I usually let the shoulder bridge the distance completely, and use a thick flat washer under the nut to allow it to be tightened properly. Anybody who has any experience building dirt track race cars will agree with me about it being impossible for bolts to hold pieces rigidly in place under the compression/rebound action of a shock absorber. Amy slack whatsoever is going to result in motion between the parts on even a moderately rough road surface. Hitting a big bump at highway speed is going to make something in the suspension system move, bend, or break. The rule of thumb on the track was "Make it three times as strong as you think it needs to be, and don't be too surprised when it breaks!"
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!