Finally! Got option B done! Bonas nachos amigos!

 

Finally completed head gasket job!!! New britpart t-stat opens at 194...
Need to replace both downstream 02 sensors...saturated in oil and stuck...

 

Tried to change my rear springs - got the old one out no problem. New one was not going in without at least an inch maybe 1.5 inches of compression. Dropped the axle until the brake line was a stretched as far I was willing to go.

But other than that this is going to be a easy job, all the bolts came free without an issue.

I figure a good quality spring compressor will do the job just fine - now to actually find a good quality one

 

Use the factory bottle jack between the frame and the axle. No spring compressor needed

 

Good suggestion, I did use a bottle jack, it made getting the old spring out easy. But even with the bracket holding the brake line and sensor cable removed there was not enough slack in the brake cable, to drop that extra 1.5 inches

Unless I am missing something that brake line is just too tight. Using a coil spring compressor to take up 1.5 inches is not a big deal. Removing the caliper is also an option.

A crow bar might work but it is pretty tight in there, but I might give it a go.

 

you shouldn't even need to lift the truck up off the ground. Just use the bottle jack to tilt one side then the other. I do 1 corner at a time, whole job takes about an hour

 

I’ve done 3-4inch lifts before & with brake line brackets off, just a bottle jack between the axle and frame was enough to get the springs into place. You can even go a step further and remove the lower spring plate, pop the spring into place & then angle and slide the plate back into position below the coil.

I always disconnect the rear ABS lines as a CYA & once again “if” needed you could always remove a caliper and hang it out of the way if the lines have zero slack in them.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses to the spring issue, it has me baffled. The responses everyone has given are exactly what everything I read/watched indicated should be the case. But I ran out of time and had to put everything back in place

Removing the lower spring plate should give me enough space as that is the only thing stopping me getting the spring in place.

I have vacation time next week and I will take another crack at it.

I will start a thread for this then rather than clog up this one.

 

Finally got both regulators replaced, now all the locks and door work.
Working on the cone filter intake today, eventually getting to the Option B.

I am about to run out of thins to do. I am sure something will come up.

 

Had the MAF replaced with a known good BOSCH, also replaced the filter box cover and a new filter free of charge! Truck is running so much better, she just didn't quite like the Britpart MAF.

Also checked fuel economy since I did my 33s, I'm sitting at 15L/100Km, which is about the same in MPG. Not bad at all!