I have seen it mentioned quite a few times, that when R&R'ing u-bolts, toss the old ones in the scrap pile and get new ones.
I have pulled u-bolts many times over the years and found no problem with reusing them. The SOP was to wire brush the long exposed threads clean, coat this area with Never Seize and remove the nuts.
Re-installation involved cleaning the thread area AGAIN and coating with oil or Never Seize before running the nut back on.
I thought u-bolts were sort of specific to the rig..axle tube diameter, length, and bolt diameter. These weren't available by just walking into your FLAPS and asking for a "u-bolt"
Stuart
