Tein SS - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Pressure · 07-16-2003, 11:20 PM

After searching, it seems that no one has even tried the Super Streets. I don't know if people are (rightly so) scared off by the name or if maybe they just suck. I know from the words "driving comfort" on Tein's site that they aren't valved the tightest, but I get the impression that they are more durable than FLEXs - does anybody out there agree or disagree?
The EDFC is (unfortunately, it turns out) high on my priority list cuz my fiance drives the car as much as I do and she don't want to be adjusting the struts manually every time we switch and I don't want to be doing for her everyday mos def. She was always whining in the last car about hitting her head on the roof over bumps so we made a deal that the next car would be adjustable to somewhere close to civility. That leaves me with the FLEX, SS, or no EDFC.
It's a daily driver, and I will take it to the track to (try to) drift as often as I can get out there. Last car was a V6 Eclipse with roughly an 8\6 on Koni's in front, Tokico's rear.

Thanx for the opinions.

Halz · 07-17-2003, 01:42 AM

When properly set up, dampning has little to do with comfort. Improperly set up, an over-dampned suspension will be ridged/stiff.. the tires will skip over bumps, while a under-dampend suspesion will be bouncy.. we've all see the car with cut springs tossing its occupants around

The spring rate and tire pressure are much more practical variables to adjust in trying to maintain a plush ride.

Also, comparing spring rates between different cars is not acurate, unless whats call a 'motion ratio' is known for the front and rear suspension gemoteries.. which would allow for calculating a wheel rate and ride frequency; the former a unit that can then be used to compare directly to other cars, and the latter dictating the.. ride frequency.. how many cycles per second the chassis will occolate in a frictionless (..dampner-less) suspension.

Alllllso, increasing the front wheel ride frequency, biased to the rear wheel frequency, will induce a 'pitchy ride' if not otherwise well dampened.. this has to do with the speed at which the car tavels over a bump, and how long it takes for one end of the car to catch up to the other end. A huge percentage of production cars are setup with the rear stiffer than the front.. maybe excaggerated, but if you've ever ridden in a large bus, its noticably more stiff sitting in the back than it is sitting up in the front.
So, a staggered setup, front hard, rear soft, works against some natural comfort that needs to otherwise be solved with higher levels of dampening

I know I'm not answering the question.. just putting stuff out there for thought..

DuffMan · 07-17-2003, 12:13 PM

Why would you think SS would be more durable than flex?

The thing I would be worried about is the SS might not have a wide range of adjustment in the valving. Most of tein's lower end coilovers dont have such a wide range of adjustment. I think they gave the flex more adjustment due to its position as a flexable coilover, but I dont know if they did that with SS or not. I kind of doubt it.

I would call tein and ask them if the SS can be adjusted as soft as flex can, and if not go with the flex.

Pressure · 07-17-2003, 10:27 PM

Halz, good info. Duff, I guess the only reason I thought SS dampers might be stiffer was the description of the strut on the Tein site mentioned "weekend racing"

while the FLEX description had nothing but "adjustability" blah blah blah. I know it's not much, but that's why I asked here. When you talk about valving adjustment, they're both 16-way, so you're thinking that possibly each way or click has less overall valving adjustment for the SS line then the FLEX?

The website says that the FLEX can only adjust one kg lower spring rate than stock, while the SS can decrease by two. But that's a different subject, I guess.

DuffMan · 07-18-2003, 11:37 AM

Well the descriptions are really for marketing more than anything else. I would call them and ask though, because I am just making an educated guess.

07-16-2003, 11:20 PM	#1
Pressure Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 22 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Tein SS After searching, it seems that no one has even tried the Super Streets. I don't know if people are (rightly so) scared off by the name or if maybe they just suck. I know from the words "driving comfort" on Tein's site that they aren't valved the tightest, but I get the impression that they are more durable than FLEXs - does anybody out there agree or disagree? The EDFC is (unfortunately, it turns out) high on my priority list cuz my fiance drives the car as much as I do and she don't want to be adjusting the struts manually every time we switch and I don't want to be doing for her everyday mos def. She was always whining in the last car about hitting her head on the roof over bumps so we made a deal that the next car would be adjustable to somewhere close to civility. That leaves me with the FLEX, SS, or no EDFC. It's a daily driver, and I will take it to the track to (try to) drift as often as I can get out there. Last car was a V6 Eclipse with roughly an 8\6 on Koni's in front, Tokico's rear. Thanx for the opinions.

07-17-2003, 01:42 AM	#2
Halz BANNED Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: bay area Age: 41 Posts: 214 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	When properly set up, dampning has little to do with comfort. Improperly set up, an over-dampned suspension will be ridged/stiff.. the tires will skip over bumps, while a under-dampend suspesion will be bouncy.. we've all see the car with cut springs tossing its occupants around The spring rate and tire pressure are much more practical variables to adjust in trying to maintain a plush ride. Also, comparing spring rates between different cars is not acurate, unless whats call a 'motion ratio' is known for the front and rear suspension gemoteries.. which would allow for calculating a wheel rate and ride frequency; the former a unit that can then be used to compare directly to other cars, and the latter dictating the.. ride frequency.. how many cycles per second the chassis will occolate in a frictionless (..dampner-less) suspension. Alllllso, increasing the front wheel ride frequency, biased to the rear wheel frequency, will induce a 'pitchy ride' if not otherwise well dampened.. this has to do with the speed at which the car tavels over a bump, and how long it takes for one end of the car to catch up to the other end. A huge percentage of production cars are setup with the rear stiffer than the front.. maybe excaggerated, but if you've ever ridden in a large bus, its noticably more stiff sitting in the back than it is sitting up in the front. So, a staggered setup, front hard, rear soft, works against some natural comfort that needs to otherwise be solved with higher levels of dampening I know I'm not answering the question.. just putting stuff out there for thought..

07-17-2003, 12:13 PM	#3
DuffMan Post Whore! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: in a cardboard box Posts: 2,517 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Why would you think SS would be more durable than flex? The thing I would be worried about is the SS might not have a wide range of adjustment in the valving. Most of tein's lower end coilovers dont have such a wide range of adjustment. I think they gave the flex more adjustment due to its position as a flexable coilover, but I dont know if they did that with SS or not. I kind of doubt it. I would call tein and ask them if the SS can be adjusted as soft as flex can, and if not go with the flex.

07-17-2003, 10:27 PM	#4
Pressure Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 22 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Halz, good info. Duff, I guess the only reason I thought SS dampers might be stiffer was the description of the strut on the Tein site mentioned "weekend racing" while the FLEX description had nothing but "adjustability" blah blah blah. I know it's not much, but that's why I asked here. When you talk about valving adjustment, they're both 16-way, so you're thinking that possibly each way or click has less overall valving adjustment for the SS line then the FLEX? The website says that the FLEX can only adjust one kg lower spring rate than stock, while the SS can decrease by two. But that's a different subject, I guess.

07-18-2003, 11:37 AM	#5
DuffMan Post Whore! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: in a cardboard box Posts: 2,517 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Well the descriptions are really for marketing more than anything else. I would call them and ask though, because I am just making an educated guess.