Easy way to get new leafsprings back in???

I'm in the process of installing new Dakar leafsprings in my 2003 Tacoma, and I'm having problems getting everything lined up. I was reading some other installs with the add a leafs, where the main eye bolts and shackles didn't have to be removed, but I couldn't find anything on full replacement of leafs. I'm doing one side at a time (starting on the passenger side), and maybe it's cause I'm doing it by myself without another hand to help, but I've lined up the rear shackles and mounted the springs on the ubolts, but now I can't get the main eye bolt to line up with the bracket. It seems like it's gotta move forward just 2 inches to line up, and jacking up the axle on the passenger side only moves it up and down...would it be easier if I took off the wheel on the driver's side rear? and would that allow me to move the axle on the passenger side forward just a little? I don't want to mess with the driver's side too much in case I move everything around too much...

Or should I first bolt in the shackles and the front main eye bolt, then bolt the leafsprings to the axle? (I'm thinking that I'll have the same difficult issue of lining up the leafsprings on the axle if I did it this way too.

I'd appreciate advice from anyone that's replaced their leafs. Thanks

 

I did mine and did my others friends, it helps with someone else. Takes me 30 minutes for each side, do one side at a time.
1. jack up truck on stands to frame,remove wheels
2 put a jack under the axle pumpkin "center"
3. unbolt all bolts, remove parking brake lines "from pin"
4. remove shocks , remove leaf pack
5. Slide in new leaf pack , bolt the up the front first "front main bolt"
6. line up the center pin in the axle and loosely put in the u bolts
7. line up the shackles and bolt it up, might have to raise or lower axle thats why the jack is under, and or push the axle back or forwards with help
8. tighten it all up
9. bolt back shocks.

This is my way of doing it , there is other ways.

 

^Sounds about right. We did it one side at a time. We put the shackle on the leaf then bolted it to frame (2nd Gen).
An extra set of hands makes it much easier.

 

I did my all by myself, so I understand the pain you are going though. When the front bolt holes on the leafs wouldn't line up I just put a large socket on the bottom bolt of the back shackle and rotated it forward. This moved the entire leaf enough until in aligned the front holes.

 

Ok thanks guys I appreciate it. I'm gonna try BVCOTaco's method first since I already have the ubolts and rear shackle loosely bolted in. If that doesn't work, I'm gonna try unbolting and putting in the rear main bolt in first, then the u-bolt and then the rear shackle last. I still have the wheel on the drivers side on, is it necessary to remove that wheel first in order to get the axle to shift forward a little? Cause I was having problems shifting that axle forward enough to get the rear main bolt to line up...or is there an easy way to shift the axle forward that you guys used?

thanks guys!

 

It's MUCh easier to install the main eye bolt first, then the ubolts and the shackles last. You can use a floor jack to help position the axle and move the shackle plates to line it all up to install the lower shackle bolt.

 

got it, I'm gonna try and tackle it all again this weekend. Thanks guys!

 

Update:

So I finally got the leafsprings in thanks to yalls help! If anyone is planning on tackling it by themselves, this is what I found out worked the best. It took me like an hour of putting it on, taking it off, putting it on etc, until I figured out the best way. Once I didm the other side only took like 15 minutes.

1. make sure you jack up the rear of the truck as high as possible using jackstands on the frame near the rear main eye bolt.

2. mount the leafsprings to the main eye bolt first, then the rear shackles

3. line up the pin on the leafsprings to the hole on the mount on the axle

4. then grab some ratchet straps and loop one end around the axle and the other end to the frame of the truck near the main eye bolt and start ratcheting.

5. eventually the pin on the leafsprings will drop into the hole on the axle

6. bolt up the ubolts and ur done!

 

I've used a ratchet strap to pull the axle forward as well

 

x3 on the ratchet straps! I did mine myself too pita at some point

 

Guys this forum thread saved me! Now off to the trails...

 

I had to move my axle back when I went to Dakar's. I used the ones from allpro But that is when they switched to Dakar for the model of springs. I also got one spring with a main eye bushing already installed??? The reason I had to move the axle back is that the slip yoke was bottoming out and the tires were munching on the front of the wheel well