My wife's 87 740 is cursed. I'm surprised, that is hasn't just sucked my soul out and left me for dead.
Today's exercise in patience concerns strut, ball joints, and tie rod ends replacement. The primary problem is with a strut cartridge.
I took it apart "the hard way" and when i tried to re-install it, I discovered I'm not 50 any more. Sucks So I took the strut mount out so I could work outside where i had some room.
So when all was said and done, I'm reassembling the strut, spring thing.
Having been bitten once before, I looked at the original strut, and the intended replacement. They were as nearly identical, as they needed to be.
Long story short, when I reassembled the shock, spindle, spring thing. It's as if the shaft is an inch and a half short. I can make it sorta fit if i move the special washer, so i can get enough threads for the top nut to grab on to.
this is w/o the top washer so I suspect something is amiss but I haven't a clue what.
any body have an opinion on this. I'd really like to hear it.
Paul in Norwalk

PS
The spring is sitting, in the strut square on the where it's supposed to stop.
And the rubber thing is sitting snug up on the top op the coiled spring. So there is no real apparent place where I can gain any more room.
TIA as always