Originally Posted by Silly Rabbit

As far as tightening the top bolt, yes. I used a small vice clamp on the shaft and tighten the top nut with a ratchet.

Thinking back, I think I know what I did wrong. I didn't get the top hat aligned perfectly with the strut. So, when I went to put the bolt back in the bottom on the strut, the strut was not true. I had to force the bolt through with a rubber mallet. I guess the slight twist in the strut caused it to fail.

Any suggestions on getting the top back on in the correct position. I marked which direction was front and tried to keep it lined up based on the location of the abs clips.