New Coilovers to replace Cusco’s

[RX8R3Rod]

Having had my RX8 and Cheryl’s MX5 re-reustproofed at Rustbuster in Spalding (IME they really know their stuff, with a combined 50+ years experience in metal coatings and rust management and prevention) they noticed this on the ‘8 ...

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I’d also noticed that the damping was not as effective as before, with the car wallowing just a tad, rather than having that really lithe, ‘taut’ feel over bumps and dips.

Given I’ve had the Cusco’s for over 100,000 miles and almost 10 years (during which time they’ve been 100% reliable, and given us a great driving experience) they don’t really owe me too much, and I decided to explore a potential replacement.

The Tein Monosport with Active EDFC looked interesting, and Clive at MRP had very positive experience of using them on both road and track.

The Active EDFC looks particularly interesting, with continuously variable active damping based on speed / g-force, and the ability to still manually set it to ‘rock-hard’ to get over speed bumps and the like from within the cabin.

Sooo ... I’ve done the deed (big thanks to Clive and Lisa at MRP for arranging super-speedy delivery before Friday) and I’ll be at Ben’s on Friday as Josh has v kindly offered to fit them at v v short notice (so a big thanks to Rotary Revs, too).

It’ll be interesting to see how they compare to the Cusco’s, as the spring rates are significantly higher ... and the damping range much greater.

Updates to follow :-)

[kopite72]

Hi Rod, great to see you back posting regularly on here love the way you constantly invest in your car, it's very commendable

You'll be very happy with the Active Tein's methinks, looking forward to your write up/review regarding them

The best R3 on the planet just got a little bit better

[casey]

Nice to see you posting again Rod

Having had the Tein Mono's on my car (but without EDFC) for many years and around 50 track days, I don't think you will be disappointed

[RX8R3Rod]

Thank you Gents, it’s such warm comments that make the club such a nice place to be!

I really could have done without the expense just at the moment... but in truth The Cusco’s have done really well and I am looking forward to trying the Teins. And in that context your comments make me feel much more confident, so are v much appreciated thanks

All power to Josh ar RR for fitting them. The hardest bit I have is to work out where to put the controller, and that seems hard enough!

On the Active EDFC (though not the Pro) it apparently has to be within 45 degrees of the front of the car in all axes ... so no lying it flat, it seems ... Doh!

[Harrizone]

Try the EDFC in the space below the radio knob which is where mine was mounted it's really about the only sensible place given the criteria although mine was not the active variety. Also good choice on the Teins they served me well for at least 8 years and are still on the car now.

[V8 Power]

It will good to see how you get on with the edfc as I have Monosports but no edfc
My thinking was that it was a bit gimmicky but would be happy to be proven wrong (although my wallet wouldn’t)

[Mpv2k3]

Looking forward to hearing your feedback on the Edfc.... I also have the monosport and love them.

[RX8R3Rod]

Hi all, your thoughts and inputs, on the Teins in general, their characteristics and longevity, and where to put the controller, etc are v much appreciated!

It helps a lot, and I’m getting really quite excited about tomorrow, and the longish drive back home!

I did wonder about the Active EDFC and whether it’s pretty much just a gimmick or not.

I almost went for th3 Active Pro, as I’ve always fancied a fully ‘active’ suspension.

Though I am aware of the ‘goes like a bat out of hell around corners, until without any warning you suddenly find yourself in a hedge’ effect that F1 drivers of yore reported.

Still, if semi-active turns out to be just the business, apparently it can be upgraded to full Active for around £200 or so.

I guess we’ll see on that one ...

[Clive]

Rod, I am sure you wont need any sort of upgrade as you have the extra GPS sensor incorporated in the kit.

The built-In G-Sensor allows G-actuated automatic adjustment of damping force while driving. Additional automatic speed-sensitive damping force adjustment feature is available with the use of optional "GPS kit"

If you set the system to auto it will learn once you have done a lap and then self adjust for not only cornering but also braking as well.

The system is certainly not a gimmick and I can honestly say that being able to adjust due to changing track conditions or simply change the understeer or oversteer characteristics of the car while I am actually racing, at times has made the difference between winning and losing

(If you have seen the last Donnington wet race where the car was faster than anything else on the track, this was helped by being able to adjust the dampers to a "wet setting" on the line)

The RX-8 is such a great chassis that even minor damper adjustments using the EDFC system can make a huge difference

I have said to Tein they really should promote this soooo much more than they do.
The only other "bolt on" system I have ever heard of is made as an accessory for Porsche and that costs £6000 !!

[V8 Power]

Thanks for that Clive, you are really tempting me now knowing that a racer finds the edfc to be of benefit.

[Mpv2k3]

Rod, so you got the Edfc active + gps?

[Goobie]

I have pretty much the same set up. Great bit of kit, the EDFC system feels solid and proper quality made to, not your usual cheap plastic crap or wiring.

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[Clive]

Had mine on the Race Car for 5 years now with no issues

[Mpv2k3]

Clive, do you have the pro version or just the active + gps?

[RX8R3Rod]

Josh and Co are apparently on the finishing straight; they’ve been at it all day, and are looking pretty tired to my eyes. A biiiig thanks to them!!!

Looking forward to trying it out.

I doubt a drive on the M62 and A1 going home will tell me too much, but tomorrow hello Lincolnshire back-roads :-)

And how cool that, if you want it, you can get individual control of each strut (bearing in mind those cautionary old F1 tales of fully active suspensions) for not so much extra cash?

As Clive suggests a facility like this at this sort of price seems a relative absolute bargain! (If such a thing is possible :-) )

[RX8R3Rod]

Oops, missed the question ... sorry!

I have Monosports with Active EDFC and GPS.

Maybe also plenty of XYZ, but no Pro - for now ;-) - as I understand it.

[RX8R3Rod]

Well, blow me down.

I said a journey on the M62 and A1 at night wouldn’t tell me too much; how wrong I was

But first again a big thanks to Josh and the Rotary Revs team for getting it all together and working. It was a big job. If you’re reading Josh, v v much appreciated and hope you had a great Christmas Party!

I need to go back to see Josh after Christmas once the springs have settled to get back to a decent level of gap to the ground.

Anyhow back to the journey ... Josh had set it up with a ‘get you going’ manual setting (no active stuff going on 8n manual) of 12 out of 16.

Sooo smooth. In comparison to the Cusco’s this was luxury car material. But for my preferences a little to floaty at speed, so I stopped at Blythe services and dialled it up a bit to 9. Still really smooth and fab at absorbing the bumps but much better body control at speed.

Exactly as Clive described it, in fact

And awake early this morning to get a faulty valve in the tyre fixed, time to see if I could get it into Active mode.

So after a bit of mental wrangling with the manual

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I got it there, with the maximally soft setting at 10, and hardest at 6 as a start point.

So does it work, and can you tell the difference (even on just a few roundabouts and up the A17 on the way to the tyre guys)?

Absolutely.

I’ve got the beeper on the control unit set to low volume for now, so I can hear, as well as feel, what’s going on.

What I have found surprising is just with small brake, corner and accelerate actions at limited speed up to 60 or thereabouts, you can hear it working away merrily. But even better you actually can’t really feel it working, it’s effectively transparent.

But you can certainly feel the effect of it working ... corners absolutely feel less like corners, as the car is so much more composed.

More to follow later, but so far seriously impressed, and that’s against the Cusco’s which aren’t exactly rubbish...

[RX8R3Rod]

Forgot to say, I’m in G-Arrange + S-Arrange mode ...

[Mpv2k3]

Sounds great so far.

Those instructions look like fun lol

[ChrisHolmes]

I have started saving already!!!!!

[RX8R3Rod]

Aren’t they fab?

Today has got taken over by Christmas and not Lincolnshire B roads, but tomorrow is looking much more promising.

What I have noticed, though, is because the car corners flatter, I keep overtightening my body in expectation of the cars body roll, which no longer happens to anything like the same extent. I have to learn to relax more at the wheel now

[mi60o0]

Bloody hell I want this to I hope I will have it before summer

[Mpv2k3]

I have started saving already!!!!!

Snap........ although I was originally considering the pro version but i think that may not be needed and the version that Rod has will be good enough

[ChrisHolmes]

Pleased your as happy as I knew you would be .

You wont set the suspension this hard on the road but on track I use 2's and 3's front or rear to get the balance I need, with 4-5 as my "wet" setting, which I used to good effect in my last race of the year below.

Had I not been able to reset the suspension to a soft setting actually sitting on the line with the EDFC, there's no way the car would have had the grip I was able to find which you can see on the video below

[ChrisHolmes]

Bloody hell I want this to I hope I will have it before summer

Don't forget that the nut behind the wheel needs uprating too!