We weighed our options of keeping the stock, boring, brick-stiff suspension and getting a cement spine implant or installing Softride leaf springs, which would lift our J-20 4 inches to fit 37-inch tires. Guess which option we took? Last issue we showed you the installation and tricks for the front of the Jeep. This month we'll show you some tips out back along with our tire fitment solutions all around.
For log, rock, and gravel hauling, you can't beat the factory back-breaker leaf springs (bottom). But for a lift, a smoother ride, and more suspension travel, the Skyjacker Softride rear leaf springs (top) are a welcome upgrade. The Skyjacker rear springs come complete with rubber bushings already installed. Look, ma, no lift blocks! | 
We suspended the rear of the truck with jackstands. The floor jack is located under the axle so it could be raised and lowered for easier installation and removal of the leaf springs. Remove the wheels and shocks. | 
Much like what happened in the front, the rear spring mounts collapsed a little, making it difficult to install the new springs. A little adjustment with the prybar remedies the problem. |
The new rear springs have more arch than the stock factory parts, so it can be tricky to get them in place. We first installed the shackle end of the spring and used a large ratchet strap to stretch the spring forward into place so the main-eye mounting bolt could be installed. The ratchet strap is hooked onto the spring clip on one end and a frame hole on the other. A prybar is also helpful when wriggling the spring into its home. | 
With the springs in position, we jacked the rear axle into place and installed the U-bolts. We needed 9/16-inch, 3 1/8-inch wide by 9-inch long U-bolts because the Skyjacker parts that were included are not intended to be used on the J-20's larger Dana 60 rear axle. Torque the nuts to 80 lb-ft in a criss-cross pattern, making sure the center pins are lined up with the spring perches and U-bolt plates. | 
Install the new shocks, tires, and wheels. Lower the Jeep and tighten the shackle bolts to 30 lb-ft and the main-eye bolts to 50 lb-ft. We found out the shims that came with our Skyjacker springs wouldn't work on our longbed truck. The pinion angle was all out of whack once the Jeep was back on the ground. |