Was looking at my 89 2wd and wondering about how to lower it just a bit....
I have looked at lowering by shackle flips, blocks under the axle, and don't like either.
If I have to remove the leaf spring rear frame mounts anyway, why not remove the front mounts as well, and have both ends adjustable. I am only looking at 2, maybe 3", and most of the methods I read about are 4" or more....way too much. I just want the rear to be level with the front. Seems to me that a lot of lowering at just one end will cause pinion angle issues, but lowering both ends of the leaf springs will make for less angle change.
I have access to a major machine shop at reasonable prices. They can cut and bend for me...all I have to do is bring them a mockup..

 

The easiest way is to remove a few leaf springs. That will lower it, but heavy hauling capacity is gone. Although with it lowered your limiting your hauling capacity due to bottoming out on a speed bump if you have anything more than a microwave in the bed. Useless!

 

a few? there are only 4, and one of them is the overload.....

Not going that route....already have the lightest rear springs available from the factory. It won't be used for hauling heavy stuff.....I have a full size half ton pickup for that...

 

Drop the overload that is totally unneeded then and drop the smallest leaf. The upper 2 will be fine on their own.

 

I believe that is worth a try......After I get it all put back together, and road worthy, and licensed, I will try it...

 

Why not jack up on the t-bars to bring the front up to match the rear?

 

it is not 4x4, has coils in front....new coils that I just installed last week.

It was a 4 cylinder/manual trans truck, will be a 5.9 v8/auto trans truck....

 

i know that you can get a new spring pack made to lift up the rear, maybe you could get one made to lower it?

 

Actually, you can trim the ends of the lesser spring leafs to lower the load rating....common load ratings for dakota rear ends are approximately, IIRC, 2300, 2700, 3000, and 3600, depending on year and configuration...so you can measure the lengths of the lesser leafs and trim accordingly....The lightest years are the early years....

But I am almost sure that such trimming will not be enough. I won't know til the truck competely reassembled..