Spring hanger/shock mount skid plate

[Hunner]

This is a part sandwiched below the existing plate, on purpose. It's like a washer in a way between the nut and ubolt. I believe they "suggested" you could get new u-bolts and nuts. Of course the dealer would love that. Our local spring shop laughed when I said that. They dont stock many but have a machine that makes them. It's like $4 for a pair. Im betting they are $40 at a dealer, think I will ask. Im also going to guess they dont have any. If anyone is paranoid get new u-bolts and nuts. Then of course you should have them xrayed and magna fluxed and ultra sounded for integrity and test the stock they use on a torque bench to test the breaking strength of that batch of material. There is a theory that the threads were stretched when they were originally torqued. In all the years of owning cars how many people have regularly re-torqued their spring shackle plate nuts??
On another sore subject,
I have two complete tie rods assemblies but I found pieces at several dealers to make them up. I ordered some from GM parts direct at a low price but now they are on national backorder? Im seeing a pattern here. Someone responsible for carrying parts, that I would think will be in high demand, just blew it or something. I would have thought dealers would be required to carry a certain amount of inventory but apparently not. If you bust a tierod you will wait a long time I guess.
Im going to wheel at Superlift this weekend and ponder all this...................