Looking to expand their suspension empire, Tein has released the new ENDURA line of shock absorbers. These shocks use OEM configurations but feature improvements making them a no brainer when replacing factory shocks/when you're looking for an upgrade without complications.
We were so impressed with the stats that we decided to bring in a set for the Honda CR-Z to put through the wringer!
So what are some of the benefits of these ENDURA Shocks? Glad you asked, here is an overview from Tein:
- They are designed around OEM components. These struts are the same length (both shock absorber body and stroke length) as their OEM counter parts, but Tein uses a larger diameter body (increased oil capacity and larger piston valve) similar to their coilovers. In fact these use the same raw materials and manufacturing plant as their coilovers.
- To reduce customer costs, Tein decided to use the OEM shaped spring seat allowing these struts to use factory springs. Of course you can upgrade to Tein lowering springs but if you are cost cutting then you can reuse OEM springs since springs are more or less good for the life of the car, unless you experience a lot of rust.
- In order to improve performance, the Tein ENDURA Shocks use a 22mm Outer Diameter piston rods. OEM shocks typically uses 20mm or less. For Multilink Shocks designs Tein uses use 12.5mm OD piston rods which is also an upgrade. For this reason, Tein shock absorbers will include new dust boot, bump stops, and upper hardware since the factory ones would not work.
- If you use daily drive on your car and tend to stuff the car with groceries or people then you notice a loss in ride quality. To combat this Tein incorporated an Internal Hydraulic Bump Stopper to helps reduce poor ride quality under full load or full compression. This greatly reduces suspension oscillation and improves rebound response to maintain good vehicle control.
- It's not all comfort, the dampening setting are slightly more aggressive than OEM for better performance especially when paired with performance springs.
- Reinforced mounting points for added durability, you can see that the Mounts for McPherson Struts are twice as thick as that on standard shocks.
- The ENDURA PRO PLUS versions are 16-click dampening adjustable allowing you to enjoy a range of setting from strictly comfort to 100% performance. Certain kits are also EDFC compatible, meaning you can adjust the dampening from inside the car!
So what can you expect? Each Tein ENDURA PRO shock is shipped individually, so you can theoretically upgrade 1 corner at a time. The shock comes compressed to reduce shipping dimensions. It is carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and the box is heavily reinforced with a lot of cardboard. Each shock also includes instructions and a Tein decal!
Special Thanks to Tein USA for getting these out to us ASAP to test!