There are a few posts about how to install a leaf spring when the car has plenty of weight. How do you do it when you have just the frame and the rear suspension, thus very little weight. Jacking under the spring and sitting on the frame gets me within a few inches. What do you guys suggest? A come-along? Round up all my fat friends?

 

actually fat friends is probably the safest way. I have clamped a block of wood to the spring and then used a pipe clamp on the suspension crossmember but I wouldn't suggest anyone be stupid enough to replicate this method although it worked.
I'll be interested to see what other methods are out there.
jer

 

If you have an embedded tie-down in your garage floor, you could chain the frame down and then jack the leaf spring into place. Barring that, you could wedge the tail of the frame under something (ie: a brace built onto the wall) and, again, jack the leaf.

 

I had to do this. I placed a long 2x4 between the chassis and the ceiling and jacked the leaf spring up. Crude, but effective.

 

Fat friends are very appreciative of food and drink. Entice them with food. :) Chuck

 

I had the car on the frame and had to have 2 fatty's hanging off the bumper.(Me and my father in law) there is a lot of power in that spring BE CAREFULL! We used a small block of wood between 2 welders C clamps so the jack would not slide.If I was going to do it with no car on frame I would borrow a heavy steel beam and lay it on top of frame rails.I would do both side at once.I would purchase extra long 1/2 threader rod and use it instaed of the normal bolts and use it as apuller to pull the spring into place.alittle at a time on each side .Once the spring was in place i would take a chain and chain the spring to the steel beam laying across the frame rails.to hold it saftley in place(here is were you would use the C clamps so the chain dosent slide).I would remove the threaded rod and then install the proper length bolts.over tighten them to put slack in the chain ,remove the chain the adjust the bolt to its proper location.Remember be carefull the spring is very powerfull.I dont think you could use a come along because they are too long to squeeze it together as much as you have to.I would be carefull wedging wood up against the roof
wood is unpredictable if you put forsce on it in the wrong spot.Years ago when i was 15 I had to bend the rear frame rail on a mustang.And i parked it on top of a sewer grate on the street .put the tire on the grate (used only a spare steel wheel because the rubber tire would compress before any thing started to move)and then tied the rail to the grate with a come along used a little heat and was able to remove a nasty kink with a bottle jack. To this day my dad has not been able to figure out how I straighten that frame rail.good luck and be carefull