Installing Rear End... Help!!!

[hardtimes]

Without pics of your situation(using your words as mental pics)it sounds as tho you are only a step away from installation.
With you hydraulic floor jack under the rear center section, jack it up to within half inch of bottom of ubolts. Then with a large 'prybar' , place it behind the spring(at the center) and up into the rear cross member. Use your foot (or arm if strong enough) and push forward on the bar....as you jack the spring up quickly into the cross member. The spring will follow/slide up the crowbar and into the cross member. The idea is to have just enough bar on the crossmember to let the spring enter past the tip.
BTW- before you do the above noted process, take a chalk and look up into the rear cross member and see the centerbolt hole. Chalk the outside (rearside)of the crossmember. Now, chalk the rear face of the rear spring also...where the center bolt is located. Now when you enter the spring into the rear cross member...just line up the chalk lines. This way, your centerbolt head will go right into crossmember hole.
Oh, and don't forget to place the piece of frame welt (I glue it)on top of spring...with hole generously cut out for centerbolt...no squeeky sounds,eh!

Note: If the spring shackles are properly secured...don't worry about the spring being abused, as this is the way it has always been done, IMO.

[bogdonj]

Originally Posted by hardtimes

Without pics of your situation(using your words as mental pics)it sounds as tho you are only a step away from installation.
With you hydraulic floor jack under the rear center section, jack it up to within half inch of bottom of ubolts. Then with a large 'prybar' , place it behind the spring(at the center) and up into the rear cross member. Use your foot (or arm if strong enough) and push forward on the bar....as you jack the spring up quickly into the cross member. The spring will follow/slide up the crowbar and into the cross member. The idea is to have just enough bar on the crossmember to let the spring enter past the tip.
BTW- before you do the above noted process, take a chalk and look up into the rear cross member and see the centerbolt hole. Chalk the outside (rearside)of the crossmember. Now, chalk the rear face of the rear spring also...where the center bolt is located. Now when you enter the spring into the rear cross member...just line up the chalk lines. This way, your centerbolt head will go right into crossmember hole.
Oh, and don't forget to place the piece of frame welt (I glue it)on top of spring...with hole generously cut out for centerbolt...no squeeky sounds,eh!

Note: If the spring shackles are properly secured...don't worry about the spring being abused, as this is the way it has always been done, IMO.

Thanks guys! I was going to try this and I did mark the center hole... But wanted to make sure before I messed with the spring!