After reading super-helpful posts online that give great instructions, and tapping the tool shed and expertise of a handy father-in-law, fix the classic sagging rear end by spending $36 on a pair of Add-A-Leafs and $50 on a couple of new shocks.
To start, it helped having a real floor jack, and then a couple of jack stands to keep the entire rear-end of the truck lifted while we worked, which also allowed us to remove both wheels (giving us more room to work).
Before I say anything else, I must say that Scott's 'cheater bar' was my best friend today, mostly in the removal of the four (times two for each side of the axle) 19mm bolts that were torqued to probably 80 ft lbs. I had sprayed them with PB Blaster earlier in the morning, which may have helped. But either way, with that cheater bar it was just a matter of slowly pulling and every bolt came undone.
In short order, we had the rear springs disassembled and ready to insert the Add-A-Leaf -
We smeared the anti-friction pads with marine grease and inserted the AAL -
After calculating the length of the new 3/8" centering bolt (and sawing it to that length), we had to figure out how to line up all the leaves to get the bolt through them. We ended up clamping all five together with Scott's giant C-clamps and then tightened the new nut onto the bolt, before reassembling the U-bolts.
Then it was time to quick replace the rear shocks -
And soon enough the first side was done (new shock and the AAL is the black leaf second from bottom, or the overload spring) -
We worked together on the second side (while K took some photos) -
And then it was done, too -
It may not be easy to tell between these photos, but the difference in the lift was immediate as soon as we dropped Stuart back to earth...
[Before - taken the day I got ol' Stuart... ]
[After - note the difference in the amount of space between the wheel and wheel well in the two photos... ]
Anyway, now he is level and, according to Scott, can probably handle another 600-700 pounds in the back. Next... get the exhaust system redone (at a shop), and maybe replace the front shocks. Then he'll be ready for Part two... building out the back for dirtbagging.
