Installed TEIN HA + EDFC on my GS400
03-10-04, 12:32 PM
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Installed TEIN HA + EDFC on my GS400
Hey guys, I did this about 2 weeks ago, but I kept quiet, because I didnt want to unveil the car until it was finished.
I decided to go with the HA's after I got a ride in a members car that had them with 20" wheels. I was really nervous beforehand because I always read that they had a 'beat your brains out" stiff ride. Well I put them in, and I have them set VERY low (no gap front and rear), and the ride is no where near as rough as I thought it would be, I am going to raise it a little though, because currently there is not enough supension travel to get a really comfortable ride.
The EDFC was a last minute addition that I pulled the trigger on after reading Bits post when he got his! (so bit you owe me 470 bucks for the unit and install, i'll PM you my mailing address!!! LOL).
here are my impressions:
Ride: when I pulled out of the shop, I had my EDFC set on 0/0 (my Tein installer calibrated mine at 0/0-softest, 16/16 hardest), and the ride felt kinda mushy and jiggly, since its so low it wasnt too bad, but not good. So I just kept stiffening it up more and more as I drove home (shop is about 1hr from my home). By the time I was about 15min from the shop, i had it set on 16/16 and i LOVED it!!! the ride was just controlled and firm, meaning that if i hit a pothole, it would just go "bump, bump" (imagine a low toned thud) rather than the bang, crash sound my S/S made on my 1st Gen. I actually drove around on 16/16 for about 2days with no complaints. THEN the suspension settled!!! Well then it got stiffer, so I put it at something like 7/8 and it was cool again. I think most of my impact harshness is more the result of my low profile tires and belly scraper height than the coils. I will report back later this week when I raise it.
Handling- OH MY GOD I LOVE IT!!!! On my way home I was nervous about rubbing so I went pretty gentle on the highway (no hard accleration, etc). But the second day, I just came home set her on full stiffness, and hit the highway with a vengence!!!! I love the way this thing holds the road now! The best analogy would be this: before the car had about a 5/2 engine/suspension balance, meaning you really couldnt get full enjoyment out of the engine due to the mushy suspenders. Well now its more like 5/7 engine/suspension. I can just floor it and switch lanes, speed deep into corners, etc etc with no lean, float or anything. it just feels like someone put superglue on the road or something.
EDFC- is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to coilovers. its one of those, 'what would I do without it' mods. My current presets are 3/4, 8/9, and 16/16 (remember I'm backwards from most EDFC, the higher the stiffer). This thing really works and you can feel the difference instantly. Also the road noise is a telltale sign, the stiffer you set it, the louder it gets!
Drop- i'm going to post pics from 2weeks ago (before my aero mods) because they show how low she really is, and I have quite a few threads left!! Cant leave it like this though, its like I'm riding around with a librarian in the back seat, since I hear "SHH, SHH" over large bumps or humps LOL. Right now its at 0/0 finger fr/rr gap, I think i'm going to set it to 1/2 gap. Also since my wheels are 35 offset and I had 255 tires all the way around, I had to buy 245/35-20s for the front, and it still rubs slightly.
Here are a few before and after pics
BEFORE
AFTER
I decided to go with the HA's after I got a ride in a members car that had them with 20" wheels. I was really nervous beforehand because I always read that they had a 'beat your brains out" stiff ride. Well I put them in, and I have them set VERY low (no gap front and rear), and the ride is no where near as rough as I thought it would be, I am going to raise it a little though, because currently there is not enough supension travel to get a really comfortable ride.
The EDFC was a last minute addition that I pulled the trigger on after reading Bits post when he got his! (so bit you owe me 470 bucks for the unit and install, i'll PM you my mailing address!!! LOL).
here are my impressions:
Ride: when I pulled out of the shop, I had my EDFC set on 0/0 (my Tein installer calibrated mine at 0/0-softest, 16/16 hardest), and the ride felt kinda mushy and jiggly, since its so low it wasnt too bad, but not good. So I just kept stiffening it up more and more as I drove home (shop is about 1hr from my home). By the time I was about 15min from the shop, i had it set on 16/16 and i LOVED it!!! the ride was just controlled and firm, meaning that if i hit a pothole, it would just go "bump, bump" (imagine a low toned thud) rather than the bang, crash sound my S/S made on my 1st Gen. I actually drove around on 16/16 for about 2days with no complaints. THEN the suspension settled!!! Well then it got stiffer, so I put it at something like 7/8 and it was cool again. I think most of my impact harshness is more the result of my low profile tires and belly scraper height than the coils. I will report back later this week when I raise it.
Handling- OH MY GOD I LOVE IT!!!! On my way home I was nervous about rubbing so I went pretty gentle on the highway (no hard accleration, etc). But the second day, I just came home set her on full stiffness, and hit the highway with a vengence!!!! I love the way this thing holds the road now! The best analogy would be this: before the car had about a 5/2 engine/suspension balance, meaning you really couldnt get full enjoyment out of the engine due to the mushy suspenders. Well now its more like 5/7 engine/suspension. I can just floor it and switch lanes, speed deep into corners, etc etc with no lean, float or anything. it just feels like someone put superglue on the road or something.
EDFC- is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to coilovers. its one of those, 'what would I do without it' mods. My current presets are 3/4, 8/9, and 16/16 (remember I'm backwards from most EDFC, the higher the stiffer). This thing really works and you can feel the difference instantly. Also the road noise is a telltale sign, the stiffer you set it, the louder it gets!
Drop- i'm going to post pics from 2weeks ago (before my aero mods) because they show how low she really is, and I have quite a few threads left!! Cant leave it like this though, its like I'm riding around with a librarian in the back seat, since I hear "SHH, SHH" over large bumps or humps LOL. Right now its at 0/0 finger fr/rr gap, I think i'm going to set it to 1/2 gap. Also since my wheels are 35 offset and I had 255 tires all the way around, I had to buy 245/35-20s for the front, and it still rubs slightly.
Here are a few before and after pics
BEFORE
AFTER
Last edited by D2-AUTOSPORT; 03-10-04 at 12:55 PM.
03-10-04, 12:46 PM
#2
looking very good D, glad that you are starting the game so much faster than most people here 
yeah with the setup you can drive so much faster and still very confident. the stock setup is just bad
oh btw, after looking at the pics, i think i like the one BEFORE the drop more 
yeah with the setup you can drive so much faster and still very confident. the stock setup is just badoh btw, after looking at the pics, i think i like the one BEFORE the drop more
03-10-04, 02:02 PM
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Igot to ride first hand in D's car when he got the coilovers and I was impressed at the ride quality. Ya it was stiffbut it wasn't harsh it was a good stiff. Now for a daily driver I could see it being a little to stiff for my taste but for him it is perfect.
And also I thought I was going to die doing 100 on the highway weaving in and out of traffic
And also I thought I was going to die doing 100 on the highway weaving in and out of traffic
03-10-04, 03:36 PM
#5
Nice. I did not know that you can calibrate the EDFC unit to do the numbers in reverse. Is this something on the unit itself? I'm going to have to revisit the installation instruction. 
Not that I'm going to do it but just curious. Did you choose to do it this way? Now that I've been using the EDFC, 0/0 being stiffest makes more sense to me.
Not that I'm going to do it but just curious. Did you choose to do it this way? Now that I've been using the EDFC, 0/0 being stiffest makes more sense to me.
Last edited by Neo; 03-10-04 at 03:37 PM.
03-10-04, 03:40 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
RIght on!
Derrick, you are the MAN! I know you will love the HA's with the EDFC. I just sold mine to Jimmy(hitech)
last month while in Boston. Congrats. with the Coils & edfc. Hey at the next meet give me a ride in that nice as$ car of yours.
Paul
last month while in Boston. Congrats. with the Coils & edfc. Hey at the next meet give me a ride in that nice as$ car of yours.
Paul
03-10-04, 04:11 PM
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Originally posted by Neo
Nice. I did not know that you can calibrate the EDFC unit to do the numbers in reverse. Is this something on the unit itself? I'm going to have to revisit the installation instruction. Not that I'm going to do it but just curious. Did you choose to do it this way? Now that I've been using the EDFC, 0/0 being stiffest makes more sense to me.
Nice. I did not know that you can calibrate the EDFC unit to do the numbers in reverse. Is this something on the unit itself? I'm going to have to revisit the installation instruction.
Not that I'm going to do it but just curious. Did you choose to do it this way? Now that I've been using the EDFC, 0/0 being stiffest makes more sense to me.
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03-10-04, 04:14 PM
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Re: RIght on!
Originally posted by PAULGS430
Derrick, you are the MAN! I know you will love the HA's with the EDFC. I just sold mine to Jimmy(hitech)
last month while in Boston. Congrats. with the Coils & edfc. Hey at the next meet give me a ride in that nice as$ car of yours.
Derrick, you are the MAN! I know you will love the HA's with the EDFC. I just sold mine to Jimmy(hitech)
last month while in Boston. Congrats. with the Coils & edfc. Hey at the next meet give me a ride in that nice as$ car of yours.
03-10-04, 05:17 PM
#9
great write up derrick, ya know i will be doing the bilstein pss thing sometime next year when i get my 400 mk3 boost toy and i dont mind the firmer setup that i have right now with the bilstein sports
ya know , clublex should try and do a huge east coast meet bringing northeast , with mid atlantic and us southern together for a 3 day weekend .. something with like 200+ car participation on a semi national scale
ooopps sorry D , did not mean to hijack the thread , you us south florida gs mafia guys we eat sleep and dream meets
great write again
ya know , clublex should try and do a huge east coast meet bringing northeast , with mid atlantic and us southern together for a 3 day weekend .. something with like 200+ car participation on a semi national scale
ooopps sorry D , did not mean to hijack the thread , you us south florida gs mafia guys we eat sleep and dream meets
great write again
03-10-04, 06:11 PM
#10
Originally posted by DGOT20s
hey Neo, to be honest with you man, the guys at the shop wouldn't let me hang around during the install so they just bought it out and told me how to work it!!! I like it set that way as well, its just more intuitive! I do not konw if it is related to the unit, or the installation though.
hey Neo, to be honest with you man, the guys at the shop wouldn't let me hang around during the install so they just bought it out and told me how to work it!!! I like it set that way as well, its just more intuitive! I do not konw if it is related to the unit, or the installation though.
Default/reference value is 0/0 = stiffest = shock valve closed. The way you have it now this is 16/16. There is a way to put the controller into a finer scale (absolute range is the same) 0 - 32 instead of 0 - 16. The default way, 0/0 is still stiffest = valve closed. The way you have it now, 32 becomes reference value => not as intuitive to me. I can think of one way to do this but that would involve messing with the wiring (no cutting involved). It would be very strange why they would have to mess with the wiring for an install. This is the reason for my curiosity.
Beyond my curiosity, I'm partly looking out for ya to see why the shop messed with the system. Unless you requested this setup, why would they do this (change the default way it works)? If you requested it and like it this way, then it's all good.
Last edited by Neo; 03-10-04 at 06:12 PM.
03-10-04, 08:33 PM
#12
yeah i wuld be really interested in knowing how they do the edfc setup. as far as i know about edfc setup and stuff (after talking to neo and rmmgs4, who both did the install themselves), it would be really funny if they can "reverse" the adjustment, with 16 being stiffest and 0 being softest
03-11-04, 12:10 AM
#15
Originally posted by One HoT SC400
So does it rub?
Just installed my CS and one of my front rim rubs when I make a sharp turn...I have one finger gap in the front wheels, I want to drop it with no finger gap...Maybe I'll do it tomorrow and see what happens...
So does it rub?
Just installed my CS and one of my front rim rubs when I make a sharp turn...I have one finger gap in the front wheels, I want to drop it with no finger gap...Maybe I'll do it tomorrow and see what happens...