2005 Dodge Neon Engine mounting strut question

Guys, my daughter has a 2005 Dodge Neon that needs the two engine mounting struts replaced on the passenger side. I've managed to replace the top one without too much trouble, but I'm concerned about replacing the bottom one. The Chilton manual basically says to support the engine with a floor jack, then pull the old struts off and replace with the new ones. I can do that, but need to know A) how much tension is on the lower strut (when I undo the bolts, is there anything else that I need to have supported?), And B) is there any reason to make an adjustment like the Chilton manual says. (It says that I need to do a positional adjustment by loosening both upper and lower struts, then measuring from the middle of the rear motor mount bolt (the part sticking up) to a small hole in the shock strut tower. The distance is supposed to be 7.4 inches and if not I need to use the floor jack to gently raise/lower the motor until that distance is achieved, then torque all bolts to the spec of 87 fp.) I'm wondering: if I can't get the 7.4" distance specified, is it OK to adjust the struts until the vibration/noise are minimized or cease, then torque everything down? I called the Dodge house but the tech said he wasn't aware of anything like what I described but to follow the book and I'd be OK. Thanks for your help!