TEIN Coilover Maintenance [Tech]

September 1, 2015
Story By
Jonathan Wong

As is the case with most moving mechanical parts, at some point, they'll eventually require replacing or servicing, like your vehicle's suspension, particularly dampers (or struts/shocks, as they're most commonly referred to). With time, wear and tear, most will start leaking, and if they don't, will eventually result in a harsher ride than original; that is, your vehicle will ride like doo-doo. The good thing is dampers can be replaced with relative ease and low cost for stock replacements, but for those of you who have a more performance-oriented setup with a coilover system, you still have options to service your dampers without needing to buy new dampers.

Japanese suspension parts producer, TEIN is a well-established company with a US operation in Southern California, offering various coilover packages for many makes/models. Though it's been offered for years, it's still relatively unknown that TEIN coilover maintenance is available to their entire customer base. This type of service helps save a customer some money with a simple rebuild, and TEIN recommends to inspect their dampers every 30K miles, just like any other damper. I've had their Super Street (SS-P) coilovers on my Honda Civic since 2007, and while it isn't driven regularly, their tech department offered to rebuild the dampers while also taking measurements for potential coilover development in the future. This was good for me since they were custom valved to begin with; perfect for light/medium track duty but overall a bit harsh for daily driving. Fun on corners, not so much on LA's wonderfully paved concrete (re: doo-doo). You don't need to live in Southern California to enjoy the benefit of having TEIN service your dampers; simply contact them to describe the type of servicing you'd like done and arrange to have them sent in. As you can see here, dampers are received in many ways, from complete hardware to missing pieces, mostly overused and all in dire need of reconditioning. TEIN starts with a Base Overhaul Fee and inspection to let you know what needs repairing before any work is done, depending on the damper model; Basic or Street Basis start at $75 each, Flex Type at $100 each and Mono Sport Type at $110 each. Each fee covers fresh damper oil, nitrogen gas fill, new seals and o-rings, labor for damper teardown, clean-up and reassembly.

Though your rebuild time will vary depending on when your dampers are received, the current wait list to rebuild and wait time for any parts required from Japan (if not in stock), the rebuild process is actually pretty quick, about a two-week turnaround time. A technician can disassemble in under 10 minutes. If the internals are still good, it will be reassembled to spec and filled with new shock oil. Any custom valving shouldn't take long at all but can be done at an additional cost. TEIN's technicians have even brought dampers involved in severe accidents back to life, though this is a case-by-case basis and will be determined if it can actually be salvaged once inspected.

Once rebuilt, TEIN will ship your freshly built dampers to you and you'll be back on the road in no time. As for my Civic coilovers, they were re-valved for more street comfort and are good for a light day of track use. The ride quality difference was instantaneously noticeable and I'm now able to cruise through most of SoCal without my butt clenched. Most suspension companies will (and should) overhaul their own product, so it's a good idea to check and see what type of services they offer. TEIN services only their products to ensure a quality rebuild.

TEIN Coilover Maintenance [Tech]

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