is it normal to have to force the spring in?

[eric©]

Just put a 4" suspension lift on my Explorer today, and I found it odd that I had to force the spring into the cup (front coils). I put the spring on the axle, used the factory nylon bushing (the one with the pointed arrow looking part on it, I figured it was to fit up against the end of the spring wire), and put the beveled washer so the nut was sitting in the washer. When I jacked the axle back up, the driver's side coil was in front of the coil bucket by a good 4 inches, passenger about 2 inches. I ended up pushing the coil over by hand, and held it while jacking the axle up. I had to use a lot of pressure to push it over too. Seemed like the axle was rotated too far forward, tho the knuckles look like they're at the proper angle at ride height.

Is this normal to have to push the coils over like that? This is my first time ever doing a lift on an Explorer, tho I've done several on Jeeps and S10s.

I got the lift off a 1987 Ranger. I don't know the brand. I have a full bracket for the driver's side beam, drop bracket for the passenger side beam, and drop brackets for the radius arms. It seemed like maybe I should have been using a bent radius arm, but the guy I got the Ranger from said that the RAs on the Ranger were stock (not like I could have used them anyways).

 

[jrgaylor]

The spring buckets have a indentation were the end of the coil is suppose to go. on the passenger side it is on the outside and on the drivers side it is towards the engine. Once you have the spring in the buckets youmay have to rotate the spring to get it in place. I use a pry bar to help get my springs past the spring retainers.