so your front struts are not sitting in the knuckle?
-Disconnect swaybar endlink
-Loosen lower control arm inside bolt (not a necessity but sometimes they are a PITA)
-Remove strut bolt (18mm i believe)
-use a large flathead screwdriver or a smaller prybar to wedge in the slot on the backside of the bottom of the knuckle. Use a hammer to tap upwards.
-If its spread just enough, you should be able to wiggle the knuckle/brake assembly and it should move downwards under its own weight a bit. You may need a longer prybar and a hook tool and pry down on the lower control arm, and you should overcome the resistance to get the knuckle from out and under the strut.
-Loosen the top 3 13mm and pull the strut out.
upon reassembly, you may need an extra set of hands to help you move the knuckle into place. keeping the screwdriver or the prybar wedged in the slot, use a jack to push the knuckle up until the strut bottoms out.
RWD and AWD front struts are different, however they will fit in the knuckle. The downside being the RWD struts will contact the axle boots and the length is physically different, which may explain the fist sized gap you have in the front of your car.