Dakar Springs too short.

[Ghost Rider]

I'm in the middle of putting an OME kit on my FJ40. I got springs on, but when I tried to put the axle on the spring pins, my drive shaft bottoms out well before the point where the pin meets the hole on the axle shoe. I measured my old springs (purchased from SOR near 20 years ago) and the distance is about 5/8 inch longer from the center of the pin to the center of the spring eye.
It's been a holiday weekend so I haven't been able to contact the seller.
After 20 years of corrosion, those old springs were a bear to get off. I'd hate to have to remove the new springs and send them back, but having my drive shaft get pounded when the axle is fully extended is kind of a bad thing to my reasoning.
Has anyone had to tackle something like this before?

 

[caz]

Do you have the spring backward? The spring pin is not in the middle.

 

[brian]

common problem with dakars being too short, it;s going to have interesting shackle angles as well.
i've read people forcing them on by weighting the rear or otherwise pulling the axle upward.
i would think having the prop shaft shortened would be a better...yet still a poor plan.
the other thing you could do would be move the axle back .75".....not really that hard of a job.

 

[Jakes40]

I have some Alcan springs I'm selling off my parts rig. I was told they are 4" but I'm not sure.