Looking to replace the struts on my '78 and am a bit confused on what I'm finding.

 

Some packs have 4 shocks (https://www.ebay.com/itm/353183501677?epid=1529958043&hash=item523b608d6d:g:LlcAAOSwv8ZfR-a3) and some have 2 struts and 2 shocks (https://www.ebay.com/itm/232991315727?epid=1540516460&hash=item363f5d570f:g:4lwAAOSwaPpb3Qib).

 

Any idea which pack I need, how much of a pain it is to change these, and thoughts on the KYB ones?

Rockauto

The second link in your post was for a 280ZX. Those would not work on a 78.

The price from Rockauto would be better than the other ebay link, plus there is a rebate available if you buy before 12/31.

2 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

Rockauto

The second link in your post was for a 280ZX. Those would not work on a 78.

The price from Rockauto would be better than the other ebay link, plus there is a rebate available if you buy before 12/31.

Sounds good - I'll grab them from rock then.  Are they tough to replace?

Not that it matters now since you're going to get them off rockauto, but the answer to your original question is...

The first link you posted above is the correct parts for your 78 while the second link is for the ZX starting in 79.

If you don't know what you're doing, yes. The coil springs have a lot of stored energy, and typically you compress them to get the struts free, increasing the stored energy. If you aren't careful, they can come apart with great force. I had that happen to me once, but I avoided serious injury by having it hit me in the head. Seriously, the strut popped out of the spring compressor, and the spring struck me right at the eyebrow. It sliced me open, but fortunately that's a pretty stout area of the skull, so I escaped serious injury. Since it was on a military base, I got a free ride in an ambulance, too!

Watch videos on changing out the struts. If you REALLY want to do them yourself, find a friend who is knowledgeable on the procedure supervise you. There is a trick to pull the front struts without breaking open the brake line, but it's not for the faint of heart. (Most instructions have you taking the soft line off the S-tube.) You'll have to take the brake lines off the rears to remove the struts. All this means that you'll be needing to bleed the brakes, too. This includes bleeding the master cylinder.

 

Yeah, as SteveJ suggested, the difficulty level of the job is subjective.

Things that make the job easier:
Spindle pins that are nice and clean and easy to remove.
Having a spring compressor so you don't have to mess around using the weight of the car to deal with the springs.
Having a wrench big enough to fit the large gland nut on the top of the strut housings.
Strut inserts that are not frozen rusted inside the strut tubes.
Not snapping off a brake line where they mount to the strut bodies.

etc...

IMHO the two biggest things that really can make this job a PITA are the spindle pins and not being able to get the old inserts out of the strut tubes.

4 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

I had that happen to me once, but I avoided serious injury by having it hit me in the head.

One could suggest that this explains a lot...       Hahaha!!

1 minute ago, Captain Obvious said:

Yeah, as SteveJ suggested, the difficulty level of the job is subjective.

Things that make the job easier:
Spindle pins that are nice and clean and easy to remove.
Having a spring compressor so you don't have to mess around using the weight of the car to deal with the springs.
Having a wrench big enough to fit the large gland nut on the top of the strut housings.
Strut inserts that are not frozen rusted inside the strut tubes.
Not snapping off a brake line where they mount to the strut bodies.

etc...

IMHO the two biggest things that really can make this job a PITA are the spindle pins and not being able to get the old inserts out of the strut tubes.

I can pull the rear struts without touching the spindle pins. Detach the half shaft from the wheel & rear sway bar and you can swing the control arm down and out of the way. Of course, you'll need a good size lever to swing the arm down.

3 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

One could suggest that this explains a lot...       Hahaha!!

I had moved my brain down below the waist well before that since that was how I was doing most of my thinking back then...

Lol. Good point!! In any event, I'm glad you survived!