I just got an rx8 a couple months ago (and love it) and I just ordered these 2 things...

http://www.highperformanceoutlet.com/servlet/the-96/Tein-S.Tech-Lowering-Springs/Detail

http://www.evo-r.net/product/RX-8/KS_Lip/index.htm

I was wondering how low the front end is going to be? Am I going to have to avoid speed bumps so that the lip doesn't get ripped off? Will it be legal? Thanks.

oh god. You really took a gamble on those springs... Go to TEIN's website and read about the counterfeit teins that are being distributed. You were 100% better off spending a few extras bucks to be sure you were getting the real thing....


If you get real teins and that lip you will be fine, just have to be careful around bigger speedbumps. If it looks like too much, just avoid it. Legality depends on state, they are all differrent.

I actually looked deeper into this. If you have not received those springs cancel your order. That website is not an authorized Tein dealer. They also ONLY sell tein S-techs. The ONLY counterfeiting going on is of the S-techs. PM Charles R. Hill about getting a real set at a good price.

http://www.tein.com/counterfeit/index.html

I just got an rx8 a couple months ago (and love it) and I just ordered these 2 things...

http://www.highperformanceoutlet.com/servlet/the-96/Tein-S.Tech-Lowering-Springs/Detail

http://www.evo-r.net/product/RX-8/KS_Lip/index.htm

I was wondering how low the front end is going to be? Am I going to have to avoid speed bumps so that the lip doesn't get ripped off? Will it be legal? Thanks.

Depends on what you are willing to put up with. Just be careful how far you pull into parking spaces and don't go over any speedbumps. Also it gets lower when more people get in your car.

You aren't too low until you are knocking the reflectors off of the road!

oh god. You really took a gamble on those springs... Go to TEIN's website and read about the counterfeit teins that are being distributed. You were 100% better off spending a few extras bucks to be sure you were getting the real thing....


If you get real teins and that lip you will be fine, just have to be careful around bigger speedbumps. If it looks like too much, just avoid it. Legality depends on state, they are all differrent.

Oh damn, I didn't realize there was any risk I was just looking for the best price.. I'm kind of a noob. Never been into moding before and hadn't planned on doing anything with the rx8. I just wanted black rims at first and then one thing led to another and now I'm fighting the urge to drop tons of money on all kinds of crap lol.

So you think all this is just bs to try and rip people off?

"This auction is for a set of 100% GENUINE and BRAND NEW Tein S.Tech Lowering Springs!

Brand New, Un-Opened and in Original Packaging!! TEIN S-TECH Springs are an excellent way to lower your ride height for a more aggressive appearance and stiffen up your suspension for improved handling. They come with a 1 year limited warranty and the spring length is guaranteed not to sag more than 5mm and to be clear of any manufacture defects."

If they were a real authorized dealer I wouldn't think twice of it. But the only time counterfeit springs are going around are on auctions by non-tein-authorized dealers. If I was you, there is NO way I would install those on my car. It's not worth the risk. They will look just like the Teins to the untrained eye, but there are ways to tell. Also, their pictures are not of actual product you are receiving, so there is no telling if it is legit or not. That price is definitely too low for a legit set of S-techs.

I actually looked deeper into this. If you have not received those springs cancel your order. That website is not an authorized Tein dealer. They also ONLY sell tein S-techs. The ONLY counterfeiting going on is of the S-techs. PM Charles R. Hill about getting a real set at a good price.

http://www.tein.com/counterfeit/index.html

I just placed the order last night, how do I go about canceling it? I'd much rather pay an extra few bucks for peace of mind.

yeah man... Just call them directly. Typically places like that don't ship for a few days anyways. Tell them you opted for a different suspension set up if they ask.

I just placed the order last night, how do I go about canceling it? I'd much rather pay an extra few bucks for peace of mind.

Easiest way is call your card company and place a hold on the transaction before it goes through, then call the place and tell them you want to cancel.

PS. research = good. Your car is the thing that is going to be carrying you at 80mph down the road, on stuff like brakes and suspension. You "really" want to be sure that you are getting the best quality, and whoever is working on your car knows what they are doing...

Nobody wants a wheel coming off, or an unable to brake disaster.

I just looked up the VA law... I'm confused. This is what it says:

"Alteration of suspension system; bumper height limits; raising body above frame rail. -- No person shall drive on a public highway any motor vehicle registered as a passenger motor vehicle if it has been modified by alteration of its altitude from the ground to the extent that its bumpers, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, are not within the range of fourteen inches to twenty-two inches above the ground."

It's only like 8 or 9in off the ground stock.. am I missing something?

bumper bar is the bar behind your front bumper. Should be about an inch below the top of your front liscense plate in that picture.


Its the black bar in the very front:


http://lh6.google.com/vdarevsk/RxI58MfPHRI/AAAAAAAABf8/BO6fyuaffbU/disney%20006.jpg?imgmax=800

Ok i was just going by the lowest point on the front of the car... like I said I'm a complete noob I have a lot of learning to do. I've had 2 trucks and a mustang but never felt the urge to get into mods until now. For some reason the rx8 is having that affect on me. At first I thought it was fine just the way it was... then I started thinking "but wouldn't it be sick if it just had this... and then if I just did this.." and it just snowballed from there and now I want it all lol. Luckily I've got some friends that really know what their doing. The guy whos mainly walking me through everything had a TC that he did a ton of stuff to, check it out it's pretty sweet: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/774075 (and yes I agree he does look like a fag in the pics :) )

Anyway... You guys have got me really suspicious of that site is there any way I can find out where they are based out of? If they're in the U.S. I would trust it a lot more because it would be hard for them to say that stuff about 100% genuine parts and garuntees and warranties and not get into legal trouble. If the site is based out of like the caribean or something then they could say pretty much anything and noone could do much about it.

Don't let this guy scare you off of those springs from ebay. Plenty of us have bought these springs from ebay and they are perfectly legitimate. There's not a high demand for RX8 springs so the chance of someone taking the time to counterfeit these is pretty low. Actually, I haven't even heard of anyone confirming that they've seen counterfeit ones for the 8. I would expect them to be more prevalent in the honda/acura market.

Anyway, this guy has over 800 feedbacks with 99.9% positive.

Don't let this guy scare you off of those springs from ebay. Plenty of us have bought these springs from ebay and they are perfectly legitimate. There's not a high demand for RX8 springs so the chance of someone taking the time to counterfeit these is pretty low. Actually, I haven't even heard of anyone confirming that they've seen counterfeit ones for the 8. I would expect them to be more prevalent in the honda/acura market.

Anyway, this guy has over 800 feedbacks with 99.9% positive.

Why do people keep bringing up ebay? Isn't that link to a regular online store? Where'd you see his ebay feedback? Am I missing something again? lol

Why do people keep bringing up ebay? Isn't that link to a regular online store? Where'd you see his ebay feedback? Am I missing something again? lol

That link is to his website, but you can see that it's copied from an ebay auction. He sells all of his stuff on ebay too so you can look up the company's name. That's his username. He seems to be a legit seller so that's just me. As a general rule, I try not to give into fear spread on the internet. I prefer to do my own research.

That link is to his website, but you can see that it's copied from an ebay auction. He sells all of his stuff on ebay too so you can look up the company's name. That's his username. He seems to be a legit seller so that's just me. As a general rule, I try not to give into fear spread on the internet. I prefer to do my own research.

If I wasn't easily persuaded I wouldn't have an rx8 to begin with ;)

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=127457&highlight=evo+r


I'm not sure if dealing with evo-r is such a good thing. Check out the above...there are many on this forum that have had problems with them.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=127457&highlight=evo+r


I'm not sure if dealing with evo-r is such a good thing. Check out the above...there are many on this forum that have had problems with them.

I've actualy already seen that thread through searching. If I have problems it looks like all you have to do is come on here and make a thread complaining about their service and they will respond pretty quickly lol

in regards to evo-, i ordered a pair of their fender vents and got them in a week from japan and the communication was excellent!

That link is to his website, but you can see that it's copied from an ebay auction. He sells all of his stuff on ebay too so you can look up the company's name. That's his username. He seems to be a legit seller so that's just me. As a general rule, I try not to give into fear spread on the internet. I prefer to do my own research.

Really? Is that why they aren't on record as a Tein authorized dealer? Is that why the only Tein products he sells are the ones in question? Is that why Tein is in the middle of taking legal action against people making ONLY fake S-techs?

I'm trying to help another forum member, I HAVE done my research and no offense if you are a big enough jack-ass to spend 30k on a car then cheap out 40-50 bucks on a set of lowering springs you have no business owning this car to begin with. Honda-tech awaits people like you.

if it doesnt scrape its not low enough!!!!:lol:

If there is a chance that you might get fake stuff. it is the BEST to deal with Authorize dealer. Especially with the S-techs, there are MAD fake S-techs out there. even the Rx-8 one. The worst is that it might just break out of nowhere and cause you an accident, or even death, Hey, it can happen !

and 100 something bux is too cheap for it

Avoid it, Get it from real source.

*Sigh*... I'll have to take a 15-20% hit on canceling the order or returning them.. and then pay more to get them from the manufacturer... but I'd rather be out 1 or 2 hundred bucks than have to drive around every day thinking "Are those springs going to hold up? Was it a good idea to cut corners on something like this?"

Weak... :(

I wasn't referring to you in my other post. You are new to this whole thing, so I can understand. It's better to learn this way than to learn by having your suspension fail when you're driving. Don't sweat it too much, and just really search around before buying from now on.

Just got the Tein springs in, they appear to be authentic. I compared the ones I have to the link posted of the comparison between the conterfeit and authentic and these checked out. Also they were shipped from Michigan so I doubt they would have all the stuff about 100% genuine and garuntees and warranty on their site if it weren't true. I could easily take legal action sense the company is within the U.S. and only a few states away. If I can confirm that it won't void the warranty I'm going to go ahead and put them on.

take pictures....i would be willing to bet that some people can point out quite a few differences between real and fake.....

I'm going by this..

http://www.tein.com/counterfeit/index.html

I checked each point they have listed and all of them match the authentic pictures. I think I got the real thing, but I'll post pictures when I get a chance so that you guys can look for yourselves.

Off topic but I was just looking over the warranty papers they gave me and also called the dealership and asked two people if aftermarket lowering springs would void the warranty and have yet to get a straight answer. The first guy I talked to said he couldn't tell me and transfered me to the service department, then that guy said it might be fine, it might just void the warranty on the suspension, or might void the whole thing. Also I don't think the warranty is through mazda, the factory warranty expired and I got an extended one. It looks like it's through a company called Carefree Car Protection. Anyone have any info on this?

The Magnuson-Moss Act
Protecting tweakers, tuners, and other users of aftermarket equipment.



FANNING FEARS


You want to upgrade your vehicle with aftermarket equipment, but you’re worried about putting the vehicle’s warranty at risk. It’s no wonder. How many times have you heard somene of a dealership say that installing aftermarket equipment automatically voids the warranty? This common misconception has been repeated often enough to be widely believed – though it is completely false.


Fact: Dealers don’t like warranty work, because it pays less than normal repair work. By promoting the myth that aftermarket equipment automatically voids warranties, some dealers avoid such low-paying work. Instead, they attempt to charge customers the prime service rate for work which is rightfully done under warranty.




THE TRUTH


Most vehicle owners are not aware they are protected by federal law: the Magnuson-Moss Warranty – Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act of 1975. Under the Magnuson-Moss Act, aftermarket equipment which improves performance does not void a vehicle manufacturer’s original warranty, unless the warranty clearly and conspicuously states that aftermarket equipment voids the warranty. Most states have warranty statutes, as well. Which provide further protections for vehicle owners.


In other words, that means a dealer can’t wiggle out of his legal warranty obligation merely because you install aftermarket equipment. To find out if any aftermarket equipment automatically voids your vehicle’s warranty, check the owner’s manual. It is likely the language you are looking for appears under a heading such as “What Is Not Covered” Although the language seems negative, remember your vehicle manufacturer is simply saying he does not cover the aftermarket products themselves. He is not saying that the products would void the vehicle warranty.


VEHICLE DEALERS OBLIGATIONS

Suppose your modified vehicle needs repairs while still under warranty. Without analyzing the true cause of the problem, the dealer attempts to deny warranty coverage. He made his decision simply based on the fact that you’ve installed aftermarket equipment – a convenient way to dodge low-paying warranty work.


An example of how ridiculous this can get is the man who was denied warranty coverage by a dealer on his power door locks, because he had improved his exhaust system! Sounds nuts? It really happened – because that man did not know his rights and challenge the dealer’s decision.


Fact: A dealer must prove – not just say – that aftermarket equipment caused the need for repairs before he can deny warranty coverage on that basis.


YOUR RIGHTS


Point out to the dealer the provision of the Magnuson-Moss Act- Require that he explain to you how the aftermarket equipment caused the problem. If he can’t – or his explanation sounds questionable – it is your legal right to demand he comply with the warranty.


Fact: If you are still being unfairly denied warranty coverage, there is recourse. The Federal Trade Commission, which administers the Magnuson-Moss Act, monitors compliance with warranty issues. Direct complaints to the FCT at (202) 326-3128.


DODGE MOTORS

“Certain changes that you might make to your truck do not, by themselves, void the warranties described in this booklet. Examples of some of these changes are: installing non-Chrysler parts, components, or equipment.” – 1997 Warranty Information supplement to Dodge


Owner’s Manual:

GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

“If a Chevrolet part fails due to a defect in material or workmanship not related to (on aftermarket products) or the labor to install it. Chevrolet would be responsible for covering the failed part.” – Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center


FORD MOTOR COMPANY:

“Installation of a non-genuine Ford item does not, in and of itself, render warranty void.” – Ford Owner Relations Division

FEDERAL LAW


In order to improve the adequacy of information available to consumers, prevent deception, and improve competition in the marketing of consumer products, any warrantor warranting a consumer product to a consumer by means of a written warranty shall. . .fully and conspicuously disclose in simple and readily understood language the terms and conditions of such warranty. Such rules . . . require inclusion in the written warranty of any . . . exceptions and exclusions from the terms of the warranty.’ – Magnuson-Moss Warranty & Federal Trade Commission improvement Act. Section 2302(a)

"...vehicle manufacturer’s original warranty..."

I would be careful on this one. But then again, they are just springs, if you have any engine trouble or something like that you can always remove them before taking it in.

Yeah I've read that law on here already, but like above poster pointed out it's not the "vehicle manufacturer's original warranty" so that law may not apply.

if you change the suspension you void the warantee on certain parts.....like springs, shocks, etc......but those are considered wear able items any way so no worries.....but they cant say if you drop it and get a CEL that you are not under warantee cuz of springs......or if your window motor breaks.....get it?....the aftermarket part has to be proven ot be the direct cause of malfunction

if you change the suspension you void the warantee on certain parts.....like springs, shocks, etc......but those are considered wear able items any way so no worries.....but they cant say if you drop it and get a CEL that you are not under warantee cuz of springs......or if your window motor breaks.....get it?....the aftermarket part has to be proven ot be the direct cause of malfunction

I just found the number on my warranty information for the company. It's actualy called Fidelity Warranty Services Inc. I called and asked them and the conversation went something like this...

Me: I was just wondering if putting after market lowering springs on my car would have any affect on the warranty.

Her: If you did that it would void the warranty on the suspension and steering.

Me: ok

Her: And also the transmission...

Me: Ok... what about the engine?

Her: Well sense there is a chance that modifying the suspension could have an affect on the engine that would be void too.

Me: Ok... so basicaly the entire warranty would be void

Her: Well... everything but eletrical.

Me: Uh... ok... thanks...

Not what I was hoping to hear. Also doesn't make any damn sense as far as I can tell. How is lowering the car going to potentialy damage the engine or transmission?

I think I'm just going to say F it and do it anyway... how would they even know about it anyway? If I take it to a dealership are they really going to go out of their way to tell the warranty company about my springs? Wouldn't that just cost them business by preventing them from doing the repairs?