Installing spring on vintage swingbike

[unregistered]

Any tips? Putting it back together and can’t get the spring in the slackest position, let alone the other two stiffer options...

Thanks for any direction.

 

[swingbiker71]

When I did it, I used a pair of vise grips, carefully, and pulled and turned to hook the other end.

 

[GTs58]

I checked out a few pics of the spring set up and have one idea if the hook is large enough, and it looks like it is in the pictures. Get a piece of rod, tubing or maybe a 12" long 3/8" drive extension and hook the spring on it. Then hug the fork/head tube and pull the spring back using both hands on the ends of the rod and get the end of the hook placed on the attaching bracket. I use this method at work with smaller springs, and they're just as much a PITA as a big spring.