I hope you will find this either amusing or helpful. This was in response to a similar question asked on another forum.
Perhaps we "assume" that everyone on here has a well stocked garage, some kind of manual, air tools, a plethoria of jackstands and all. Or a bhrama bull, two tree stumps, a stack of pallets and a chain hoist. On our behalf, I apologise.
For me the daunting task is dropping a 300+ lb front axle loose from two coil springs under some preload, while keeping a 6600 lb truck on two jackstands on a slightly inclined driveway. Plus I never have a helper. Thus two jacks.
Your stock shock tower bolts are actually welded to a steel ring that is under the rubber isolator. That doesn't get reused.
I also remove the brake hose brackets so they hang free. You could remove the upper nuts on the sway bar studs but you usually snap one so I try to slip it in without taking them off. The stock upper control arms, by design limit down travel. They'll drop enough to get the springs and spacers in and out.
Be careful you don't tear the isolator, Dodge will sell you 3rd gen replacements which don't fit well. If your new spacers don't have welded on studs getting the holes aligned to slp new bolts in can be a pita. Best to get all three holes aligned...slip a bolt and nut in there finger tight to hold the spacer in place, and put the springs and isolators back in. Use the jacks (or I recommend another pair of jackstands) to hold the springs/spacers in place and reinstall the shocks. Now remove that finger tight bolt. You're over 1/2 done!
Gas shocks are a pain. So I use LARGE zip ties to compress them and hold them compressed. Drop them through the springs and put in the bottom bolts.
Don't forget your washers and bushings on the bottom of the top shock stud!
When you have exhausted your share of cusswords geting the upper shock mounts bolted into the spacers, align the upper stud with the hole in the mount and cut the zip tie.
BTW, you'll need a manual to get all the torque specs. Your lower shock bolts and track bar bolt have to be correctly tightened. A good torque wrench is a must. You could rent one.
Oh, in addition to your axle being uncentered under the truck your sway bar link geometry will be changed. They will angle back towards the spring. No biggie, but under a turn or similar manuever the now unstraight bushings will deflect and the sway bars reaction and compensation will be slower. You should NOT remove the sway bar. Drop brackets or longer links are avalible to restore factory functionality.
Hopefully you will not catch "inch desease". There is no cure.
