Wagonmaster Shock Mounting

[MikeIIDC@domain.elided]

Okay-

Another chance for all of you knowledgeable old digest salts to teach
the young whipper-snapper something.

The oft-discussed Wagonmaster I have-'74, 392, AT, 1000 series- has a
set of nice, but BIG tires on it.  Some prior owner was decking it out
lie a hot-rod, and put some big meats on it, that are actually too big
for the wheelwells.  They are okay and barely tuck under at rest, but
upon driving, they rub enough to smell rubber burning and hear the sound
of the rub.

I crawled underneath to see if there were anything I could do to correct
this besides change the tires, and found that the shocks on each side of
the rear are in different orientations.  The driver's side mounts in
front of the axle, and goes forward at an angle that is still fairly
"upright."  The passenger side, however, mounts behind the axle and goes
rearward, at an angle that is much more parallel to the ground/street. 
I can see that the same holes are on both sides of the frame, that would
allow the top mounting bracket to go into the frame at either place. 
However, the bottom mounts are on one side or the other of the axle, and
this does not seem easily movable-without turning the housing, I guess. 
I didn't even look to see where these attached.  
Anyway, anyone want to explain why this is this way?  The one that goes
from the axle rear-ward is at such a low angle, it seems like it is to
keep the shock from being too severe when you are driving backwards.  I
don't understand this one.

So, while we're at it-any easy way to raise my rear end about an inch or
two?  Springs, I guess, but something easier and cheaper? 

Thanks for any advice/knowledge!

Michael