There is no more basic suspension upgrade than a leaf spring lift kit, and it just so happens that Editor-in-Chief Rick Pw has a mid-'80s pickup languishing in his backyard, just yearning for some upgrades. The GMC 3/4-ton, affectionately known as Lawn Ornament, was squatting on de-arched leaf springs, tired shocks, and some skinny Dayton All-Season tires when we arrived at his house around 9 am. By 4:30 that afternoon, she was lifted and almost ready to wheel (Pw needs to order some 35- or 37-inch muddies to replace the little A/S's).
The Tuff Country EZ-Ride 6-inch suspension has new leaf springs in each corner, new shocks, and most of the required hardware, making the install as idiotproof as possible. And when you consider that it was done in the backyard with only a floor jack, jack stands, an impact gun, and some good handtools, it's hard to argue that anything could be easier. Since every suspension install is different, we're not going in-depth into this one, but rather showing some of the cheap tricks we used for backyard wrenching.