Normal amount of dust boot compression in rear shock?

I just installed bilstein 5100 rear shocks on my 2006 trd offroad (

$91 24-186728 5100 Series Shock Absorber

24-186728).
I had to compress the strut quite a bit to get it to fit, and both dust boots curve a bit as shown. Is this amount of compression normal?

 

Extend the shock and slide the boot down.

 

How do you extend the shock when there is a fixed amount of space between the lower and upper mounts?

 

Jack up the truck.

 

Sorry trying to understand - So I jack up the truck by the frame, let the strut expand on its own, pull the boot down, then lower truck. After I lower the amount of strut compression will go back to how it is now. Whats the point, Why don't I just pull the boot down as is? I must be missing something

 

Because you don't know the max travel distance. You could pull it down now but it may then rip the first time the suspension is extended fully.

 

Got it. I'll try this out. Appreciate the explanation

 

Much better. Thanks!

 

@Tssmith11 If you find it creeping back up again like mine did, you can find your extended length, wrap some electrical tape around the shock body about an inch higher to create a stopper, then pull the boot over and past it and re-ziptie. Just make sure to leave room for expansion to full droop, like scotkw said.

 

A hose clamp also works instead of a zip tie, if you find the boot not staying put.