Too much metal on the Z axis?

I have ordered a bit too much metal and linear rails for the front plate of my Z axis, the back plate is 320 tall but for some reason i ordered 400mm plate and rails for the front plate where the spindle mounts.

Should i leave the extra or cut it down to match the back?.

Is it generally a good thing to have maximum space between the linear carriages on the Z axis?
I had originally sketched around 30mm but after drawing it up fully it lookalike i can go to about 70-80mm apart.