Cusco Suspension Parts

The Tein EDFC is quite well known amongst tuners with interest in Japanese suspension products. However, the Cusco e-Controller is less well known and undeservedly so. The Cusco e-Controller, performs the same function as the EDFC but for the Cusco ZERO-1 and ZERO-2 suspension ranges.

Typically the damper adjustable suspension kits enable you to adjust the damper rate via a control knob on the top of the suspension. This changes the behaviour of the suspension stiffness offering various control characteristics depending on the requirements. However, due to the location this obviously cannot be adjusted when driving - which can be quite inconvenient in track conditions, or simply when the conditions change during street driving.

The Cusco e-Controller enables in-cabin adjustment of the damper rates via an electronic in-cabin controller. The controller is connected to a set of stepper motors on each strut which turns the damper control knob. The in-cabin controller enables 5 stage adjustment front and rear and features 6 memory settings - so you can have set settings for every condition: commuting, aggressive street, wet track, dry track and any other condition you can think of.

So in future if in-cabin adjustment is important the Cusco e-Controller and Zero suspension ranges might be a good consideration. There is some great information available from Cusco on JDM Option at the following addresses:

Cusco e-Controller information in original Japanese
Cusco e-Controller information translated via Google 

Further to Corey's previous post, Cusco provide some great further information regarding the benefits of the Tower Bar, also known as the Strut Brace. This great reference explains the benefits from a professional driver and amateur drive's point of view.

A great video is provided which really illustrates the benefits of the tower brace in keeping the two suspension towers braced to provide more predictable and stable cornering. At less than $200 and one of the simples parts to install, it really should be near the top of your modification list.

See the two links below for further information:

Cusco Tower Brace information in original Japanese
Cusco Tower Brace information translated via Google

I recently bought a second hand Cusco Type OS Strut Brace for my Nissan 180sx. I already had installed a rear one about 18 months ago, and it's a Type AS I believe, as it's of round cross section. I found there to be quite a difference with the strut braces compared to without, especially the front. I won't get into the workings of strut braces here, as it's been covered many times before but the basic idea is to enhance the cars' structural rigidity. When the car passes over high frequency undulations in the road, the suspension transfers these high frequency forces into the framework of the car. The effect is that the tower mounts kind of 'wobble' and this then results in extra noise and vibrations which permeate through the whole car. Strut braces form a rigid beam between the tops of the tower mounts, which all but eliminates the vibrations, and makes the car feel a lot more rigid. The force then is transferred from the shock absorber, into the strut brace, then over to the other shock absorber, without being transferred into the body of the car. After installing these, I've come to wonder why they don't put these on cars to begin with!

My car feels noticeably 'harder', like my suspension has been tightened. The difference is especially noticeable when going over perpendicular, long bumps like speed humps and train tracks because then the forces by the shock absorbers are totally taken into the strut brace, as both wheels exhert the same force at the same time on the shock absorbers. My 180sx used to hate speed humps and train tracks but now, I must say, its so much better.

Things in my car still rattle, but a different kind, and my car feels even more sure on the road. I'd highly recommend this upgrade to any car, because it's both easy to get for most makes of cars, and it's an affordable worthwhile upgrade. Cusco strut braces are some of the best of the industry, and I have no complaints about these at all. There are lots of cheap no-name copies but I'm sure they are flimsy and breakable, which is why I went with a Cusco.