TEIN MONO SPORT Coilovers Explained
TEIN, range by range
Read down the MONO SPORT list and it could be a car park at a Japanese car show: Skyline R32, R33 and R34, NSX, S2000, RX-7, four generations of Evo, Impreza, every MX-5 from the NA to the ND, and the R35 GT-R, 29 kits in all, every one for UK-market cars, from £1,500 to £1,932.
Cameron's summary is that it is the TEIN for a car that goes to the circuit on purpose, and Garreth's is about what happens afterwards: MONO SPORT can be overhauled, so it is a kit you keep.
This guide covers how it is built and what the ADVANCE M.S.V. valving does. After that comes every car we list it for, how each compares with its FLEX Z, and the fitting notes.
- Monotube damper: oil and gas kept completely apart
- Strut fronts use TEIN's triple-tube Upright Strong Tube
- 16 damping positions with ADVANCE M.S.V. valving
- Full-length adjustable, stroke and preload unchanged
- Every kit we list is for UK-market cars
- Can be overhauled and revalved
- TEIN UK warranty: 12 months
How MONO SPORT is built
MONO SPORT is a monotube damper, and TEIN keeps the oil chamber and the gas chamber completely separate, so the oil cannot aerate however hard the damper is worked.
On strut cars TEIN goes further with what it calls the Upright Strong Tube, a triple-tube strut body it describes as the first in mass-production shock absorbers. TEIN says the design comes from its professional motorsport work. The shell is high-strength STKM13C steel with TEIN's anti-chip coating, the knuckle brackets are ribbed for stiffness, and TEIN says the dampers are assembled in a clean room.
ADVANCE M.S.V. valving
Damping has 16 positions on one knob, compression and rebound together, as on FLEX Z. The difference is inside. TEIN’s ADVANCE Needle widens the range the knob covers, and its Micro Speed Valve keeps the damping working at very low piston speeds, where a simple valve tends to go soft. TEIN puts the result at about three times the adjustment range.
In practice that means the soft end is genuinely soft for the road and the firm end is genuinely firm for the circuit, which is the whole point of a kit TEIN pitches at winding roads, circuits and everyday driving.
Every car we list it for
All 29 kits, with TEIN’s spring rates and its reference ride height for the first car each kit fits; spring rates are in kgf/mm, front then rear; multiply by about 9.8 for N/mm.
| Car | Part number | Springs F / R | TEIN reference height | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda ACCORD CL7, Honda ACCORD CL9 | GSB48-71SS3 | 16 / 9 | -55 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Honda CIVIC EJ | GSH00-71SS1 | 16 / 9 | -30 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Honda INTEGRA DB8, Honda INTEGRA DC2, Honda CIVIC EG | GSH48-71SS1 | 16 / 9 | -30 mm front; -20 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Honda INTEGRA TYPE R DC5 | GSA02-71SS1 | 12 / 14 | -30 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,908 |
| Honda NSX NA1, Honda NSX NA2 | GSH14-71SS1 | 12 / 14 | -45 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,548 |
| Honda S2000 AP1, Honda S2000 AP2 | GSH64-71SS3 | 12 / 10 | -25 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Lexus IS200 GXE10 | GSY20-71SS3 | 12 / 10 | -35 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mazda MX-5 NA6CE, Mazda MX-5 NA8C, Mazda MX-5 NB6C | GSM40-71SS1 | 10 / 8 | -35 mm front; -40 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mazda MX-5 NCEC | GSM74-71SS3 | 8 / 6 | -35 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mazda MX-5 ND | GSMD0-71SS3 | 7 / 5 | -40 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mazda RX-7 FD3S | GSM32-71SS3 | 12 / 12 | -35 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mazda RX-8 SE3P | GSM56-71SS3 | 10 / 7 | -25 mm front; -20 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION IV CN9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION V CP9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION VI CP9A | GSR10-71SS4 | 10 / 9 | -45 mm front; -20 mm rear | £1,740 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION X CZ4A | GSE18-71SS4 | 12 / 9 | -45 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,740 |
| Nissan 200SX S15 | GSN52-71SS4 | 9 / 7 | -35 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,740 |
| Nissan 350Z Z33, Nissan 350Z ROADSTER Z33, Infiniti G35 COUPE V35 and more | GSP24-71AS3 | 12 / 10 | -10 mm front; -10 mm rear | £1,584 |
| Nissan 370Z Z34, Infiniti G37 SEDAN V36 | GSP92-71AS3 | 14 / 12 | -25 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,584 |
| Nissan GT-R R35 | GSK00-71SS3 | 16 / 9 | -20 mm front; -20 mm rear | £1,860 |
| Nissan SKYLINE BCNR33, Nissan SKYLINE BNR34 | GSN68-71SS3 | 10 / 9 | -50 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Nissan SKYLINE BNR32 | GSN14-71SS3 | 10 / 8 | -45 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Nissan SKYLINE ER34 | GSN62-71SS3 | 9 / 8 | -50 mm front; -40 mm rear | £1,500 |
| Subaru IMPREZA GDA, Subaru IMPREZA GDB | GSS28-71SS4 | 9 / 7 | -50 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,932 |
| Subaru IMPREZA GDB | GSS64-71SS4 | 9 / 7 | -40 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,932 |
| Subaru WRX STI VAF | GSSB0-71SS1 | 10 / 10 | -35 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,740 |
| Suzuki SWIFT ZC72S | GSU86-61AS2 | 8 / 5 | -35 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,620 |
| Toyota GT86 ZN#, Subaru BRZ ZC# | GSTD8-71SS4 | 8 / 9 | -25 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,740 |
| Toyota MR-S ZZW30 | GSY24-71SS4 | 4 / 6 | -35 mm front; -30 mm rear | £1,932 |
| Toyota MR2 SW20 | GST04-71SS4 | 5 / 10 | -35 mm front; -35 mm rear | £1,932 |
| Toyota SUPRA JZA80 | GST60-71SS3 | 16 / 9 | -35 mm front; -25 mm rear | £1,500 |
Live prices, inc VAT. Each listing gives the recommended and maximum height ranges for every car it covers.
Against FLEX Z, car by car
22 of these cars also have a FLEX Z kit, and on every one the MONO SPORT springs are firmer, at a typical price difference of £588.
| Car | FLEX Z springs | MONO SPORT springs | Price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda ACCORD CL7, Honda ACCORD CL9 | 12 / 7 | 16 / 9 | £576 |
| Honda NSX NA1, Honda NSX NA2 | 10 / 12 | 12 / 14 | £612 |
| Suzuki SWIFT ZC72S | 7 / 4.2 | 8 / 5 | £600 |
| Toyota GT86 ZN#, Subaru BRZ ZC# | 6 / 6 | 8 / 9 | £756 |
| Mazda MX-5 ND | 6 / 4 | 7 / 5 | £576 |
| Honda CIVIC EJ | 10 / 6 | 16 / 9 | £576 |
| Honda INTEGRA TYPE R DC5 | 8 / 10 | 12 / 14 | £696 |
| Honda S2000 AP1, Honda S2000 AP2 | 10 / 10 | 12 / 10 | £576 |
| Lexus IS200 GXE10 | 10 / 8 | 12 / 10 | £576 |
| Toyota SUPRA JZA80 | 14 / 8 | 16 / 9 | £576 |
| Mazda MX-5 NA6CE, Mazda MX-5 NA8C, Mazda MX-5 NB6C | 7 / 6 | 10 / 8 | £564 |
| Mazda MX-5 NCEC | 7 / 5 | 8 / 6 | £576 |
| Mazda RX-7 FD3S | 10 / 8 | 12 / 12 | £576 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION IV CN9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION V CP9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION VI CP9A | 8 / 7 | 10 / 9 | £768 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION X CZ4A | 9 / 8 | 12 / 9 | £768 |
| Nissan 350Z Z33, Nissan 350Z ROADSTER Z33, Infiniti G35 COUPE V35 and more | 10 / 9 | 12 / 10 | £588 |
| Nissan 370Z Z34, Infiniti G37 SEDAN V36 | 12 / 10 | 14 / 12 | £588 |
| Nissan SKYLINE BNR32 | 7 / 6 | 10 / 8 | £576 |
| Subaru IMPREZA GDA, Subaru IMPREZA GDB | 6 / 5 | 9 / 7 | £900 |
| Toyota MR2 SW20 | 4 / 8 | 5 / 10 | £852 |
| Toyota MR-S ZZW30 | 3 / 5 | 4 / 6 | £876 |
| Honda INTEGRA DB8, Honda INTEGRA DC2, Honda CIVIC EG | 10 / 7 | 16 / 9 | £564 |
Springs in kgf/mm, front / rear. The TEIN guide links both part numbers for each car.
Garreth’s view is that the damper matters more than the springs. The monotube and the wider valving are what let MONO SPORT stay composed on a circuit and still ride a B-road, and a kit that can be overhauled is worth more to someone who keeps a car for years. Cameron’s check is simpler: if the car never goes on track, the FLEX Z is the one to buy.
Fitting notes on our MONO SPORT listings
- Interior trim. 3 kits may need rear trim cut or removed for clearance
- Rear spring seat. 1 kits ask you to keep the rear spring seat at 160mm or more to avoid tyre contact, and to check ABS wiring at full compression
- Camber. On some cars the front camber may need adjusting to clear the suspension arm; on others the original camber bolts cannot be reused
- Left hand threads. Two kits have a left hand thread on the front left spring seat and lock
- Model specific. Individual listings note things like REAS dampers, Super HICAS or a build date and PCD cut off
EDFC
TEIN's EDFC controller works with MONO SPORT on most cars, sold separately. One or two kits need the damper removing to adjust by hand, and TEIN recommends EDFC there.
Setting the height
Start at TEIN's reference height, adjust in 5mm steps, and keep the front and rear balance close to standard. Align the car afterwards.
Overhaul
TEIN suggests about once a year for sports driving and every two to three years on the road. MONO SPORT can be overhauled and revalved.
Common questions
Can MONO SPORT be used every day?
Yes, TEIN designed it for everyday driving as well as winding roads and circuits, and the wider valving range gives it a genuinely soft end.
Is MONO SPORT a race coilover?
It is TEIN’s sport range, and for regular track use TEIN has MONO RACING above it; ask us if that is what your car needs.
Can I use it on an imported car?
Every MONO SPORT kit we list is for UK-market cars, so for an import, send us the chassis code and build date and we will check.
Can it be rebuilt?
Yes, it can be overhauled and revalved, where the FLEX Z is sealed.
What does the TEIN reference height mean?
It is the setting TEIN uses as its reference for that car, a sensible starting point inside the recommended range on the listing.
Who it suits
A UK Japanese performance car that does trackdays and still has to get home is the MONO SPORT customer, and Cameron would fit MONO SPORT to any car on this list that sees a circuit more than a couple of times a year.
Garreth would add the owner planning to keep the car, because a damper that can be overhauled, on a kit written for the UK version of the car, is exactly what you want under something like an R32 or an NSX.
For a car that goes further than that, the AST 5100 Clubracing and the MOTON Clubracer are the next step. Send us the registration and we will find your part number.
Manufacturer reference: TEIN UK MONO SPORT. Shop the TEIN MONO SPORT range.
The rest of the TEIN series: TEIN at GSM Performance, TEIN FLEX Z explained.
Send us the part number and registration. We will go through the fitting notes for your car, and the EDFC question, before you order.
Send the registration and tell us how much track time the car sees. We will check the application and fitting notes, and tell you honestly whether MONO SPORT earns its money over FLEX Z on your car.
