Problems installing new front McPherson strut

[Studebaker]

I have done the rio top hat and think the insulators are the same.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

I should have a Rio spring insulator in my hands on Wednesday.

O'Reilly has come up empty-handed on proper bearings to replace the too-big ones that came with the MasterPro FM1123 Strut Mount Kits they sold me.

My daily driver remains up on jacks in the never-ending rain.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

I think I found a source for the strut bearing -- Westar's p/n ST-2940 kit:

https://www.carid.com/westar/front-s...n-st-2940.html

Only $15.57 for the kit (mounting block and bearing). McParts placed charge about $40 for their kits containing the wrong bearing.

I have two arriving in a few days from NJ.
I should now have a Rio spring insulator in my hands tomorrow morning.
If both of these parts work, my daily driver will be back in business in a few days.

It's hard to believe that a tiny PLASTIC bearing is used this high-stress location!

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

AutoZone just offered me $47 kits containing TWO bearings, measured flat-to-flat, 21.00mm and 23.00mm.

We measured O'Reilly's bearing -- 0.88", which is basically 7/8". So O'Reilly is peddling imperial-dimensioned parts for metric cars!

I'll see what comes from CarID in terms of size and quality -- two kits delivered costs the same as one picked-up AutoZone kit.

In any case, all I really want is the bearings, since the mounting block (which has two studs bolting on to the wheel well) certainly doesn't seem in need of replacement.