Question about using animations from a different mechanim avatar

I've been trying to make a simple character ragdoll when collided with a projectile object, and having so many issues.

Question: I'm using a model that is using mechanim animations from another avatar. When the animation is turned off (so the character goes ragdoll), the ragdoll "springs". Sometimes it springs upwards a bit, and other times it rockets down to the ground, or sometimes rockets on his face.

Is this because the animations are set for a different avatar and so when the animation controller is shut off it's springing back to the ragdoll avatars original bone positions? If not, does anyone have any ideas? Been stuck for days on simple ragdolling characters :\

Thanks!

edit I downloaded a sample character with animations, created the ragdoll using the ragdoll wizard, made sure it was a mechanim character, when I press a key, the animator is disabled and all of the bones with rigidbodies are set iskinematic = false, I changed the colliders in the bones so that they aren't over lapping each other.... no matter what I do, when it ragdolls it's so violent, with the limbs or the body springing in some direction or another. I checked a project that uses ragdolls, and every video I see online of basically the exact same method I am using, and they aren't doing this. I've tried about 5 different models, with 5 different animations.... I am just baffled. sigh