Your front-end height is controlled by several things. Ball joints (upper and lower), cross-member bushings, and yes, coil springs. Having any of those worn out can cause the A-frames to 'sit' lower. That 6.5 diesel is a heavy engine, and places stress on the whole front suspension... for what it's worth, 44's have issues, too.
Four-wheel drives are easier - torsion bars.
Best bet is to have the thing looked at by a competent front-end shop, get an estimate, and figure out where to go from there. If you gotta take things apart to change coils, that's the ideal time to do anything else that needs doing.