On Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 4:03:27 AM UTC-7, AS wrote:
Thanks for the update, Auxvache! Glad you didn't have to resort to plan 'B'.

.... and the strut stayed compressed.
Steve - insert the sound the little birdie makes, when it comes out of the clock, here! ;-)
Uli
'AS'

Umm Uli, are you tripling down on your theory that gas leaked across the piston to cause the original problem even though it has been clearly demonstrated to you that such could not possibly be the case since gas springs have an intentional leak across their piston to establish the damping rate?

By far, the normal way for a gas spring to fail is simply for the nitrogen to leak out the stem seal. This apparently wasn't a normal failure since the OP says the tube is distorted. With mechanical stuff there's always an infinity of ways things can break. Yet knowing how stuff works is almost always helpful. It does allow you to scratch off dumb suggestions from people who allege credentials but don't really know what they're talking about. I hope I'm not hurting your feelings again.