The front springs are marginally more difficult, but not too bad. I'm going off of memory here, so if I left anything out, feel free to ask questions or someone will come in and correct me.
Put the front end on jackstands as high as you can get it. I don't want to admit how many times I've had to stop in the middle and raise the truck because I didn't give myself enough room to account for a longer and expanded spring.
Remove the wheels and then the brake caliper and tie it up out of the way. Remove the swaybar endlinks and flip the swaybar up out of the way. If you have ABS, go ahead and unhook the sensor at this time also. Place your jack under the spring pocket in the lower control arm and take the pressure off the suspension. Make sure this jack is secure, it will be retaining all the spring pressure while you disconnect everything.
There's 2 ways to proceed from here, the right way and the easy way........lol
I would check the upper control arm bushings and all the balljoints while I was in there because they are probably worn out on an 03 and it's easier to replace while you have everything apart. Because I'm normally replacing upper control arms, I will remove the spindle at this point completely by taking off the upper and lower mounting nuts and then just using a pickle fork, knock the balljoints loose. If you're not replacing them, you need to be more careful, because it is easy to destroy a balljoint while you are trying to get them to seperate.
Because you haven't taken off the caliper mounting bracket, rotor or hub assembly, the spindle is going to be heavy. Make sure that you have help because when you break the balljoints loose, it's going to likely try to drop out because the balljoint is mounted through the top. I did mine by myself, so I just put a 2nd smaller floor jack under the spindle to support the weight and didn't completely unhook the upper balljoint until I had both broken loose to keep it from falling. It's no big deal, it's just pretty heavy.
Once you have the spindle gone, you'll have a straight shot to the spring. Slowly let your jack under the control arm down which will release the tension on the spring and allow it to come out safely. This is where getting the truck up high will come in handy. You'll usually have to push down on the control arm to make enough room for the stock spring to slide out. I've found it much easier to step on the control arm and the spring will usually just fall out.
Installation is just the reverse, but because the new spring is longer, you'll have to use a lot more force to get the new spring into the pockets. I'm pretty leery of destroying the bushings by forcing the control arm so far down that I will typically loosen the control arm mounting bolts so that there's not as much pressure on them and they can spin freely. Just remember to tighten them back up when the installation is done.
The only other trick for reassembly is getting both balljoints connected while supporting the heavy spindle. Again, an extra hand comes in handy here, but I've done it by myself by supporting the spindle assembly with my legs while putting the balljoint nuts on. In fact, I'd suggest if you're working by yourself, strip the caliper mounting brackets and rotors off to lighten it up quite a bit and make it a lot more manageable.
A few of small things I would add to that:
1. Take the caliper bridge off the spindle. Its two bolts per side. Not a big deal, and he's right that it can be frustrating getting the spindle reconnected.
2. When you pop the ball joints, buy a pickle fork that is physically tall. A standard size CAN work, but you may also just destroy the joint or at least the boot. Having a tall fork will help them pop easier when you get it in there good. Buy the bigger one, even if its a few dollars more. If you like working on vehicles get a sturdy pickle fork. I've been through 4 or 5 cheapies until I bought a better grade of metal. The kind with teeth make it easier, but might kill the boot. When I'm popping joints, I usually replace them regardless. They aren't that expensive and trucks chew through them.
3. A sledgehammer IS the right tool for popping ball joints. A few good smacks on the end of the pickle fork and you'll wonder why people complain about it.
4. While popping them, leave the nut with about 2 threads until it pops. That way it doesn't freefall to the ground when you finish bashing it with a hammer.
5. While you're in there, remove the lower control arm and check its frame mount bushings. These trucks wear the lowers out on a regular basis and it makes a difference to the tightness of the steering and tire lifespan.
6. You'll need an alignment when you're done. Do it within the same week, and preferrably immediate after. Driving with too much camber will wear a tire out quick. You also won't have ideal traction if it rains.
7. Check everything for torn boots or worn out rubber. Replace as necessary. If you've never had any suspension components replaced, and you're over 100k miles, I'd buy all of it and do it at the same time. You'll already have everything apart, so you might as well make sure its all tight for the next 5 years.
8. Spray all bolts and joints with PB Blaster and let it sit for 15 minutes once you get the wheel off. It will help you break loose the bolts.
9. You may need to buy taller jackstands for trucks. You can make due with wide lumber to give yourself extra height, but respect the weight of the vehicle always. It will cripple you if your leg is under it when it falls. Its not hard to do this stuff. Frustrating at times, sure, but also satisfying and less expensive. Safety first.
