Okay. The squashed spring got to me...
Still squashed it with spacers....just couldn't look at that every time I plunk myself in the seat.
I can hear my Grandfather and Dad saying "you need to lose some weight young man?!?!"
"I'm RCW, and I'm a LOT taller, bigger, and chubbier than my paternal ancestors....."
While Grandpa is gone, my Dad is still kicking and hasn't seen the seat rebuild first-hand yet. I'm not saying a word about spring change.
Call this version 1.400, I guess, as it's a 400lb/in spring. 300 might have worked, but I'm NOT buying another spring...period....
Spring OD just fits. Had to make new yoke for top, and get new caps. Ended up buying 4" stainless washers for survey stakes. $7 each was good in my book. Good and heavy...maybe 10 gauge or close. Reused shock from the golf cart.
Also shortened the side links on the new yoke. Closer to what I saw in pictures of OEM. That might have helped with the 200lb spring, but at this juncture I didn't want to guess.
I noticed the funky weld on the near side in the first picture. Looks cracked or cold, but you don't see that in person. I think it needed more grinding before paint, as the weld looks high in person. I think/hope it's solid.....
It also raises my seat position a couple inches. Not a bad thing, especially with the blade on. We used to drive this a lot standing up, as the seat was low.
Will likely re-make the version 1.200 with the spare parts, as I have an extra cheapie shock I got from Amazon.