2002 self-leveling

I'm new to this forum and looking for some advice. I replaced my rear self leveling shocks with AC Delco replacements. The shocks came with two bags of extras (new lines, fittings, and spring for the dryer). I replaced according to directions and now have a terrible ride that is noisy. The rear shocks ride like they have 125 psi in them, and the top tube that covers the rod is loose and slams into the top mount after being compressed. I actually miss the ride of my old wornout shocks!! Could I have received bad shocks or should I do something different. Any help would be great.

I had my rear self-leveling (ELC) air struts replaced in my 99 PAU not too long ago because one was leaking. They weren't OEM, as only one OEM was available within 100 miles, but they are just air struts. Anyway, with 130K miles or so on them, I had a pretty soft ride (before replacing them, a person could shove down on a corner of the car and watch it bounce four times), so it seemed a lot rougher with four new struts (had the front ones replaced around that time too, as one of them was leaking as well). I liked the softer worn-out ride until I got used to the better handling. I don't think it was any noisier, though. You might describe the noise in case it helps someone else determine what might be causing it. Regarding the loose part, hopefully someone can tell you what to do there (I could tell you to tighten/fix it, but I'm assuming you know that).

Maybe the ride is stiff due to the shocks and struts being new. I do miss the softer ride. As for the noise, It is the outer shell of the shock that covers the center rod. I think it should be attached to the top mounting area. However, it appears the only thing that holds it up is air pressure. So when the shock is compressed, the outer shell will slide down the center rod then slam back to the top after compression of the shock. Wish I could explain it better.