Update:
Long story short, that leaf must have been out of position when they drilled it. If I remove the center bolt, and clamp the stack in my vise to true it up to the others, the hole doesn’t line up.
I also tested the theory that it moved to one end when I first reversed the bolt and that nut stripped. Thought maybe I punched an entirely new hole with the new hardened bolt. (Unlikely, I know) So I tapped one end of the leaf with a socket extension and a BFH to make it the same distance from the clip as the “good” one. No hole there. Furthermore, the post assembly paint job they did shows where everything was when I got them.
As to where we go from here:
1) Best option but the one I dislike the most - find a day to drive two hours one way to STL and have them fix it. I just want to get this job done and get on with my life. Not sure when I will find time to get to STL.
2) Position offending leaf correctly and drill a new hole. I’m sure that’s not a great idea.
3) Grab the corresponding leaf out of the original spring, clean it up and replace. Probably no guarantee it would line up perfectly.
4) Compare old springs to new to make sure they aren’t de-arched. Put one old spring back in service. Clean up, replace bushings, repaint and install.
Need a beer….
