The vane assembly has mating vane support and vane ring, the vane ring having a plurality of annularly interspaced radial loading elements which, when the vane ring is assembled to the vane support, are in a resiliently flexed state and exert corresponding annularly interspaced and outward-oriented radial loads against the vane support, thereby restraining relative radial movement between the vane ring and the vane support during operation of the gas turbine engine. The method includes flexing each of the radial loading elements into the resiliently flexed state simultaneously by sliding the radial loading elements against corresponding lead-in tapers. This can be achieved using a guide tool which includes a plurality of segments bearing the lead-in tapers and which is previously assembled to the vane support.