Hi everyone....sorry if it's wrong to start a new thread for this but I'm not sure if the other one has gone too off topic, but I've removed a bad leaf spring but now I'm having difficulty installing the new one. I've put it in and put the rear bolt in. I was hoping to then install the front bolt and then the U-bolts, but the problem is that after I put in the back bolt, I can't put in the front one because the spring doesn't reach. I'm thinking that it has to be under some stress so it stretches and reaches? I put the jack under the spring and raised it some trying to straighten out the spring so it would reach, but because of the upward force of the jack, when the hole on the spring gets to the hole on the shackle it's too high. I can't help but think I'm doing something wrong. It's definitely the right size spring. Any ideas?

 

Yes..

 

I'm sorry....what part are saying "yes" too?

 

The part of the quote that I put in bold.

 

thanks, but when I put pressure on the center of the spring with the jack, it stretches out but misses the hole for the bolt. Is there a way to do this? do I need two jacks? one to put the end down?

 

Are you absolutely positive you have the correct size spring?

I'd get another set of hands to help you try and manipulate it into place..When I swapped out a rusty spring, my new one went right into place...

 

I'm pretty sure I do. They look identical....plus, I have a 98 four door and these came from a 2005- 2 door. I was told that they are the same part

 

I always put front bolt in first. This is the fixed end of the spring. The other end will get bolted to the shackle which should be free to rotate slightly. Really it does not matter which you install first as the shackle moves.

Coax your shackle a bit. Most likely because the old spring was bad, it would have been laid out longer (flatter) causing the shackle to be pushed towards the back of the truck.

 

it appears to be coming up about 2" short. When I lay this new leaf on top of the old one to compare...they're exactly the same size/shape

 

This is Soooooo Frustrating