Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
Is it hard to put shims in my truck, any welding or cutting involved, alot of people tell me that might be a reason why my truck vibrates, I also need the t-case dropped but I want to put the shims first, but how do I if any body has pictures of shims installed that would help too, thanks.
The only shims I know of are the ones that go between the leaf springs and the axle. They are used to change the pinion angle. You need to loosen the u-bolts that hold the sping to the axle and slip the shims in. There is a "tie-bolt" that holds the spring pack together. Usually the shims have a slot for this. Other than that make sure the shim is in the right way. Piece of cake!
There are a couple different styles of shims for the rear axle. One requires you to completely seperate the springs from the axle tube and the other will allow you to just loosen up the spring U-bolts. I suggest getting the 2nd style. These have a large groove that goes from the center of the shim to the rear.
The best way to add the shims is to support the rear of the truck on jack stands (on the chassis) with the rear tires off the ground at full droop, support the rear axle with a floor jack & loosen up the bolts just enought to get the shim in. If you get the other types of shims (seperate the spring completely) your in for a bit more work. Same deal though.
What keeps those slotted shims from working loose and falling out? The ones with the hole in the middle are held captive by the head of the center bolt. Note that you sometimes have to use a center bolt with a taller head so that it reaches through the shim and into the hole in the spring pad. Having the axle move along the length of the spring pack is NOT a good thing.
Aluminum shims will also corrode and crumble over time. It's worse if you live in salt country. The salt and moisture act as an electrolyte between the dissimilar metals. Next thing you know, your axle u-bolts are loose and the shim is gone.
You can get steel shims that will last much longer from Pro4x4 in Aurora, CO. Jim, the owner, can help you select the proper shim and provide installation tips. You can give him a call at 303-343-7672.
