this weekend!

On the top hat nut - is there any reason to not use a torque wrench while it's mounted? I think I recall torque spec was specified in instruction manual. I do have an M12 which I think should be fine for this application, but would always default to the way that spits out a number if that's an option

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

OK - will do a bolt check this weekend!

On the top hat nut - is there any reason to not use a torque wrench while it's mounted? I think I recall torque spec was specified in instruction manual. I do have an M12 which I think should be fine for this application, but would always default to the way that spits out a number if that's an option

You may have difficulty using a standard torque wrench, as you'll just spin the damper shaft (don't do that!)

[TurboLag23]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

You may have difficulty using a standard torque wrench, as you'll just spin the damper shaft (don't do that!)

Glad I asked - delicate ugga-dugga it is! Thanks again!

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

Glad I asked - delicate ugga-dugga it is! Thanks again!

Use the lightest taps, and even turn the torque down. It's just to make sure it's not loose.

For everyone else reading, this is NOT the recommended method, just a band-aid.

[TurboLag23]

Update - I happened to run across a valuable bit of info that I had missed on initial install. I dropped the inboard RLCA mounts to install the coilovers. When I redid that bolt, the suspension was unloaded. FSM states suspension must be loaded - so I did it wrong! This will be the first thing I check; will report back!

[TurboLag23]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

Update - I happened to run across a valuable bit of info that I had missed on initial install. I dropped the inboard RLCA mounts to install the coilovers. When I redid that bolt, the suspension was unloaded. FSM states suspension must be loaded - so I did it wrong! This will be the first thing I check; will report back!

OK update finally: the clunk was not the struts or suspension arms, it was an endlink. Regardless, all bushings (RLCA chassis-side, and lower strut bushing) were retorqued with suspension at ride height, and all other torques were double-checked. I did not touch the strut top nut at all.

New question - because I guess I just couldn't resist having another smoothbrain moment . I was confirming damping adjustment and lost count/direction. Wound up delving into roughly 24 clicks from full-tight (full-tight indicated by a half-click), with car at ride height. The car was not driven around at all at this setting, just lightly jounced. Any risk of damage to the shocks from going this far out on adjustment, or is this OK since the car was not driven?

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by TurboLag23

OK update finally: the clunk was not the struts or suspension arms, it was an endlink. Regardless, all bushings (RLCA chassis-side, and lower strut bushing) were retorqued with suspension at ride height, and all other torques were double-checked. I did not touch the strut top nut at all.

New question - because I guess I just couldn't resist having another smoothbrain moment . I was confirming damping adjustment and lost count/direction. Wound up delving into roughly 24 clicks from full-tight (full-tight indicated by a half-click), with car at ride height. The car was not driven around at all at this setting, just lightly jounced. Any risk of damage to the shocks from going this far out on adjustment, or is this OK since the car was not driven?

as long as you did not force the adjustment, it shouldn't be an issue. You can confirm with a quick drive around the block with the damper set to maximum damping; the ride should be unbearably harsh.

The extra clicks are there from components used as part of the tuning process to design the dampers and using common components to keep the cost down, but the clicks themselves do not actually do anything past 16.