New shocks shouldn't raise the car noticeably, unless you've got coil-overs, or maybe some gas-charged shocks tend to push up, but shouldn't be enough to noticeable raise the rear of the car...
Sounds like your springs need re-arching or replacing (look for a broken leaf), if it still had the original shocks in there, likely they weren't doing their job - which can/will cause the springs to deform/break.
I'd check inside the fenderwells, look for some shiny spots where a tire has been rubbing.
Also take a look at the rubber bushings inside the spring end eyes, make sure it's not missing large chunks.
Also, if the springs are shot, it's possible that the front of the rear axle housing is rotating upwards under load, and that *might* be causing your groaning (throwing the u-joints way out of line or something like that).
Sounds like your springs need re-arching or replacing (look for a broken leaf), if it still had the original shocks in there, likely they weren't doing their job - which can/will cause the springs to deform/break.
I'd check inside the fenderwells, look for some shiny spots where a tire has been rubbing.
Also take a look at the rubber bushings inside the spring end eyes, make sure it's not missing large chunks.
Also, if the springs are shot, it's possible that the front of the rear axle housing is rotating upwards under load, and that *might* be causing your groaning (throwing the u-joints way out of line or something like that).
