SUSPENSION
SUSPENSION TECHNICAL INFORMAITON

"SUSTEC" – Suspension, Body reinforcement
“medalion” – Exhaust system
All of Tanabe product is designed exclusively for each car model and tested on the car actually.

R&D philosophy
The best design for each vehicle

All of Tanabe suspension is designed for each vehicle specially based on the car character.

The first activity of Tanabe SUSTEC R&D starts on the analysis of original suspension. Through deep analysing, trial piece designed exclusively is installed to the car and thoroughly inspected the fitment, height, contact, noise etc. As inspected on car actually, the performance and fitment are perfect.

Testing run with user’s perspective

All of trial piece samples are installed on car and tested the riding comfortability, steering-feel, stability and so on. In case result is not perfect, we reconsiders the setting until making the perfect result.

Our testing run does not need any special course. Public roads are the best to test from user’s perspective because they includes all situations that the user can experience in his daily driving.

CORE TECHNOLOGY
SUPER HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH MATERIAL x TANABE 210TECHNOLOGY = 2,100N/㎟

The riding comfortability and life made by the low cost material are generally cheap and short. The almost spring that can get the low height but lose the comfortability is from imperfect material.

Our material that is done RF induction heating treatment is very special spring steel. And our 210Technology can gain 2,100N/. This value is more 10% higher than the general coil spring. Our supple and tough coil spring is also very active in the racing like Super formula and Super GT.

ONLY AND UNIQUE MANUFACTURING METHOD IN AFTER PARTS MAKER

There are 2 types of manufacturing method for coil spring. One is Hot forming and the other is Cold forming. Cold forming is the best method for performance spring. Tanabe has the cold forming machine in our factory and this is the only one in after spring maker.

The advantage of spring made by cold forming is high strength, no setting in fatigue and gentle initial rebound. The ride feeling is more stable without losing comfortability. Our spring cross section is rough but this is the evidence for cold forming by high power machine that can form and cut more than 14mm diameter material.

Quality and safety information
Quality control system

As manufacturer, the most important thing is to make perfect products that do not rely on warranty. In highly systemized Shiga factory acquired ISO9001 certification, our quality check system by rich experience staff and dedicated machine works strictly. This is reason and confidence in our high safety and secure products.

5cm stroke x 1,000,000 times (whole 2 to 3days) for coil spring. In this test, metal fatigue, deformation and rate change are checked. As same as coil spring test, the damper is also checked by stroke test for case temperature, oil leaking, seal condition, rod deformation and damping force.

Measures for rust
For suspension safety and secure, how to prevent against rust is important factor. Our measures are started by ZINC PHOSPHATE COATING as surface preparation, CATHODIC ELECTRODEPOSITION COATING follows as intermediate process and finished by powder coating. SUSTEC duarability level for any damage is extremely high.

TANABE ☓ KYB = SUSTEC PRO Series

KYB is one of our most important partner to embody our ideal suspension that ridity and flexibility are existing together. As known, KYB is the biggest oil hydraulic equipment manufacturer in Japan and suppulies their damper to world top-class car brand, Lexus.

Our SUSTEC PRO series dampers are developped and manufactured in the same factory of Lexus damper. Needless to say their technology and quality, their sincere attitude for manufacturing is also one of reason that we decided to have partnership.

Advantage of KYB
■Data
KYB starts the manufacturing vehicle damper on 1946. In their long history, they have researched and developped for countless number of cars.
■Desing for strength
KYB has got achivements in motorsports like F1, WRC etc. Not thoughtless increase of strength but they design dampers with optimum strength while reducing the unsprung load.
■Quality and production
Based on the strict standard, KYB chooses the material and manufactures in Japan. Their production line and quality control have also extremely strict standard, for example, their allowance of chrome on rod is 1/1000000(μ).
■Development and evaluation
KYB test course is one of most largest and advanced in car parts manufacturer and it is approximately 600,000m2, 13times of Tokyo dome. It has various condition of road surface in the world and is utilized for try-out, evaluation and development.
Production flow
SUSTEC manufactured by rich experience craftman and advanced facility

Production process and features

  1. 01Design

    Based on the characteristics of car, our products are designed for each vehicle specially.

  2. 02Material

    Material of SUSTEC 210 spring is special steel provided high-frequency induction heating treatment. With our 210 technology, it can gain 2100N/mm2 tensil strength.

  3. 03Cold forming

    “Our manufacturing method for coil spring is Cold forming by advanced facility. As not heated, material maintains original performance.”

  4. 04Low temperature annealing (tempering)

    The coiled (formed) materials go to Low temperature annealing (tempering) process that relieves residual stress leads deformation and metal fatigue.

  5. 05Double shot peening

    In this process, the coiled materials are shotten by high speed shot (small round metal) individually and given unevenness of the surface that improves tensil strength and fatigue strength. Our shot peening has 2 processes by bigger and smaller shot and it brings double effect.

  6. 06Setting (overloading)

    Overload and compress the spring. It removes the possibility of deforming.

  7. 07Quality check

    Every spring is measured the length and checked spring rate, maximum load and stroke.

  8. 08Coating

    Our coating process is 3 layers, ZINC PHOSPHATE COATING, CATHODIC ELECTRODEPOSITION COATING and POWDER COATING.

  9. 09Final inspection

    Our final inspection is spot check for 10% of finished springs. This is more strict than the standard of JASO and it proves our high quality and performance.

  10. 10Assembling the coil over kit

    To deliver the perfect item, we assembled the coil over kit before shipping in our factory one by one.

  11. 11Stocking

    Stocking in our factory.

Suspension guide
Mechanism of coilover kit Mechanism of coilsprings Low down, Lift-up, D/F (damping force)