Off-road use is one reason you might want to beef up your suspension
If you have a sagging or broken leaf spring on your older pickup truck, or you just want to beef up your truck's rear suspension in order to haul heavier cargo, you may need to install new leaf springs on it. A rear leaf spring replacement is something you can do yourself, if you have the proper tools and are willing to put your efforts into it. The job may be too challenging for some home mechanics, but if you have the right tools and skills, you can save yourself some serious money. Every truck is a bit different, but some basic instructions can get you started.
Instructions
1. Jack the rear of the truck high enough to allow yourself ample working space. Place a jack stand under the frame rails, on each side. DO NOT place the stands under the axle housings. Lower the jack until the truck rests on the jack stands. Rock it slightly, to be sure it is securely supported.
2. Remove both rear wheels. Hook up a work light. Liberally spray the ends of the axle U-bolts and the shackle through-bolts with a good penetrating lubricant. Don't be stingy with this, as the bolts and nuts will typically be corroded. Give the lubricant ample time to penetrate--about 15 to 20 minutes, minimum.
3. Place the floor jack or bottle jack under the center of the differential housing. Jack up the entire rear axle assembly a few inches, just enough to relieve the tension on the fasteners.
4. Loosen the nuts on the U-bolts that secure the springs to the axle housings. Do this for both sides and readjust the jack tension, if necessary. Carefully remove all the nuts. Remove all the mounting hardware and lay it aside.
5. Remove the nuts on the spring shackle through-bolts, front and rear, on each side. If the bolts won't slide out easily, it may be necessary to tap them out with a soft-faced hammer, or a conventional hammer and wood block or a drift punch. In either case, be careful not to damage the threads, as the bolts will be reused in the reassembly. Remove the old springs completely. Clean all the corrosion you can off the old hardware that you'll reuse.
6. Guide the ends of the new springs into the shackles and install the through-bolts and nuts. Tighten them up firmly.
7. Replace the U-bolts and nuts and any other hardware that you removed. Tighten the nuts enough to lightly secure the springs to the axle housings, but do not tighten them completely. Remove the jack from under the differential.
8. Replace the rear wheels, jack the truck up, remove the jack stands, and slowly lower the truck onto the ground. This will allow the suspension to settle properly. With the full weight of the vehicle on the suspension, tighten the U-bolt nuts firmly. Drive the truck, to insure that there are no rattles and that the rear suspension works smoothly.
Tags: axle housings, beef your, each side, hardware that, jack stands
