Axle Shims

I know this was talked about a while ago, but I cannot find it again. The talk was about installing caster shims, or shims to help prevent the tie rods hitting the leaf springs when turning after a lift is installed ( I have a 2 1/2" lift installed by the PO). I was looking and all the axel/caster shim's I see are tapered, so the question is do you need two per side, or leaf so they are flat and not tapered. Will the caster shims hamper the steering linkage. What is the better route to go a tie rod flip, or installing caster shims? I am looking for an easier solution than doing a tie rod flip, and looking ahead to completing my motor rebuild and install.

 

Re: Axel Shims

Some of this is discussed above and I was looking for Panzer's thread on his steering conversion which also has some of this covered. It is "Upgrading Steer Linkage".

The shims are used singularly (one each side) with the intent of changing the rotation position of the axle. A 2 1/2" spring lift in its self should not change the caster much from stock. However, if the springs are used with extended shackles, it will change the caster. In my experience, a 1" lift shackle with the 2 1/2" springs equals zero degrees caster-not desirable although it does line the pinion very well. The shims will raise the axle relative to the springs and will buy you a small amount of tie rod/drag link clearence. The same amount is lost for ground clearence under the spring pads. Use only steel shims!!! The aluminum ones rarely last for long. If all you are looking for is the tie rod clearence, you could just make some flat steel spacers but you still lose ground clearence.

The tie rod flip will work or you can find a 2 hole right side knuckle which also produces adequate spring clearence because you no longer use the "double" tie rod end.

 

Re: Axel Shims

Thank You all for the advice, I guess I am leaning towards my original thought and that is a tie rod flip. The flip to me seem a more straight forward solution.

 

Re: Axel Shims

When I make them, I generally shoot for 3/32"- 1/8" thick on the small end, if they are 3/32" on the small end the other end of a 5* shim is .440 thick. They do make quite a bit of difference as far as tie rod clearance on the spring pack. If you have power steering the added caster is easy. It stiffens the steering slightly and the manual steering or Ross box will show it more so.

 

Re: Axel Shims

Actually the caster is easier than the tie rod flip. Just have your alignmnet checked and see if yours is actually in spec.

 

Re: Axel Shims

I was just trying to reaffirm what you said.

 

Re: Axel Shims

Mcruff - I'm gonna need some of those shims. You have a PM. AKCJ

 

Most of the shim wedges I see listed the web sites are 2" wide. Will these work on 1.75" wide leaf springs on a 1970 cj5?

Also Mcruff you have PM

 

Re: Axel Shims

Actually the ground clearance you lose is the thickness in the middle of the shim. The thickness difference between front and back is expressed as rotation of the axle. That's the point of the shims - to rotate the axle.

Not correcting you Patrick - just commenting.

These shims make a huge difference in stability. A friend of mine (back in CA) bought a phone company Jeep that Brian took in trade. It was all over the road, and he thought he had a real problem. We took the front end apart and found one shim on one side - took the shim out and the Jeep was fixed. Drove just fine after that.

 

Might interfere with the u-bolts, depending on the length of the shims. Sticking out beyond the pad would not matter. At worst, you could grind off a little so they fit with the u-bolts in place.

 

A 2" wide shim will not even fit with a spring platee designed for 1 3/4" springs. Yo uwill never be able to get the bolts back on thru the plates unless you cut a notch for the bolts.

 

Yes, you have to notch the corners of the shims if they're wider than the springs. This is what I have done with some wide aluminum shims and I feel it captures the shim so you don't have to worry about the shim falling out (which is a problem with aluminum shims).

Much better to just use the steel shims at the normal (spring) width.

 

Isn't the shim bolted together with the leafs using the spring pin? If this is the case it can't come out unless the spring pin breaks?

 

Yes if they are installed right they are bolted to the spring pack, at least thats how I make mine.