Howdy, fellow Wankelers!
I'm coming to you after 1.5 hrs sifting through 11 pages of search results.

The deal:
I have a '79, which has a mishmash of parts on it, including GSL-SE brakes and 4x114.3mm bolt circle. I'm gearing up to purchase a full Technotoys Tuning suspension for the old girl, when they posed the question " small or large spindle strut assemblies?"
Me:

I really don't know. I suspect it was all GSL-SE stuff, but I can't be sure at this point if that was the case or if somehow just the brakes wound up on the car.

Maybe the answer is simple : "If you have the bigger brakes, you have the large spindle/strut assemblies." As in, they can't mix and match. A definitive answer like that would solve this instantly. But if there is some possible mix and matching, I'd need to know what to measure to determine what exactly I have.

Gurus?

Thank you

 

If you have the bigger brakes, you have the SE spindles. However, the struts and shocks are the same form a base model to a GSL-SE. The SE did have different front spindles but Mazda used the same front strut and rear shock for the SE and the lower grades. The difference in the rear is of course the differential, axles, and brakes. The S and GS had the drum brake rear end with open differential and a 3.90 final drive, the GSL had rear disc brakes with sold rotors and a limited slip differential and a 3.90 final drive, and the GSL-SE had rear disc brakes with vented rear rotors, a limited slip differential and a 4.08 final drive.

 

 

That's correct, SE is short for GSL-SE. Not to be confused with the 1988 SE trim level.

 

Thank you again!

So I can say that because I have the big brakes, i have the big spindles and bearings, and the struts (shock housings) are all the same from 78-85

 

Yes, the shocks and struts are identical form 79-85. Bearing size changed in late 83, front and rear but that doesn't apply to what you have. and 79 was a stand alone year for their front calipers and brackets. The change came in 80 and all 12A cars had the came front calipers until 85.

 

The front strut inserts for an SA (79/80) are longer that the inserts for an FB (81-85), GSL-SE included. So if you are getting new front inserts for those GSL-SE front struts get em for an 84/85 not a 79.

 

Thank you!
So if the strut tubes are the same between models, how do the shorter inserts fit? Is there a spacer dropped in the bottom of the tube?

 

You have to fab a spacer and possibly use the FB tophat cause I think the shaft attaches or is shaped differently from SA to FB. If you have the SA tubes the only inserts available are the KYB ones which are not really performance parts but are OEM equivalent.

 

there are three spindles for the 79-85 cars.

1, is the 79-80, its a small bearing, with a long strut tube (something like 14")
2, the 81-83 its a small bearing, with a short strut tube, (something like 13")
3. 84-85 is big bearing with a short tube.
4. the JDM turbo had big bearings with the short tube and it was 8 way externally adjustable.

so the strut inserts are 79-80, and 81-85. to use the 81-85 insert in a 79-80 spindle you need a spacer

 

Too bad someone like (cough T3 cough) doesn't make a spacer to solve this niggly problem.

 

i just stack large washers in there to take up the space. bout as cheap as u can get unless u happen to work in a machine shop and can make couple of spacers out of some scrap metal. then it's all free.