I believe that you are confusing two issues.

The axles do not support the vehicle in any way. They simply carry torque from the third member to the wheels. Replacement of the axles cannot affect the ride height. It would be unlikely that you damaged the axles by attempting to get it out of a snow drift on one occasion. They normally exhibit a noticeable clunking sound when they go bad.

Now, on the ride height, the issues are subframe bushings or springs or both.
If one side is higher than the other, I'm inclined to lean toward subframe bushings rather than springs.

The SDL has a low ride height in the back and there is an even opinion on whether the problem is springs or subframe bushings.