I don't know what people do to kill their springs. I know a LOT of people say their stock springs are junk, but my '88 is now at about 247,000 miles and still has the stock springs. It has been driven from CT to New Mexico, SEVERELY overloaded (riding on the bump stops all the way), it has towed a small-ish utility trailer many times, it has been driven off-road at Paragon, Mohawk Trail area of MA, and various other venues, and not particularly babied.
I just measured it the other day. The rear is at 16-1/2" -- WITH my full load of minor hand tools, extra fluids, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, emergency blanket and jacket, etc. I don't think that's too bad at all.
I am now running tall bump stops, but only because the originals disappeared in a cloud of rust a couple or three years back. Perhaps the major factor is that back at around the 75,000 mile mark I dumpred the factory shocks. I ran Rancho 5000s for awhile (didn't like them), then KYBs for awhile (worse), then changed to Monroe Gas Magnum Plus (now called Gas-Matic). Those are excellent shocks and I think they prevented a lot of spring abuse.
The other thing is that I have a 5-speed and I don't make drag race starts, so my springs aren't constantly getting torqued out of shape.