Spring only fit one way bushings are different sizes and would be about 10 inch off .just saying...

 

i know all about leaf springs...

 

sounds like you need to mess around with the axle a bit to get the center pins in the leaf perch on the axle. at least that's what i'm starting to understand now that i've read it again.

so obviously you have the main leaf/pack bolted in. you just can't get the center pin to go in the hole on the axle because the axle is tilted and the leaf perch won't line up.

just give it a little work while on the jack. you may have to just jack up the axle until the jeep wants to lift off the jack stands and get a little rough with it. i know it's hard to explain, but i had the same trouble the last time i had mine apart. and mine aren't bastard packs.

 

That's exactly where I'm stuck at. I have the packs assembled and on the jeep I just can't get the center pin to seat in the axle perch. Should I be concerned about the axle being tilted forward/down? Or when I finally get it seated and everything tightened down will it fix it for the most part?

 

yes, you can also try using another jack to push the pinion up. this will rotate the axle and the center pins may just slip right in.

if you are using larger center pins, you might have to either grind them down a little or open up the center hole in the axle a bit.

i know s-10 uses a larger 3/8 center pin.

 

X2 on this. I had to grind it down a bit on my bastard pack. And nowhere do you find someone to say, "Don't grind too much, just enough to fit in the perch and no more."

(us noobs need to know this stuff)