I got the diff back and buttoned it up. I found a good stopping place for the day, which is putting the leaf spring back up. I am planning on placing a couple of floor jacks on each end and raising them until I can get the nuts on. At that point, I hope it flattens up enough to move around so I can button it up to the differential.

If this is way off, please let me know.

 

If you're talking about jacking up the ends before its bolted to the differential, I don't think it'll be too easy to move around under pressure, probably not too safe either.
When I did mine I bolted the spring to the diff, then clamped a block of wood to the spring near the end to keep the jack from sliding up. It was just far enough from the end that the jack was clear of the spring cup. you can use bigger clamps and a few wood blocks if you're worried about scratching the paint.

 

I agree with the above poster.

If you tried to use a couple jacks to attach the ends first, not only would it seem like the spring would want to "pop out" , but I think you'd have a rough time getting the bolts through the center spring pad lined up and threaded into the diff. correctly.

Bolt your spring up to the differential first, then do the sides with the floor jack and clamps.

 

You might want to just snug up the 4 bolts on the differential cover than use the "C" clamp and wood to get the left and right bolts started than put the wheels on and lower the car to the ground, than tighten up the differential cover bolts. That way you won't snap an ear off of the diff cover. PG.

 

Great idea. I did not get much success from the "C" clamp methods shown in the books. I use 2 rachet clamps from Sears much like a vice grip and avoided the mess of the "C" clamp pushing off. The "C" method shown in the books did not work at all..... bent the "C" clamp and was appartely very dangerious Well, they did not have these newer clamps back then. It seams all you want to do is get the spring up enough to get the bolt started throught the TA. The 2"x4" just provides position between the jack and the clamp.

 

just lightly tight untill the end spring bolts are on. I went as far as putting the back of the car on the ground and pushing the car backwards and forwards, to let the spring settle, before I torqued the 4 spring plate bolts down.

 

The way to do it is this. I did it this way, it keeps the stress off the componants.
Set the rear on jack stands, as low as possible. Take the spring and put the plate under it, put this on a floor jack and jack it into aprx. place. Thread in two opposing (180° out) diff spring plate bolts, you can move the spring to get them to thread, as it pivots on it's center bolt in the diff cover. just tighten these a couple of turns. now install the other two. Now you can benefit from my experience. The top spring tine may need a couple of taps with a hammer away from the last hole to get the last bolt in. once all 4 are in, tighten them to about 5-10 lbs or so, now place your bolts washers and bushings into the rear trailing arm. Set your floor jack at 90° to the spring to keep it from moving (facing out of the back of the car) and jack the end just inside of the spring bolt hole up untill you can thread the nut onto the bolt with the new bushing and washer in place, adjust it to where you would like it, then do the other side.
There are various ways to clamp the jack to the spring if you don't feel comfortable with the air method, considering that a slip could potentily kill you. Then lower each side to the ground and push the car backwards and forwards a couple of times to let the tires straighten-up and spring settle, then crawl under there on your back and torque the spring bolts to spec. Easy as that. The hardest part for me was getting the spring plate bolts on with the new spring with it's new rubber spacers, like I said above, a light tap on the top spring tines in the opposite direction from the hole is what got mine to work. Good Luck,, C.

 

The method that I install a rear spring is much simpler.
I bolt the spring to the differential and then I use a jack on the first side (on which I choose to start with) and jack up the spring until the hole in the spring goes through the bolt coming from the trailing arm. Then I install the nut and washer and use the nut to adjust ride height.
Then I repeat the same procedure on the other side.
My jack has rubber padding and won't slip off the spring.