Now the blisteins are just struts/shocks - so do you mean the shock is shorter or the spring is shorter?


Now I don't have an MR, however, my rear spring doesn't sit higher than the front. If anything it may sit a little lower in the rear once settled.
So if I think I'm understanding you correctly, you are saying that because a GSR spring is longer in the rear set-up, this causes more load on the front compressing the bilstein strut more and thus having it bottom out more easily causing it to ruin the strut prematurely?

Damn I really wish I didn't through away my stock springs....I could have taken pics and measured it and then done the same with a friends MR's old springs.

Well I don't have anything else for ya lan_evo_mr9 to help out. At least you got something more from mybada than "oh man you're going to blow your struts"

 

for the MR vs. GSR suspension thing, there are two types of differences you have to look out for: (1) mechanical differences (stuff with different dimensions), and (2) tuning differences (different valve and spring rates).

For mechanical, the spring perches on the MR rear struts are located differently, so the MR springs need to be shorter (they are identical in the front). So you can install GSR type springs, but will get too much "rake" as a result. In the early MR days, people used to buy Tanabe GSR springs and cut them shorter since no MR specific springs were out yet.

All lowering springs make your shocks work harder and reduce shock life, because they shorten the stroke of the suspension - no way around that. I don't think you will instantly "blow" you front shocks running too much rake, but you will likely shorten their life span even more, and you won't get good handling either. Since the Evo has a larger gap in the front than the rear stock (being a rally car), there are a lot of springs on the market that increase the rake to eliminate the gap - so if increasing the rake were to blow you shocks, there would be lots of sad Evo owners out there.

For tuning, you want to match the spring rate to the shock valving to get the best possible suspension response. Anybody that invested in the Bilstein shocks (expensive) shouldn't stop there and get matched springs with them (cheap). Three MR specific springs I know of are the Espilir GT, WORKS, and Swift.

 

^excellent post.

 

MR rear springs are shorter than GSR rear springs.
I think it was about an inch shorter so if hotchkis springs drop the rear about an inch on GSR's, then it won't drop any on MR's.
For more information, give WORKS (415-641-9675) a call. They are very helpful!

 

Them being shorter than GSR springs can be explained a few seperate ways. #1 (and most likely) it can be a spring rate difference. All of the IX's have identical wheel travel (175mm and 185mm), so using non MR springs in an MR isnt going to necessarily blow struts. This amounts to internet myth propoganda without proof. No pics=no proof. The fact that on one has stepped up and said "Ya man I blew my struts out on my MR and I CAN PROVE IT WAS THE NON MR springs" says enough in and of itself.

Blown struts 90% of the time are installing errors not mistmatch of spring/strut combo. I do it for a living and yet to see a "non specific" spring/strut match cause problems. As long as total wheel travel isnt reduced to where it bottoms out, there isnt going to be an issue.

 

Soooo, in the interest of combating internet myth propaganda without proof, would you be willing to install non-MR specific springs on MR shocks and offer a free replacement warranty in case the shocks do go bad? Strong statements require strong actions .

 

Well my MR struts are down the road, but I am pretty sure the new owner is going to do that. I will talk to Ken and see what springs he is going with. I am thinking I heard him talk about the Espiliar (sic) GT's, but he might go with H&R.

Why I dont have my Bilstein's anymore:








Not pictured but also going under the car are the H&R swaybars and Perrin end links. Rear fenders have been rolled and tastefully flared. I can probably get 10's under it, but 9.5's for now. Finished pictures as I finish. Proxes 4's werent purchased for anything other than street tires, track tires have yet to be decided.

As far as springs that arent sold as "MR specific" but have been used in all of Europe on MR's, H&R has 2 choices street and race. H&R who supplies WRC teams doesnt see a need to have 2 different part numbers, why should you?

 

And to answer your question, YES. Bring it to me and I will. I have already talked to spring manufacturers that I deal with and no one sees the need to have an MR specific spring. Not to badmouth WORK, but I have found that they seem to overthink things. When I met them at (well one of their associates at anyrate) Rim of the World 2003, I heard the word proprietary in one meeting more than all my years before that.

In the meantime, I am waiting for someone to offer proof that these HAVE blown up struts (non MR springs on Bilstein struts). Internet propoganda goes both ways Mr. Voidhawk. I am not saying that what you posted is inaccurate, but without a shock dyno to test dampening rates, and then engineer a spring to match, the point is moot. Everything else being equal if the wheel stroke is equal between MR and non MR equipped IX's, why would spring difference blow the shock? Maybe I just missed something.

As far as "go bad", please define conditions. All strut/shock assemblies eventually wear out. What is considered normal lifespan for street driven and some track usage?