Hello from Brisbane.
Can't give you a definitive answer - leave that to others - but I think they are pretty much a case of optional and probably desirable.
None of our farm trucks ever had them and they ran for years without apparent detriment. Probably more important to have the female section of the slider facing in the right direction to minimise ingress of water and dirt from the road.
Having said that, I am about to fit a set of boots to my present truck as part of a general overhaul of the shafts. Not sure if the size and orientation of the four clamps have much effect on the balance of the shafts - possibly not.
Cheers,


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