W211 Front shock - fitting question

[Crazy Mike]

E220 Elegance 2002. (w211)
Front o/s strut removed from car and taken to local garage for replacement spring to be fitted. All done and returned back home to re-fit the strut to vehicle but realised the strut could not align to the lower spring arm for fitting the lower bolt as I forgot to mark the original alignment position.
I part compressed the spring and rotated the bottom 'fork' of the shock approx 45 deg, removed spring clamps and the bottom 'fork' of the shock aligned ok enabling the nut and bolt to be fitted correctly.
My question is - by rotating the bottom fork of the shock would I have done any damage to the shock ?
It seems to drive ok but there is a newish graunching noise when on 3/4 steering lock from the strut / suspension area that wasn't there before.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Jobsworth]

What you describe won’t have done any harm. The strut doesn’t rotate with the steering, so I don’t think it’s that. Maybe check you haven’t bent the disc backplate or got something else disturbed in that area.

 

[Crazy Mike]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, already checked the brake backplate - no problem there. In the last year lower outer ball joint replaced and more recently, upper suspension arm + ball joint replaced. New shock & spring replaced. All other joints checked for play / wear - these seem ok. I'm thinking about top mount ? but looked ok when new spring fitted. There is also a knock when going over small bumps which may or may not be connected to the graunching.
Everything's tight - checked torques - ok. Topped up power steering fluid (was not registering on dip stick). Nothing fouling so process of elimination....
Any thoughts on top mounts ?
Thanks