Reusing Shackle Ubolts

Hello gents.....a few months back I replaced my leaf pack in the rear. I installed new ubolts and nuts. I’m going to put an add a leaf in so the ubolts have to come apart. My question is should I reuse those ubolts and nuts? they have been on the Jeep for less than a year.

 

Iv never had a problem reusing them

 

I was taught that once you torque them up, you should not re-use them due to stretching of the threads.

Your case, of course, is interesting since by adding a leaf, you're changing the threads that you'll be torque-ing up.

What I'd do is say reuse it, but check torque later on (after a ride or two) to handle any stretch that may have happened.

 

If I didn't have new ones, I have used the old ones. No problems yet over 45 years. But if I have new I use them. I know that doesn't help much.

 

I reused mine after doing a lot of reading on different forums. A majority of people said it was ok to use them as most people will not put enough stress on them to cause any problems.

 

I have re-used them even though told not to.

But I noticed that on my YJ that it seemed that "re-torquing" never ended until I chickened out and just stopped trying.

I suspect they may have been continually stretching, and the question thus would be, at what point do they fail? And what would the consequences be?

New U-bolts can be made to order at many parts places, and are not real expensive.