U bolt

• U-bolts are used to hold the leaf springs to the axle. They should be torqued properly to ensure a tight fit for daily driving, but not hindering flex for wheeling
• The primary function of a U-bolt is to provide the force required to clamp the leaf spring and related components firmly together. these components include the top plate, axle seat, axle, and bottom plate
• The properly installed U-bolt eliminates any flexing of the leaf spring in the area between the U-bolts. This is particularly critical since the hole for the center bolt in each leaf acts as a stress concentration which would lead to rapid leaf breakage if spring flexing was not totally eliminated by the U-bolt clamping force
• The most common type of material used in making  U-bolts is stainless steel1. Steel is the best material because of its strength and cannot break easily