You could buy used parts or rebuild the shocks.

How does one go about rebuilding a shock? Is that something my indie ought to be able to do?

No idea, but it's nothing more than a hydraulic cylinder and they get rebuilt all the time.

Sounds like I should take a good look at my sls system and try to repair it.

just wanted to add my 2 cents here.

Over the last two weeks ive been driving around looking at 300TDs. I ultimately decided to buy an 85 model with fully functioning SLS (for the moment)

However, I happened to drive another 85 300TD one day earlier that had a conventional spring conversion, and the ride qualities between the two were very comparable. So much so that I didn't even know the first one didn't have an SLS system until I got a good look at the engine bay and suspension.

Both these cars were unloaded, no idea how they would drive loaded, but IMO, the ability to source spare engines from the D, SD, and CD models for these cars as replacements strikes me as giving this conversion a definite value.

The real comparison only takes place with a heavy load.

Yup. Agreed. My point though is that removing SLS is definitely a viable option, as daily use of wagon platforms are usually not heavily loaded.

I have the conversion and it's many times better than the broken SLS, which was just plain unsafe. We were in a situation where it was start replacing parts and hope it was the cheap ones or just ditch it. Not having a lot of money at the moment, this was the best solution. Towed a trailer with no problems, which wouldn't have been the case if it was bouncing all over the place. I can't imagine using one of these cars to haul concrete and bricks like some apparently do, and I don't, so I can't comment on the handling with a tire-busting load in the back. But it kept this car on the road and it'll mean more money in the future for all the other stuff. Hauls the kids to school just fine.

Now, the guy who makes these is lousy at communication... I asked a couple questions and I never heard back so I was on my own. But if anyone reading this needs help or tips, PM me and I definitely will respond.

Other than that I have no complaints.

-Rog