If I'm going to tear the suspension apart, I only want to do it once.  The
fact is, even with the extra spring on the left side, it still leans down on
that side, WITHOUT a load on it.

Both sides are worn out enough that I want them both replaced.  The reason
is, I plan on taking my Ranger off the road this spring and using the F-150
in its' place.  Meaning that I will start using it to haul my trailer/ATV,
and occasionally larger loads of lumber and material related to my work.
But I'm not going to use this truck to travel into the city like I used to
with the 1/4 ton.

Just to give you an idea of how bad the springs really are, last year when I
was doing work to my lawn, I needed top soil.  So I took the 1/2 ton out to
the pit and loaded 2 yards of top soil on it (dry, not wet).  When the first
bucket load went into the bed, it dropped a bit, maybe an inch or inch and
1/2.  When the second load was dumped in (very slowly because I knew the
springs were in bad shape), the back bumper was about 1 1/2" from the
pavement, and the inner fenders on both sides were hitting the top of the
rear tires.  For a second, I thought about grabbing a shovel and shovelling
some back off the truck, but I said the hell with it, as I only had 4 kms to
haul it.  Let me tell you, those were the longest 4 kms I've ever driven, I
don't think I ever went over 20 km/h.  At one point when I drove over the
railroad tracks by home, I thought the back half of the truck was going to
snap off and lay there on the road, while me and the front half would likely
have rolled into the ditch.

If that gives you any kind of idea how bad the springs really are, you can
understand why I want to replace both sides, LOL.  As it stands, the idiot
who put the other leafs in thought it would be a good idea to strap the
springs together with hose clamps, about 20 of them altogether.  When I say
this guy is a moron, that is a complete understatement, but that is a whole
different story.

But I appreciate the suggestion anyway,
Sharky

BTW, the front suspension on the truck is in good shape, the shocks have
been replaced and the coils are both good as well.  So no, it is not leaning
down in the front.

Sharky

I've thought about it last night, and I've decided that I do not want to go
through the BS of removing another set of springs if I get a used set and
find out they're no better than what I've got now.  So once I get my income
tax back, I think I'll use it to purchase the new springs at Parts For
Trucks (where I got my $300 quote from).  I'll use what's left over for
shocks and new assembly hardware.

BTW, Mr. Midas was never paid to do any of the work.  Most of the time he
did the work in exchange for rent payment (he rented a trailer on a lot on
the same piece of land my grandfather lived on).  So unless he had time to
do it at his job, most of the work was done in his driveway.  He always had
some help from The Captain, which is where most of his work turned ugly.
How that poor truck ever stayed safe for the road is beyond my
stretch of the imagination.

The only reason I didn't take the truck and set it at the end of the
driveway for sale when it was passed to me is because it is the first
vehicle
I ever drove before I got my license.  16 years ago, it was in a lot better
shape than it was before Mr. Midas got his hands on it.  When I got it, it
had a lot of sentimental value because I was pretty close with my
grandfather.  But now that it has been painted with a lot of new body parts
and I've gotten some repairs done on it, for a 22 year old truck with just
over 105,000 kms on the clock, it is still a pretty tough old beast.
Unfortunately, after the springs are fixed, my next battle is with the rust
on the floor and frame.  When it wasn't being driven by my grandfather, it
sat most of its life on a grassy part of the driveway.  Thankfully, only the
bed has a few holes, the rest is just surface rust that needs to be prepped
and undercoated.

Anyway, I'm sure everyone has heard enough about this old truck, so once
again, thanks to all for the help.  BTW, the storytelling was also passed on
to me from my grandfather, as you can tell, ;)

Sharky