Explorer leaf springs don't fit my B2

[johnnybronco]

I've just gotten some explorer leaf springs to put into my B2 and the center pin on the Explore springs is just a hair forward of the spot on the B2 where it's supposed to go. Any ideas? Can I just widen that hole and make it fit? Do the springs just need to be compressed?

 

[Nathan123]

Yeah I had this problem on my truck too. I did the drivers side first and noticed the pin was like two inches in front of the hole. I just put the floor jack under the axle and cranked it up till it popped in. If you watch, as the spring compresses, the shackle moves backwards. On the passenger side, it was even farther off, so I put jackstands under the frame and jacked the axle up to just under the spring. Then I pulled the axle forward (by hand) until the pin popped into the hole in the perch. The jack needs to have wheels to do this. I just assume that they dont line up because they are loaded differently in a explorer/vs a bronco ii, and need to "settle" before they fit exactly right. I put in one inch blocks a few months after the swap, and I didn't have any problems getting the pin to line up in the perch hole.

 

[johnnybronco]

Thanks for the info. I wound up lifting the other side at the same time and resting the frame on jackstands so the axle was free and I could pull the whole axle forward just a hair until it popped in. Then I left the nuts and bolts loose until I did the same thing on the other side. I wonder if I messed up the way the axle rides, but it seems to be working fine.

 

[The_Dealer]

S just the way the axle moves when u lower it to get the spring out. It will always move slightly, plus the arch of the floor jack when it lifts and lowers. Nothing to worry about
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[1984broncoduce]

do you get any lift from explorer spring?