used to be a common mod on fords, in my yoof, to pack out the spring with a couple of washers or spacer to pre compress the spring.
You naughty person - not that I have ever done such a thing - but there's a perkins A4-212 that I, er, didn't do that too after the spring broke and the thing was needed "yesterday" for first cut, honest guvnor
( still going too )