with some good planning you can get the leaf spring swap done for a whole lot less then $800... spend $30 on front hangers, $75 for some awesome shackles, $100 for some used leafs from a 1500 chevy and some ingenuity. add a few nuts bolts and a couple spring perches and your set.. I would guess you could do it for around $300..

 

plus welding labor because i don't trust myself. and i still have things in mind for 300 bucks that would be more useful personally. i'll just pull/ hammer it back into place for now because i don't like the idea of it rubbing on the spring.

 

One of mine has been missing since i got my rig

 

looks like it rusted out and collapsed at full compression

 

yea, maybe you can cut the lowest ball off the bump stop after you fix it so you will be a little less likely to smash it again..

 

however, i still do a little bit of wheeling, not very often but i do. and i have 32" tires that come close to rubbing the top of the rear wells at full articulation with the bumpstops in. if i shorten them then they will hit the top of the well and then i'm really screwed.

 

Not really. I can't see how your tire hitting the top of your well a little would do any damage. The bumpstops do help that but they are more for making sure your shocks do not bottom out. If your shocks hit full compression with some force it will ruin them. If your tires hit the wells before you bottom out your shocks you should be fine.