Koni help

Still working on my 1977 Capri. Replacing the front struts with Koni's. One side is done and back under the car. When I tried to put the second shock inside the strut assembly, the strut is too long. Here is a pic of it compared to the KYB I am replacing:

The cryptic installation instructions that came with the strut indicate the some of the bottom portion of the strut could be removed with a hacksaw in situations like mine, but in the diagram it looks like the strut had indentions of where you could saw. Here is a pic of the bottom of the new Koni strut:

I am afraid if I cut off enough of the bottom of the strut to allow it to fit, I might cut into the body of the strut and ruin it.

Any suggestions?

Whats the difference between the koni that fits and the koni that doesn't?

I thought a general rule was that shocks were not side specific... Did they possibly send you the wrong shock? or was one of your struts changed out at some point in the cars life?

Yeah it sounds like the two shocks you had on before were different lengths. Can you confirm that the two new shocks are the same length? If so, slap 'em on. AFAIK no production car has side-specific shock lengths (in fact, AFAIK no race car has side-specific shock lengths either...but it could potentially be useful in some kind of circle-track racing).

I'd ask Koni and shoot them a picture. The picture of the top looks like it isn't even assembled correctly. If the bottom tip is just open, you could cut that off up to the base metal.

Thanks for the input thus far. The other side is already assembled and installed in the car, so I was hoping to avoid undoing/compressing the springs, etc. etc.

The bottom lip is solid.

I think I'll give Koni a call before I tear the assembled side apart.

Foreign material in the bottom of the strut housing?

I've used a spacer ring when the insert is shorter than the strut tube, but I put in on top. There could be one down in the bottom of the tube. Takes nothing to check.