Hello, '07 Ranger 2WD XLT Supercab, fairly new to me.

There are two photos of the underside of the vehicle, one taken just behind the right rear tire looking across to the other side, and the other one the opposite, taken on the left side looking back the other way.

In each you can see an assembly of four flat pieces of metal, stacked on top of each other, with the bottom-most one much shorter and not extending as far as the other three. In both cases the bottom one is also separated a bit from the three above it, which I think is normal.

It is not obvious in these photos, but in one of these assemblies (the one on the left side of the truck), the shorter, bottom piece is not in vertical alignment with the other three. The piece juts out at an angle toward the outside (i.e., towards the camera). On the right side the four pieces are in vertical alignment.

Questions:

1. What is this assembly and what is it for?
2. What could cause the bottom piece on one side to become misaligned with the rest of it? (I don't think it was like that when I first got the vehicle.)
3. Is this situation dangerous? What, if anything, should I do about it?

Thank you! In this case, I am clearly missing more than half a clue!
​​​​​​​

 

1. That is called "Leaf Springs" Meant to hold a load in the truck bed.
2. Old Age.
3. Normal. No need to worry about it.