Well, I did manage to get the springs turned around this weekend but I haven't had a chance to mount the axle as we decided to finish repairing my father-in-law's frame and start mounting the IFS before we forget how it's done. As it sits now it looks like it will work but...
The width, at least on the 97 Mountaineer axle I've got, looks good. How it works out for me in the end is still a ways down the build but I'll be sure to post the end results.