majinfajita

A question occurred to me when I saw that KYB offers the same GR2/Excel G shocks for both the GTS and the Ralliart that I was hoping one of our resident Mitsu techs could clear up:

Do the RA shocks & struts, and springs, have different part numbers than their GTS counterparts?

The marketing releases stated that the RA had its own specific shock and spring tuning but then again, they also said that the exhaust was "identical to the Evo X" which we know is false, along with the 'RA getting the Evo IX's awd system'. We already know the parts are interchangeable between the RA and GTS suspension-wise. Logic would dictate that at least the springs would be different (given the weight difference), but that could be a rather big assumption based on absolutely nothing.

If they *aren't* different (or at least if the shocks and struts aren't), then the KYB GR2/Excel G's would be a suitable replacement once the stockers go, as long as you were on stock springs -- you wouldn't necessarily be screwed by going to a shock that is underdamped compared to stock. Plus, depending on application, I've heard the GR2/Excel G's tend to have anywhere from 10-25% greater damping (the 25% was strictly forum hearsay from an Impreza RS board, the generally stiffer claim is from KYB Europe's site they state they have boosted damping compared to stock to 'compensate for worn suspensions').

Thanks in advance!

03chi-town0Z

iTrader: (7)

The OEM suspensions for the RA and GTS are, in fact, different. The RA gear is slightly stiffer due to the additional weight from the added components, and I believe there is a large difference in rear shock travel.

As far as the front struts are concerned, however, one of my stock struts finally let loose about 2k miles ago, and I replaced it with the KYB Excel/GR2 OEM replacement strut. It does not ride noticeably different than the other corners, nor has the height changed perceptively. Now that doesn't mean that there isn't a difference in the OEM components, but as far as interchangeability of aftermarket components, it is not something that I could easily quantify without actual track testing/suspension dyno readings. Perhaps it is resultant of the "slightly increased" damping of the KYB GR2 over stock, or perhaps it is just coincidental, but in any case I have had positive results thus far, but limited mileage to accurately report long-term reliability.

TrailBrake

Please keep us posted on your findings, as I am thinking of replacing my aging factory suspension and Eibach Prokit springs with KYB Excel/GR2 and H&R springs.

majinfajita

That could be a big problem, especially if the overall length of the shock is different (not just the stroke being different, if that's even possible?).

I wonder...I think someone from RRM would know, I believe they've swapped an EvoM member's GTS shocks with an RA's (all four) when they had blown their stock GTS ones.

EDIT:

Maybe I've been at work for far too many hours today, but am I hallucinating? Forget the KYBs I mentioned, according to the Bilstein 2012-2013 catalog, there are the Bilstein B4 shocks available for our generation of Lancers.

The B4 in this case, would either be a monotube or twin-tube depending on application -- according to the Bilstein catalog, for the CY/Z_A family of lancers (ours being a CY4A), they're twin tubes...but they're still Bilsteins for what it's worth!

The 2.0 DI-D model is the European diesel (uses a VW diesel engine actually), but the body and suspension are the same as our NA vehicles meaning they *should* work for our RAs. If they're good for the DI-D, that model is actually closer in weight to our RAs than the GTS though not perfect (the DI-D is 1450kg, the GTS is 1415kg, the RA is about 1580kg), plus they have them for the models with the sport suspension and 18" rims (different part numbers than the non-sport versions with the 16" rims).

However, the B4s are not the HD's (B6).....so I'm just spinning my wheels at this point I guess, but they may be another option.

EDIT 2 - Scratch that. On other applications (VWs, BMWs, etc.), people who have used them say they're exactly the same as the GR2/Excel-G shocks, but at a significant price premium. Plus TireRack says they're only approx 10% more damping force than stock (aka. same as the KYBs)

quickflips

iTrader: (1)

i'm running d2 coils made for the gts on my ra. install was exactly the same and dont notice any difference.

03chi-town0Z

iTrader: (7)

So I am pretty sure that these KYB replacements are still not adequate replacements for the RA.

For reference, I have a sweeping "S" on-ramp near me with a pretty sizeable dip at one point that I used to determine if my fender roll was sufficient when I first had it done (it was not, I needed to go back and have them roll/pull more... ).

Well I finally got a chance to hit that ramp without buttloads of traffic slowing me down and I scrubbed my front right tire on the fender. My alignment specs are the same as they always have been (I had it re-done after replacing the strut) and I have never encountered that problem until now. Also, now that everything has "settled" back into place after some driving, it does appear that the right front may be sitting ever so slightly lower than the left front.

This is by no means definitive proof, just personal experience that leads me to an educated guess/conclusion that even though the KYB is "rated better" than OEM for the GTS, it is still insufficient for the RA.

This is a little different because the spring height is matched to the strut length, the dampening is fairly matched to the spring rates, and the whole setup is adjustable to accommodate your needs (for the most part). It's still not "ideal" for the RA, but is a much more livable option.

majinfajita

How do you like your D2's? (Ride comfort, handling, etc.)

Just pricing out some options, may go with either the BC BR's, some D2's or hold off for an additional year and pick up some KW V2s....

100$ GUY

Someone knows the part number for the front shocks of an 08 lancer gts

Rralliart09

The shock portion is the same as the GTS. Its the springs that are different. If you're not buying a complete preassembled strut and only replacing the damper portion then you're good to go with the KYBs or which ever you chose.