The original struts had a “thingy” (bushing, bearing, spacer, whatever), about a one inch cylindrical piece that fit on the shaft at the top end. I kept this piece and used it on the Monroe replacement strut. I added it just before screwing on the damper nut (the large nut that holds the shock rod inside the coil spring.
The final product seems to have raised the backend somewhat, and the wheels look a little like they lean in at the place where the rubber hits the road.
Can anyone tell me whether what I did was correct or not?