Exhaust braces??

Im not sure if thats what they're called but my exhaust is screwed up and it sags down really far on my jetta...... so much that the bolts that hold the pipe behind the cat onto the cat and the joint where the pipe goes into the Suitcase muffler from the cat rattle on these braces that go under the exhaust..... i just took these braces off because the sound is soo horrible i can no longer stand it... what are they for? and why does my exhaust sag so badly... I've tightened everything as far as i can and it still saggs badly espically around the cat area.... seems like the downpipe has alot of flex in it too..... anyway is it ok to leave these so called braces off? Thanks for bearin with my shotty description guys...
dave