Installed new engine shocks, are the rubber spacers oriented correctly?
 

On the 1984 300T, just completed installation of both new Lemforder motor mounts and new engine shocks. Are the rubber spacers oriented correctly?

It appears not.

<img src="http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=147461&stc=1&d=1524540208">

A prime example of why one should do one side at a time and/or take photos _before_ taking things apart....

And also listen when multiple forum members tell him the same thing repeatedly!

"It doesn't make sense to place the metal fender washer at the top of the rubber spacer but what do I know?"

Oddly enough, quite possibly more than many here like me with decades of experience, why I always listen to the Newbies explaining how they did it without any clue atall .....

I'm always interested in learning new or different things / ways to get things done .

and why exactly do you feel its necessary to reinvent the engine shock mounting that has been successfully used on millions of cars?

That won't make it better but I doubt it will hurt anything. The first failure of this assembly is the damper bearing and, or the shock absorber. That's why the shaft, nuts, washers and rubber buffers are not larger.

Steel on steel. Exactly what rubber on steel was intended to avoid.

Not until there aren't enough threads left to secure the nut.

No comment! :)

Not sure why you are confused. It is that same attachment as a sway bar link in classic U.S. muscle cars (Google Images). You want rubber on both sides of the steel frame. It will work as you installed, but might rattle. Might also extend the shock too far and rip the upper mount.

More likely to shear the rubber bushing when he shuts it off the engine and the jerk causes that little washer to start eating away at the tiny area on which it bears. The idea was to have as large a bearing area on the rubber buffer as possible. The engineers decided (probably didn't even think about it) to use the entire area of the buffer for bearing.

That tells me that the rubber buffers won't take shear, not a little or a lot. Actually, common sense explained it to me and probably most member here. All the engineering carp was for the knuckleheads who need an explanation.

OP might not realise there's a slotted hole in one of the "disk washers" which fits onto the shaft so the shock has something to push on, otherwise the washer would be free to do what it likes and the whole thing serves no purpose.