87 928 top shock nut problems
 

what would cause this issue? Even with the nut all the way down it still pops out like that.

i took it apart and all the washers are in place in the strut mount. it goes nut washer top mount inside washer with the bowed out side facing up spring plate.

any ideas?

Thanks! i am about to give up over here :surr::surr::surr:

Was it torqued down correctly? It's awkward to tighten as you have to prevent shock piston from rotating as you use torque wrench on top nut (I think I used crow's foot wrench attached to torque wrench)

:corn: NFI other than those are not 928 parts under than nut.

There is too much travel there. All the threads come through. Improper assembly and/or missing components.
http://dcauto.gotdns.com/illustration/index/799162772

Have you installed the dust cover as per the WSM? It sits over the top of the shock before the upper spring perch. It has a sleeve inside it which sits on the shoulder of the shock shaft. To me it looks like it must be missing for the shock to be moving as it is.

There's no way that's possible with the correct springs and perches (and shocks of course). Anything missing in between is irrelevant.

I will also guess that you have the dust boot missing , it is part 6 in the diagram

Yup. I'm going to bet that the shock itself is not actually a 928 part regardless of how it was described to the OP. The only part controlling the length of shock sticking out is #8 (the top bushing.) One or the other is the wrong part.

Possible broken spring?

Otherwise, I'm going with not a 928 part too.

If part number 6 is missing the shock can travel at least another 3/4" as is currently happening.
Part number 8 is not the part controlling the length of the shock sticking out.

The spring perch at the bottom of the shock body is missing or not installed.

The top parts, the ones that sit on the reduced-diameter portion at the end of the piston rod, ultimately determine the amount of rod that sticks through for the nut to grab. Those are items 6, 9 (x2) and 10 in the diagram above. Note that the whole shock assembly is complete on the bench with the rod nut tightened before the assembly goes into the car. The clevis bolt/washers/nut on the bottom and the three nuts/washers that hold the assemby in the shock tower are the only parts that are installed after the assembly is in place on the car.

For the nut on the end of the piston rod, the little Makita electric impact gun is the weapon of choice in my garage. Makes ~100 lbs/ft, with speed/force control at the trigger. Since there's no easy way to hold the rod with a socket, the only way to get a good torque measurement is with a segmented socket, or with a crowfoot and a calculator while holding the tip of the rod.

+1 on this being missing

In addition to what i posted above about part 6 missing its also possible that the inner metal bushing could have fallen out and the plastic boot was placed onto the new strut and simply fell down till the lower edge hit the lower spring perch,
That said if you would take a picture of the strut while its fitted to the car paying attention to the upper mount this will answer the question
NOTE a better picture will be with the wheel removed

The OP had information overload and has not returned.