Prior experiences with struts has been that the "shock" part is under slight pressure and will fully extend when removed from the spring housing. I've always assumed this was the nitrogen gas charge that reduces foaming.

I just dropped the lower arm on a recently acquired 88 iroc and the "shocks" contracted once freed from the shock tower. This is my first dealing with "modified" struts with the spring being located separately, is this normal?

in a nutshell, when reassembling the struts, should the strut need to be compressed, positioned, and then allowed to expand into place or will it need to be stretched and held until the top nut is on?

Fresh struts will expand
The one you removed is an anomaly

then it's a matching pair of anomalies, both sides do it. Neither show signs of leaking, and both limit oscilations to one bounce.

they are both stamped with numbers:
22064121
22064122

not the part# my source indicates they should be, but they're going back in anyway since they work fine.

thanks for the reality check.

Hmmm...
Are these original GM parts ?
Mine is a 90 (assembled in Dec 89)
and the originals "expanded" as did the replacements
Maybe mine is anamalous

drag shocks maybe ???? lakewoods 90/10's

TVP