New Struts Too Short??

[buzz8mk]

I purchased new front struts [AVS-10 & -11] for '96 Mark VIII from StrutMasters discount site - Suspension Alternatives. When comparing them to the old units uninflated, they appear to be 1.5 inches shorter from top plate to center of bottom hole. The bladder length is the same on old and new, so I don't think the old units are somehow stretched are inflated.
Will these shorter units fit or are they defective?? Will they be harder to mount and will they lower my car/reduce ground clearance by 1.5 inches??
Also, the bladder upper lip is not uniformly up against the metal lip on the strut housing. There's a gap of 1\8 inch on one side from lip to lip. On the originals the lips are very close/touching for the entire circumference. Is this a defect that might lead to early failure??
The S/A site says the struts are the same and the part nos. are the same but are thet really??
I have purchased previous units from Arnott and they were the same length as the Lincoln parts. But they seem to fail in somewhat less than 2 years. Also, their compressor failed in less than 2 years. Definitely not as long as the OEM's!!
Finally, is it safe to use the shorter parts or should I return them.
Thanks in advance for any timely advice/response.

 

[thaywood]

I had a similar experience when I bought a new set of front air spring/shocks for my '96 from Arnott. I got the "improved" versions a couple of years ago. When I installed them, they appeared to be shorter than the originals. However, I think they were just slightly compressed. Because once they were installed and operational, the ride height didn't change. That's what I think may be happening with yours. They are not fully extended. Once you install them, they'll fit just like the originals. As for the upper lip not fitting snugly against the shock housing, hopefully it's within tolerance. I didn't have that problem with the newer Arnott shocks. They seem to be very well made. Good luck and I hope they work out for ya!