Torn strut boots.

[timothy]

The bottom lip of the bump stop fits securely into the top of the rubber boot. If the boot is not actually torn then you push the bump stop back in and go about your business. Strut boots are sold separately but as Randall says you're looking at hundreds of dollars in labor to replace a $20 part.

[san rensho]

Thanks. The front end is still as tight as a drum at 116k miles, so I'll just wait until something else fails before i dig into the front end. After just replacing the coolant tank, (8 hours and lots of cuts and bruises) I certainly don't feel like embarking on another big project for a while.