This is another long post, however I strongly recommend that any VR-4 owner wishing to change their suspension reads it very carefuly and considers my findings.
It's taken me many, many hours of research to pin down my suspension system, and I have finally placed an order.
I will be using Tein Springs, and Bilstein B8 Shock absorbers. I have chosen B8s over B6s based on the recommendations of Bilstein themselves - Their FAQ recommends the following. I quote:
As the Tein Springs lower by 25mm at the front and 28mm at the back, I have followed their advice, though I must admit the big descision behind choosing the B8s was when I read the information in the link below and realised that the damping rates of the B6 and B8 are identical - the difference is just the stroke of the shock absorber.Originally Posted by Bilstein FAQ page
Link: http://www2.bilstein.de/en/produkte/...vergleich.php3
This works out a little more expensive than the Bilstein B12 kit. So why have I not chosen that? After all, the B12 kit is nothing more than a Set of B8 shocks with a set of "matched" springs. And the B12 kit claims a moderate -30mm lowering. However, the VR-4s with B12 kits all seem to me to be somewhat lower than -30mm.... Indeed Tig202 posted asking if anyone else thought the car sat a bit low.
So I did some digging, and this is what I found. When you look up the B12 Kit for the Galant on Bilstein's web catalogue (part number SE5-8841), not only can you view the applications, but you can also download the German TUV certificate for the springs provided in the kit.... And this is where I made an important discovery.... have a look at this link:
http://www.dvsegmbh.de/PDF/einbau/32...M4-Y099A00.PDF
The important bit is that the Springs are H&R units, and the part number is 29519.
29519 is the same kit as I fitted to Hordak (my old Galant V6). The springs are only TUV approved for the EA0 (2WD) models, upto 120KW engine power.
You can see the full TUV certificate for the springs here - page 3 shows the most relevant information:
http://www.h-r.com/bin/29519.pdf
The springs are specified with a maximum load rating of 1005kg front, 855kg rear - so I don't think they are likely to snap. What this does explain is why the B12 equipped cars seem to sit lower than you would expect from a -30mm kit.
I leave you to make up your own minds.