My new bars and levers came in! But the Tektro 4.1's didn't come with instructions and they're not fitting into the bars all the way. There's a quarter inch of the expander plug not fitting into the bar on both sides. I'm installing them to road diameter VO porteurs.

Do I just gotta whack em or something? Or is that quarter inch normal?

Try loosening the expander bolt. Note that you need to turn it clockwise to loosen, opposite normal convention. You need to remove the levers to do this.

+1 on Southpaw's comment. I had the same issues with mine just a few weeks back. They are tricky and not a bit annoying that they don't come with any documentation whatsoever.

Well that's probably the problem! How strange. Glad you were online! haha Thanks.

Yeah I really appreciated the "instructions inside" label on the box.

Still not fitting! clockwise drew the bolt in and expanded the black sleeve. Am I supposed to remove that sleeve?

If clockwise expanded the sleeve, then you need to go the other way and un-expand it if you are trying to insert it into the bar end. I've never seen or used these, so YMMV.

I ended up just getting the bold as loose as I could and whacking it in that last quarter inch with the blunt end of a screw driver. Nothing made an awful sound or got mutilated so I think I'm good to go.

In is good. You have to do that with a lot of bar ends with expanders on them anyhow.

Yes, remove the sleeve.