The front struts in my 79 are shot. I purchased this car recently and the front strut failed inspection. (We took it somewhere else and it passed but I still would like to get them replaced asap.) I've read all the threads and posts I can find on good SA/FB suspension upgrades, but it seems like most of them are outdated. I was wondering, what set-up is my best option as of now? This car is mostly a daily and still has the 12a but in the future will probably get a 13bt heart transplant and see some tracking, so I'm ok with something a little stiff. Is a coilover conversion a good option? What are some pros and cons to that? What replacement struts/shocks are still being produced that offer good reliability for the price? Sorry for all the questions, I just would like to hear some current opinions, I'm tired of clicking on broken links. Thanks in advance for any guidance you guys can give me.

 

Can't go wrong with T3. Not cheap and there are a few others, but they are nice.

https://technotoytuning.com/mazda/fb

 

I've been looking at those. I saw where someone mentioned the joints making a lot of noise, is that a real gripe with these? Also, since I would have to send in my oem strut, would it be an issue that mine is jacked up right now? As for the conversion kit for $250, is that a good deal and how much work is actually needed to weld them up?

 

I don't own these so I can't speak to performance. As for yours being "jacked up." The inner struct must be removed for the conversion and new inserts acquired. The factory inner struct workings can be rebuilt, but getting a new struct insert is best.

If you get the weld on kit, unless you can tig weld, you'll need to find someone to weld the seats on. This is the route I will be taking. Then you can paint or powder coat the tubes.