Torch is the easiest way.

 

How do I get the spring back down

 

I had the same thing happen a few years back. To get the spring back down i stacked up cinderblocks and jacked the frame up a bit then pulled the spring down by hand. Wasnt too hard. If you have a tow hitch its lower so less blocks and less jacking thats what i did.

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Same thing happened to my 97 off road toy when i still had that i just used the jack on the frame pulled the leaf down and tied the crap out of it with tons of rope you should be fine just go easy on it.

 

Well, we got the shackle done, we ended up using the cut off wheel to get the nut off, then beat out the bolt, but ran into the issue of my reese hitch being in the way, so we took an oxy torch to it and bend the bolt to get it by. As for the bushing on the leaf, we had to cut off the bolt. Took 4 hours to do it.

 

If you have too. Yes. You can drive. Bad idea.
Maybe wedge a 2x4 between the spring and the truck bed to help with the beating and rubbing its going to do. Maybe bolt the 2x4 to the floor.

 

I parked the truck before I did it. It wasn't driven until I went and got it worked on.

 

Yea those things can be a real pita

 

And it was.

 

Oh how familiar that looks on a first post. Happend to me, too. I was going down the road, nothing on the bed when the shackle let go. Lucky for me, I was going to my work, so after my day was over I took the pieces out, welded some new material to it and it's been there for some three years now. Still looks good, and hopefully will hold until I get air suspension done