Thanks for the info W and Gromit. I think you are both on the money that there has been a leaf added to both front and rear. My rears are even dodgier in that the bracket where the bolt should be has simply been bashed over to form a clamp!
I'll look into the effort to replace the U clamp's with larger ones which will involve removing and replacing with a longer piece of steel and making a new U bracket and rivet. Alternatively, the welded option in Gromit's picture might not be a bad idea?
I also bought some KBS Rust Seal today to use as the axle and chassis paint...not cheap but I think it will be better than the Bunnings spray can option. I'll let you know how it looks. They recommend a top coat of their Blacktop to UV stabilize the paint...@$76 a litre, I'll see how the budget goes!
Ta Col.

