MIKES69

I just (over the last two months) removed and replaced all new my trailing arms, bearings, spindles, half shafts, rear spring, shocks, strut rods, and rebuilt my driveshaft.

All this from a leak in my differential pinion seal. (Oh well, while I had it apart, I thought I'd play a little)

Anyway, it's all back together, and darned if I'm not sure how the shims go in the trailing arms. Can someone post a picture of properly installed shims??? I want to align my rear end, and I can't proceed until I figure this out.. :smash:

Thanks,

Mike

VetteNut72

Here are some shots of the stainless steel ones that I bought a few years ago. Maybe I will get to install them this year. :lol:







Craig




[Modified by VetteNut72, 7:05 PM 1/26/2004]

MIKES69

Thanks VetteNut72... They look exactly like mine... :yesnod:SITTING ON MY WORKBENCH...:nonod: I'm hoping someone has a pic of them on the car with the cotter pin in place.

They look nice though... why don't you put them in??

Paul L

This is the best that I have from my pic archives. Perhaps EdT can comment. The 1967 was perfectly aligned when he sold it to me.






[Modified by paul67, 9:25 PM 1/26/2004]

GDaina

That's not how barney would do it...he would do it the old fashioned way. The shims you see pictured are installed the easy way...stock shims had a hole and were installed in each side of the trailing arm...were held in place by the bolt going through the shim's hole, and trailing arm bushing. The ones you have now, simply loosen the nut, insert the slotted end, and drill a hole in the trailing arm for the bolt that passed through the other end of the shims.

I did it the old fashioned way, as Smith & Barney would say, I earned my sweat.

VetteNut72

The shims are installed by slipping the slotted end over the trailing arm bolt. They are held in at an angle with a large cotter pin through a small hole in the trailing arm frame pocket and through the hole in the shim.

Hope this helps,
Craig



[Modified by VetteNut72, 7:32 PM 1/26/2004]

Paul L

Yes, just press them in after the nut/bolt is loosened. Now that is another story!

MIKES69

Thanks guys... I think I've got it.

I'll give it a try tomorrow and see if it makes sense...

Do they go on each side of each trailing arm??? Or just one side (outside) of each trailing arm??

Mike

Z-man

(Sorry - no pictures) They go on both sides, in combinations of thicknesses. This will adjust the arms inward or outward as alignment required.

Good luck...

stickboy

They can go on both sides, but don't have too. It depends on what your car takes in order to align it.

NHvette

Hey Paul - it looks like yours were installed with the bolt through the hole and
the cotter pin through the slot. Hoping no-one needs to align that, as they will
need to do it the old fashioned way .... pulling the bolt out. OUCH.

WOW - that frame is clean. Very nice !!

blue427

I hope what I have to say doen't upset you,but as far as I know the factory installed the shims in a spicfic way for alignment, meaning each car was different do to production tolorances.I readthat somewhere before I did my trailing arms.I put them back the same way.If you buy aftermarket shim,measure and put back according to thickness.Check this out with somebody who really knows there stuff. I doubt if an alignment shop would know anything about this,

LiveandLetDrive

Yes, shims are for keeping alignment, but the putting back in what you got out rule is only preliminary, so it's driveable to the alignment shop. Frame condition and your own specifications determine how exactly the shims should be set up. (This is all controlling toe btw. Camber is of course, the strut rods.)