The center bolt assists in assembling, shipping and handling of the spring before
it is placed on the vehicle and holds the spring together for assembly and help locate the spring
onto the axle in the correct position.
Without leaf springs to absorb the shock, you would feel every knock and jar from every pothole or uneven road. This would cause the passengers to move with the vehicle and feel every bump.
If broken it affects the wheel alignment and can cause a rattling noise and it is possible for it to become dislodged when going over a bump, and possibly damage your tires, or even your brake lines.
Correctly tightened ubolts are what holds the springs firmly in place on the vehicle when driving and prevent serious damage to the suspension system or serious injury to the vehicle operator.
