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TEIN Suspension At GSM Performance: FLEX Z And MONO SPORT Explained
New at GSM Performance
TEIN has just landed on the site, 160 kits in two ranges, and it fills a gap we have had for a while. Our other new coilovers, AST and MOTON, start where plenty of road cars stop. TEIN's FLEX Z starts at £888.
Garreth's first association with TEIN is Japanese performance cars, and the list bears that out: Skylines, Supras, Civics and Evos. Cameron went straight to the listings and came back with the detail that makes them different from anything else we sell. Every TEIN kit tells you the spring rates, the ride height TEIN recommends for that exact car, and whether the kit is for the UK version of the car or a Japanese import.
This guide covers who TEIN are, what separates FLEX Z from MONO SPORT, the 22 cars that can have either, and what to check before you order.
- TEIN was established in Yokohama in 1985 and made its first own-brand damper in 1990
- FLEX Z: twin-tube, sealed, made in Yokohama, from £888
- MONO SPORT: monotube, can be overhauled, from £1,500
- Both are full-length adjustable with 16 damping positions
- Every listing gives spring rates and TEIN's recommended ride height
- 40 FLEX Z kits are for Japanese-market cars only
- TEIN's UK warranty is 12 months from purchase
Who TEIN are
TEIN was established in Yokohama in February 1985. It started making shock absorbers for car manufacturers the following year, put out its first damper under its own name in 1990, and had every part of the business certified to ISO9001 by 2002. TEIN UK opened in 2003.
The head office and main factory are still in Yokohama, and TEIN states that FLEX Z is made there. It has also run a factory in Jiangsu, China since 2013. The green is not decoration: TEIN powder coats mounts and brackets in a two layer process it holds a Japanese patent for, and coats the damper shells against chips and rust.
FLEX Z and MONO SPORT side by side
| FLEX Z | MONO SPORT | |
|---|---|---|
| Damper | Twin-tube, sealed | Monotube |
| Damping adjustment | 16 positions, compression and rebound together | 16 positions, with TEIN's ADVANCE M.S.V. valving |
| Ride height | Full-length adjustable | Full-length adjustable |
| TEIN's positioning | Street | Sport: winding roads and circuit |
| Servicing | Replacement service, not overhauled | Can be overhauled |
| Kits on our site | 131 | 29 |
| Price | £888 to £1,332 | £1,500 to £1,932 |
From TEIN's own product pages. Prices are today's, inc VAT.
Full-length adjustable is the detail worth understanding on both. The ride height is set by the length of the damper body, so the stroke and the spring preload stay the same whatever height you choose. TEIN makes the point that the ride changes very little as a result.
The single damping knob moves compression and rebound together on both ranges, one scale from soft to firm, which is exactly what most road drivers want and all they will ever use.
The same car on either range
FLEX Z and MONO SPORT part numbers share an application code, so the two kits for the same car are easy to line up. 22 cars have both. On every one of them the MONO SPORT runs firmer springs, and the typical difference in price is £588.
| Car | FLEX Z | Price | MONO SPORT | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda ACCORD CL7, Honda ACCORD CL9 | VSB48-C1SA3 | £924 | GSB48-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Honda NSX NA1, Honda NSX NA2 | VSH14-C1SA3 | £936 | GSH14-71SS1 | £1,548 |
| Suzuki SWIFT ZC72S | VSU86-C1AA2 | £1,020 | GSU86-61AS2 | £1,620 |
| Toyota GT86 ZN#, Subaru BRZ ZC# | VSTD8-C1SA4 | £984 | GSTD8-71SS4 | £1,740 |
| Mazda MX-5 ND | VSMD0-CUSA3 | £924 | GSMD0-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Honda CIVIC EJ | VSH00-C1SA3 | £924 | GSH00-71SS1 | £1,500 |
| Honda INTEGRA TYPE R DC5 | VSA02-C1SA1 | £1,212 | GSA02-71SS1 | £1,908 |
| Honda S2000 AP1, Honda S2000 AP2 | VSH64-C1SA3 | £924 | GSH64-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Lexus IS200 GXE10 | VSY20-C1SA3 | £924 | GSY20-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Toyota SUPRA JZA80 | VST60-C1SA3 | £924 | GST60-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Mazda MX-5 NA6CE, Mazda MX-5 NA8C, Mazda MX-5 NB6C | VSM40-C1SA1 | £936 | GSM40-71SS1 | £1,500 |
| Mazda MX-5 NCEC | VSM74-C1SA3 | £924 | GSM74-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Mazda RX-7 FD3S | VSM32-C1SA3 | £924 | GSM32-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION IV CN9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION V CP9A, Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION VI CP9A | VSR10-C1SA4 | £972 | GSR10-71SS4 | £1,740 |
| Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION X CZ4A | VSE18-C1SA4 | £972 | GSE18-71SS4 | £1,740 |
| Nissan 350Z Z33, Nissan 350Z ROADSTER Z33, Infiniti G35 COUPE V35 and more | VSP24-C1AA3 | £996 | GSP24-71AS3 | £1,584 |
| Nissan 370Z Z34, Infiniti G37 SEDAN V36 | VSP92-C1AA3 | £996 | GSP92-71AS3 | £1,584 |
| Nissan SKYLINE BNR32 | VSN14-C1SA3 | £924 | GSN14-71SS3 | £1,500 |
| Subaru IMPREZA GDA, Subaru IMPREZA GDB | VSS28-C1SA4 | £1,032 | GSS28-71SS4 | £1,932 |
| Toyota MR2 SW20 | VST04-C1SA4 | £1,080 | GST04-71SS4 | £1,932 |
| Toyota MR-S ZZW30 | VSY24-C1SA4 | £1,056 | GSY24-71SS4 | £1,932 |
| Honda INTEGRA DB8, Honda INTEGRA DC2, Honda CIVIC EG | VSH48-CUSA1 | £936 | GSH48-71SS1 | £1,500 |
Live prices, inc VAT. Both part numbers link to the listing, with the full application and spring details.
Cameron reads it as a choice about use. A car that lives on the road and sees the odd trackday is a FLEX Z car. A car that goes to the circuit on purpose, or runs on sticky tyres, is where MONO SPORT’s firmer springs and monotube damper earn the difference. Garreth adds one practical point: MONO SPORT can be rebuilt, FLEX Z cannot, which matters if you keep cars for a long time.
Reading the numbers on a TEIN listing
Every TEIN listing gives four sets of figures for each car, and they mean different things.
- Recommended height change. The range TEIN recommends for that car, measured from standard. Negative means lower
- Maximum adjustable range. How far the kit will physically go. It is travel, not a setting to aim for
- TEIN reference setting. The height TEIN sets up as its reference for the car, a sensible first setting
- Spring rates. In kgf/mm. Multiply by about 9.8 for N/mm, or 56 for lb/in
UK car or Japanese import
This is the check that matters most with TEIN. Every MONO SPORT kit we list is for UK-market cars. FLEX Z is broader: 40 kits are for Japanese-market cars only, others list Japanese, US or other-market versions, and the listing says which.
A UK registration does not tell you which version a car is. The GR Yaris is a good example: TEIN lists one FLEX Z kit for the VSTN0-C1AA3 up to March 2024 and a separate, Japanese-market kit, VSBLV-C1AA3, for cars from April 2024. If your car is an import, tell us before you order and we will match it on chassis, engine and build date.
EDFC, servicing and warranty
EDFC is TEIN’s Electronic Damping Force Controller: a small motor on each damper, driven from a controller on the dash, so the damping can be changed from the driver’s seat. The current EDFC5 works with both ranges on most cars and is sold separately. On some cars TEIN recommends it outright, because reaching the adjuster means taking out the rear seats or removing the damper, and our listings say so where it applies.
TEIN UK’s warranty is 12 months from purchase. It suggests an overhaul every two to three years on a road car, or roughly every year for sports driving. MONO SPORT is overhauled; FLEX Z is sealed, so TEIN replaces the damper unit instead.
Common questions
Is TEIN made in Japan?
TEIN states that FLEX Z is made at its Yokohama plant, but we have not found a statement for MONO SPORT, and TEIN also has a factory in China, so we do not claim one.
Are TEIN coilovers comfortable on the road?
FLEX Z is TEIN’s street range, and TEIN says its twin-tube design gives a longer stroke and a comfortable ride. Stay inside the recommended ride height and start soft on the damping.
What does 16 levels of damping mean?
One knob with 16 positions, moving compression and rebound together from soft to firm.
Do I need EDFC?
Not usually, though it is worth it where the adjuster is hard to reach, and on those cars our listing says TEIN recommends it.
Which is better, FLEX Z or MONO SPORT?
Neither for every car. FLEX Z for a road car, MONO SPORT for a car that sees a circuit. The table above shows both for the 22 cars that can have either.
Where we would start
For most road cars Garreth would start with FLEX Z and leave it there, because it is the most affordable adjustable coilover in our new ranges, it comes with TEIN’s own heights for your car, and it is made in Yokohama.
Cameron’s exception is the car that goes on track on purpose: that car wants MONO SPORT, and if it is heading for serious circuit work, it is ready for something like the AST 5100 Clubracing or the MOTON Clubracer instead.
FLEX Z and MONO SPORT each get their own guide next. Send us the registration, and tell us if the car is an import, and we will find your part number.
Manufacturer reference: TEIN UK coilover range. Shop the range: TEIN FLEX Z and TEIN MONO SPORT.
Send us the chassis number and build date. We will check the market version against the TEIN application before anything is ordered.
Send the registration or VIN and tell us whether the car is a UK car or an import. We will match it to the right TEIN part number, check the market and any fitting notes, and talk ride height with you before anything is ordered.
