Suspension Help - Lowering/Leveling

[The Champ]

Need some suggestions of the best way to resolve a suspension issue on my '81 C10.

Bought the truck this spring - a one owner, all original truck with 83,000 miles. I knew for a fact that it had a bad left front spring and the whole truck leaned towards the driver's side.

I was hoping that new springs would level out both the front and the back. I wanted to lower the truck about 2" and looked at some drop springs - but when I was able to get a new set of ACDelco standard springs for $70.00 with no shipping (I work for an ACD warehouse distributor) vs. $150.00 (or more) plus shipping - I elected to cut 1 coil of the standard springs.

This really helped the front end, but only partially fixed the rear end. So took a good look at the rear springs and discoverd the #3 leaf on the driver's side was cracked. Pulled both springs and took out leaf #3 hoping that this would fix the lean problem and lower the rear to the level I wanted.

Well, it reduced the lean, but it still leans 1" and I'd probably like to lower the rear 1 more inch on the low side, 2" on the high side.

How would the resident experts attack this?

1. New rear lowering springs? If so, how much of a drop from "stock" and where do you buy them? Other than Eaton Spring - I haven't been able to find a source for lowering rear leaf springs. Eaton only goes up to a 3" drop - not sure that would be enough.

2. Lowering shackles - 2" drop on passenger side and 1" on driver's side?

If I go with the lowering shackles - I'm assuming that I have to notch the bed support. If I'm correct (photo below), is it just simply I cut that area out and I'm fine - or do I need to reinforce the area I cut out somehow.

This is a shot from the rear showing the 1" lean to the driver's side from the rear of the truck:



This is from the driver's side - I think another inch would get this where I'd like it:



This is the passenger side, which is 1 inch higher than the driver's side, so I'd like this side down 2":



This is the stock shackle - and I don't see how I can get a 2" drop shackle in there with out cutting that horizontal bed support out:



Side view of the truck showing the front and the taller passenger side rear:



Thanks in advance for any tips/suggestions!!!