[GoreMaker]

I'm re-doing the rear suspension on my 77 Trans Am. Got new everything. Trying to figure out the proper way to tighten down the U-bolts. I'm using rubber spring pads and 2 U-bolts per spring.

On my old rear end, the U-bolts were tightened down until the bottom plate was making contact with the spring perch on the axle tube, the rubber pads were squished significantly above and below the leaf spring.

The only official instructions I was able to find online were for the BMR leaf spring kit, which includes polyurethane spring pads. Those instructions state to tighten the U-bolt nuts evenly until the pads start to bulge.

So which is correct for rubber pads? Flatten the bottom plate to the spring perch? Or only tighten until the pads bulge? Or is there some other guideline I'm not aware of?