After waiting a month, I finally got a shiny pair of these:


I kinda bought them blindly, Tein really has no good pictures or descriptions of them, I was kinda going off what the dealer could get me on them. So I figured what the hell, for $202 I'll buy them, they're about 1/2 the price of any of the others. 5 weeks later, they're in my hands, they look all shiny but I'm trying to figure out what probably needs to be modified on them. I don't have a set of Teins here, but I will have a set of Konis to put them on. I need a couple answers first, some from people who have an RSX, some from people who have Tein coilovers.
What is the diameter of the strut piston on the stock DC5 struts? and what is the diameter of the nut that holds the top hat on?
I assume the Tein SS for RSX and the Tein SS w/ Pillowballs are the same kit, just one has these pillowball mounts. So, if anyone has ever upgraded a regular kit, or has had to assemble them.... the nut that goes into the top of the pillowball has a lip on it, the lip goes about 1/4 the way into the bore in the ball, then there's a spacer for the spring seat that goes underneath, its ID is the same as the ID of the ball. Is the Tein piston stepped? and if it is, what is the diameter of it below the threads? I don't have any precise way of measuring the threads inside the nut at the moment, but it appears they're a little over 1/2 an inch (guessing 14mm). The outside of the nut is about 20 or 21mm. I just can't see this little 1/4" lip being all that holds the strut in the pillowball and not expect something bad to happen, so I'm just wondering what fills up the rest of the space in the bore of the pillowball.
My guess right now is that I need to make a bushing that goes in, since the konis aren't stepped. The other thing I have to figure out is what the difference is between the RSX stock dimensions and the dimensions of my car (EM2) so that I can get them to fit on.
I'm used to this kind of crap, no one makes a damn thing in the way of race-type alignment parts for my car, so all I ever do is figure out what I can pull off an Si or RSX and stuff in there. My car is a hodgepodge of parts.
Thanks for anyone's help.

 

I don't get it, do they not fit whatever coilovers you have? Those look almost exactly like my KW camber plates and it looks like you have all the parts you need... the damper should go through that bearing and not sure how you are going to get your springs to fit that set of camber plates, but mine came with some upper spring perches which turned...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ocelaris &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't get it, do they not fit whatever coilovers you have? Those look almost exactly like my KW camber plates and it looks like you have all the parts you need... the damper should go through that bearing and not sure how you are going to get your springs to fit that set of camber plates, but mine came with some upper spring perches which turned... </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm trying to piece a setup together. The problem right now is that the nut that holds it all together on top is a 14mm nut, the piston is 12, so is the RSX piston. I'm trying to find a smaller nut at the moment, and I'm learning bits and pieces as I go. Apparently the RSX SS kit and the SS kit with pillowballs are COMPLETELY different and not just the same kit with different top mounts. The whole kit is different.
Konis
Custom rate Ground Controls
Tein Camber Plates
I think I need to find a new upper mount for the springs, I don't think the GC ones are gonna do the trick (they're little cone shaped hats). I haven't put them together yet, but I'm pretty sure I need to find something different. I need an upper seat with a bearing in it. I'll keep working on it.... I can always sleeve the bore of the pillowball smaller and use a flanged nut on top of it.
I'm kinda working off the way my JICs work now, and I don't remember the upper spring seat rotating... just the pillowball turns if you twist the top mount.

 

uhhh yeh the way my tens are setup (type flex) they use that pillow ball mount and theres an upper and lower retainer for the spring then the pillow mount is above the upper retainer...if u can see in the pic i have of the front the silver ring up top is the retainer...then above that is the pillow mount

 

Yeah, thats what I'm going to end up with when all is said and done. When you put them in, you didn't happen to notice an extra bearing in the upper seat did you? I've looked at their parts lists and they make no mention... I'm running under the impression that the pillowball serves as your steering bearing.

 

the pillow does serve as the steering bearing as far as i know....i can look at anything u need this weekend if u want...these goin on ur coupe? right i think ur from 7thgen as well right?

 

Yeah, I'm on 7th gen, yes they're going in a coupe, but all dimensions are the same as the EP3 and RSX. I'll go look at my JICs again, but I'm pretty sure that I can use any upper seat with the pillowball as long as I put the spacer in there so the spring seat clears the moving parts. Shouldn't be a problem, I just need to make a sleeve that makes the pillowball work with the smaller diameter piston.... couple hours in the machine shop I should have a new bushing for them.

 

i wasnt implying they wouldnt fit im jdmb16ahatch on 7thgen and had an 03 coupe as u may remember the guy who put the flex's in the red coupe like a year ago...now i got an ep3 and put em in it....good luck with it...if you need any help let me know about it i can take better pics man