Leaf Spring Question

[beanious]

Hello to the community! I have a question for ya regarding my 71 K10 and the front leaf springs. I have had the truck for over 10 years and always had a strange sound that came from somewhere in the steering. I've been tracking it down and finally had enough of it. I crawled under it while the wife turned the wheel lock to lock and put my hand on all the steering components until I tracked it down to a leaf spring clamp rivet. I can't believe it could be so simple and cheap. The current clamps are stupid old, so I was thinking about just cutting them off and replacing them.

Anyone have an opinion whether or not leaf spring clamps need the centering rivet? I was going to replace the fold over kind, with the u bolt kind in the two bottom pics. Not really concerned about keeping it stock as pretty much nothing is stock at this point.

What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!







Attachment 2165476

[Richard]

Clamps are just to keep the leaf's from twisting. The u-bolt type would inhibit the sliding motion in-between the individual leaf's when tightened. Not something I would use. If I did I would use locking type nuts and leave the nuts a bit loose, then it would move around. So I would not use.