International 9400 suspension broken rear spring

Have a broken rear spring on my 1998 9400. Is this pretty straightforward or is getting the axle to line back up gonna be a real pain in the ... any tips or tricks you can share would be great. Parking lot repair

 

Well, it's easier than it looks. For those looking for tips: have U bolts available nearby just in case. I had to cut one out. You do have to remove the cross member that the air bags ride on. Don't un do the airbags, just the 5 bolts (4small and 1 big) on each side that attach the lower shock mount to the leaf spring so you have so play in the cross member to get the new spring in. Also have a source for new bolts (4 small ones) they were a pain to get out. That and a few hours and you're good to go

 

Did it at the flying j in Aurora co, right next to the international dealer so I was lucky parts wise. I carry enough tools to do most jobs. Was a fairly quick job for never having done it before . Unfortunately i just got a 3 axle alignment so I'll just keep an eye on the tires and hope for the best.

 

Ok, another quick lesson learned. After bobtailing about town and retorquing ubolts, I noticed 1 air bag was leaning a bit. Got a tape measure and sure as heck the air bag cross member isn't square. Pick yourself a reference point. I measured from the rear of the axle housing to the center of the lower shock bolt. I used a bottle jack between the axle housing and the cross member to get it the same on both sides. Get the measurements before taking off the u bolts and you are golden.

 

Which way is it out? Front to back can be fixed by loosening ubolts and using a ratchet strap to pull it forward or backwards (the axle)