[blu_fuz]

That gap you had was not because of the nut holding the spring to the struts. It is because your upper rubber cone is worn and possibly inverted some. I have pictures of what an inverted one looks like, I will post them soon. It is caused by too much weight focused on such a small area. The top hat of the coilovers is supporting the entire corner weight of the car. The original suspension puts pressure on the outer edges of top mount not in the center like the top hat of the coilovers. I would recommend putting that nut back on, but that's just me.....