I have a 79.. i hear of people putting in the struts from the other years.. what i dont know is everyone says they do it but no one can explain it.. do they just mount up.. or do you have to modify anything? suspension is my next step on my car and i would like to get this straight.

 

The '79 and '80 model RX-7's used a different strut casing than the later model '81-'85 years. Because of this, most places don't stock performance upgrades for our strut casings. There is some hope though, if you check out http://www.classicgarage.com/rx7.html, they have really nice Koni struts for just 22 bucks! I've got a set in my car, and they can be adjusted while off the car for stiffness, making them a very nice budget upgrade for a Solo II car. If you're not concerned about increased stiffness, these struts come with instructions on how to set them up for stock useage.

For the rear, all the shocks for '79 to '85 are the same, so you have a wider selection. The same site that has Koni front inserts for cheap also has Koni rear shocks, but they are significantly more, at around 100 each. Still though, if you're looking for quality, Koni is the way to go. For $250 bucks plus shipping, you could have new struts/shocks for all four corners, which is still pretty cheap. I'd also look at springs, since any spring that's been holding a car up for a quarter century is probably really sagged out. Racing Beat's springs are 25-30% stiffer than stock and are cheaper than the Mazda replacements at $180 for all four. Coupled with your new Koni shocks, you'd have a really nice handling upgrade.

 

We've also got a 1979 RX7 and need to replace the ORIGINAL shocks and struts. Last weekend my son and I replaced the rear shocks. Now need the front struts replaced. I am planning on sending it out to replace struts as the wheel alignment will need to be done after strut replacement. Won't it?

I was wondering how difficult it is to replace the springs all around? At 26+ years they may be toast. Only 92,000 miles but still aged. Can we replace springs easily? We do not plan on racing car, just an everyday driver for my soon-to-be 16 year old son.

Thanks for any advise.

 

If you're looking for stock replacement strut inserts, the Konis are still good, they just have the added benefit of adjustability for racers like me. The KYB's are also a good choice for pure street driving and are DIRT CHEAP. Less than $40 for the PAIR:

http://www.classicgarage.com/rx7kybs.html

You don't have to do an alignment after replaceing the strut inserts. On the strut tops, there is a little arrow embossed in the black rubber of the upper mount. Make sure you make a note of its position and when you reinstall the strut, point it in the same direction and your alignment will remain the same. No need to drop fifty bucks at the shop for an alignment.

As for the springs, I'd replace them too. You'd be surprised how much new springs will improve the ride quality. Even stiffer lowering springs like the RB set made my car ride smoother over small to medium bumps. Larger bumps and potholes, however, are still teeth rattling. That's the price of driving an old sports car.

It's super easy to change the springs, and you'll have to get them off the front strut casings to replace the inserts anyways. Make sure you have a set of spring compressors, because those suckers can shoot off with impressive force. Any autoparts store should have a lender set of compressors if you dont' have any. The rear springs are really simple to get out with the compressors as well, since they just sit on a perch, disconnect the bottom bolt for the shock absorber and jack up the opposite side of the axle. With compressors, the spring will fall right out, and you can install the new one. My car only had 110,000 miles when I installed my RB springs, and the old ones were so sagged that my car actually sat a bit higher than before, even with the RB's advertised 1 inch drop.

If you need any other help, you can PM me.