Strut help plz ...

[wsp8]

I’m in the middle of replacing the struts on my ’95 318ti. Everything’s came off okay (okay, maybe a few busted knuckles!), all cleaned and resprayed, but the new assembled strut seems about 1 ½” longer than the previous unit. I’m replacing the (stock @ 177K?) originals with Bilstein’s heavy-duty unit strut from Bavarian Auto. I selected these over the adjustable ones, because I understood they re-used the stock springs. Maybe not?

Also, as the new piston rod is significantly larger in diameter I didn’t reuse the original bump stop and collar. Is it okay to not use them?

Thanks for any ideas/thoughts!