degree shims

[ak_petey]

besides cutting the c and rotating your axle. what degree of shim do most people run ?

[akram]

Whatever it would take to make it right!!!

[ak_petey]

hmm let me rephrase that. I see 6 degree shims online. youngs only sells up to 4 degree shims. some people only go up to a certain degree for road safety. but Im not really concerned about that because its for an offroad rig. what degree shim would you be comfortable running on an offroad rig?

[akram]

Ok since you put it that way.

Whatever makes it right!!! Answer doesn't change. The end result is get it right so the answer is always whatever makes it right.

[Bulldog]

Personally I'd only go up to 6°, but I know they make 8° shims. Caster issues aside, you start getting to really thick shims at this point. An 8° shim is 3/4" high at the thick end. 10° would be about 7/8" high.

WFO Concepts has some good info on their 8° shim page: http://www.wfoconcepts.com/pr/8.0-Degree.../4383/3229 They mention utilizing 3 shims on a Dana 60.

"WARNING: Note: If you are using these shims to shim a Chevy or Dodge front dana 60, we suggest buying 3 shims. On the differential side, it is best to put one shim in the standard location under the spring, and one shim on the top of the spring pack, facing backwards. This will keep the upper leaf spring plate perpendicular to the studs. If you do not do this, it will put a side load on the studs or bolts that can cause breakage or failure. Simply purchase 3 shims if you have a Dodge or Chevy front 60."

"Caster Angle: Caster angle is something that is very important on front axle geometry. On a fully off-road vehicle that does not see speeds over 15mph, you can get away with poor caster angle. If you are working on anything else, please read this! Caster Angle is the angle that the knuckles sit at, compared to the ground. If you shim your front pinion up or down, the caster angle with change with the shims. The less caster angle you have, the more the vehicle will dart around on the highway. The more caster you have, the straighter the vehicle will drive. A drag race car will tend to have up to 18 degrees of caster. The first thing that everybody does when they lift their 4x4, is install shims to point the differential up at the transfer case. Even though this does fix some driveline angle issues, it usually does more damage with the steering geometry than it is worth. On a Dana 44, we suggest 5 degrees of caster angle. On a Dana 60, we suggest 3 degrees of caster angle. This means that the knuckles will be leaning back at the above angles. It you had high-steer arms on the knuckles, the arms would be pointing up at the front bumper at 5 degrees. Even on a fully off-road buggy, at no point should you ever go past 0 degrees and point the knuckles down at the ground in front! If you need to make your driveline work at a steep angle, check the u-joint or yoke sections for high angle u-joints and high angle yokes."

[ak_petey]

i got good news! I dont thnk i will need the shims. I have some good spring sag. Im actually putting the extra leaf back in. more details and complaining on my build thread.