Axle Shim Help

[74CustomK20]

Well I was converting my k30 from 12" lift to a 4" 52" swap. Got the old lift out n all good til I got to looking close. This is the front axle shim from my 8" superlift springs, and I don't want to sell it knowing that the center pin almost pulled through it and out of the axle. Ouch. I'm gonna order new ones and new grade 8 center pins but how do I measure this to order the same degree? A 4? 6? Help!

Edit : sorry my pics are sideways...

[jeffahart]

I would put angle finder on my work bench angle 1. Then, put the shim on the bench and put the angle finder on the shim to get angle 2. Subtract angle 1 from angle 2. Seems like the easiest way to me. Just because I doubt your bench is at zero.

[kwmech]

Get a steel shim and you won't have that problem.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leaf-Spring-...item20e9748ff0

['63GENIII]

X2 on the steel shims. All of the aluminum ones that came off of my truck for the spring swap were damaged in one way or another. Some worse than yours. You don't want that failure coming back to you.

['63GENIII]

Wait, you are selling your old lift right? Id just get the new bolts and be done with it. Chances are that whoever buys your lift will have to get new and possibly different shims for their application anyway.

[74CustomK20]

Not sure why I wasn't getting anyone's post notifications. Will have to look into that for sure. I ordered 2 new steel ones from rough country, and called superlift these are 3°. I do want to sell it but nobody is biting on this or the tires and wheels or anything. Gonna get it together and good, and say hell with it and put it in the shed for a later date. Maybe someone will see it on CL. While on the subject, I plan on using grade 8 bolts for center pins with the bottom head rounded off so it's round. Anyone have a problem with this? They will be 3/8 bolts in the correct legnth.

[SoCalK20]

Also checkout 4crawler.com or wfoconcepts.com for steel shims. You don't want to use aluminum for that.

[74CustomK20]

I have some 4° ones coming tomorrow and they are steel. Will update when they are installed. Also so grade 8 is alright? And should I use a washer or no?

['63GENIII]

I seem to remember seeing someone using a 3/8" head head cap screw for the spring center. I personally don't see an issue with the grade 8 with the edges ground down though. Once the U bolts are in place and torqued, they will compress the pack anyway. The grade 8 center pin should resist any shear forces that the springs will subject them to. Just be careful where you get your grade 8s from. Home Deport sells ones that are not much better than a grade 5 or maybe less.

[74CustomK20]

I used grade 8's before, but still just wonderin about washers. I'm afraid to pull the bolt back through the shim and have the same problem... funny story, last night I was putting em together I used an Orschelins grade 8 bolt and washer on each side and a rural king grade 8 nut. After I tightened it down and let the c clamps off they flew apart! After nine looked closer the bolt had pulled all the threads out of the nut and stripped it. Bolt was fine but the nut didn't have anything now lol

[kwmech]

The majority of the time the head of a regular bolt will not pass through the hole in the spring seat. All the spring bolt does is hold the leafs together and keep the pack centered with the axle. It is the u-bolts that really hold everything together if torqued properly. U-bolts are a consumable. Ideally they should be replaced every time. If you have a correct u-bolt the threads on the u-bolt will be rolled and the nut will have a cut thread, that is your interference along with the torque. A 5/8'' bolt (which is what there should be on the front of a chevy) whould torque to at least 150-160 lbs and then re-torqued after say 500 miles...they do and will stretch even though they are grade 8. NO washers on the spring bolt, not needed or necessary.

[74CustomK20]

Thanks kwmech. I always have used new u-bolts anytime I've done this truck suspension, and will continue to do so. I won't buy ones online or at conventional parts stores because they will bend even before the factory torque spec (which is 110 or 140 lbs, cannot remember offhand). I got it together using no washers and went smoothly after I got steel shims sent in from superlift. Planned on 5/8 as well. I have mine made down at Evansville truck and spring. They're pretty much 10 bucks a ubolt with hardware so I never complained. Much better quality than anywhere else I've found locally