Well, I too have the TEIN Flex, and I happen to love them. I did not spend the money on the EDFC, since I find it very easy to adjust them without it. I was at Road Atlanta this past weekend, and making adjustments to the shocks made big differences out on the track. My first session was done at full soft, just to get a feel, and a baseline. After each session on the first day, I would firm up the shocks, and ended up at about 15 clicks up, out of a possible 29. This made an enormous difference, one that was felt by even my instructor sitting in the right seat. For Road Atlanta, entering the famed esses, at full soft and even at up to 8 clicks up, the car felt a little light, as if it was floating around the apex. As I firmed the shocks, the car was more planted in that one corner, and felt like it put it’s weight on the outside rear tier better. I did this track last year in my car when it was on a completely stock suspension and I can say that I was faster this year, not only because of my skills developing, but also because the car felt better due to the suspension. The body roll is gone, and that promotes a higher comfort level, and IMO, the car communicates better now as to what is going on with the track surface and the attitude of the car

So, chalk me up as another proud owner of the “cheap” coilovers.

 

No one has every said word one about shock life, I for one don't car beacuse I am sure I will only have our RX8 for a few years. I can tell you my first set of Koni was a set I bought used for my Corvette, six years old when I got them, and they were 10 years old still going strong when I went to Penske.
I am sure the Tokico will last a long time. However when it comes to performance the Tokico will not stand up to a off the shelf koni much less a custom valved unit. You will find that out soon enough.

 

Hah. You may be right. However, if you and Joe school me at the NT it won't be because of my shocks - it's becuase you guys have been competing at the national level longer and are simply better drivers. You and I both know the driver is the biggest factor. But if you beat me by .2 seconds or so, well, then I'll be wondering about my shock choice.

But yeah, I suspect there will be more cars at nats this year with custom valved dampers, and, if they are done right, I conceed that puts me a more significant disadvantage.

I've never said the Tokicos are on the level of Koni 28s, or revalved Yellows. As you say for autocross, they probably are a little slower than OTS Yellows, at least in the hands of a talented driver. I just have a problem with equating that to "quality" or "cheapness." Konis, even OTS yellows, have a unique damping curve that makes them well suited for autocross. Just because Tokico (or Tein, or JIC, etc) didn't ape that curve, or because they use a different valving strategy, doesn't make them cheap. It just makes them different, with different intended targets.

What I like about the D-Specs for the street is their ability to filter out all the high-frequence vibrations, regardless of damper setting. When I talked to a KW sales guy a few years ago about a Miata application he described this exact behavior, claiming that it was due to KWs advanced valving technology, further claiming that only a few other manufacturuers could do this, like Penske. I firmly believe the mainstream shock manufacturers are learning how to do this, although I make no claim that they are doing it at the same performance level of a KW or Penske.

 

In stock class even the OE stuff would not keep you out of the trophys if you can drive it. As you said, if you get close with the D spec we will all be wondering.

 

just talked to a tech @ SR and he said that the MS coilover kit is single adjustable not double. he said the original kit he saw MS produce in irvine was double adjustable (prototype?), but that they in fact sell single adjustable now.

in other news, the MS LSD SR sells is a clutch-type.

 

that's not the same ones as in the MS catalog though

 

i know, the tech was confused by that too. SR's product description appears to be incorrect. someone else can call SR and confirm my findings, but afaict, SR sells the MS single-adjustables.

 

they sell something, the person I spoke with there previously didn't seem to be all that well informed with the details of what their products, he's just an order-taker are far as I could tell ... turned me right off especially given their prices, never bothered to call back ...

just to contrast that, I can call up SpeedSource and Sylvain Tremblay will get on the phone and answer any question I ask

 

Somehow you guys are talking up the Koni's??? Are we talking about the same coilover with height adjustments and 3 damper settings (?or 9). Well, if it were the same, then the Koni is half the price as the Tein Flex I get it here.

I got it from Hong Kong and yes it is not as expensive as HKS but not by much. HK$2000-3000 max.