How to fix the spring on a reclining sofa?

I have a leather sofa that reclines on both ends. There is a plastic pull lever on each end that you pull to recline but the now it won't recline on either end. I turned the sofa over and saw a spring had come off the hole where it had been hooked, but when I tried to hook the spring back it was virtually impossible because it is so tight that I couldn't hook it back into the place. Any advice?