advise for install axle shims

Sounds like you got it man. I would go ahead and plan on using the washers....better to be safe than sorry.

 

FWIW, I ordered these to do my Toytec AAL & shims

http://www.autoandtrucksprings.com/products/Center_Bolt_Head_Lengthener_2_Pcs-1662-192.html

 

raised from the dead, but just wantd to add my experience..

Jusr lifted the truck with billy 5100 at 2.5 with 2" toytec aal and front driver spacer. I bought the shims, but as many of youhave experienced, the head of the center pin is difficult to line up and I did not want to add the washers, I feel like toytec should of made the heads longer to begin with. I did not want the rear suspension resting "slightly" in the axle hole. I can't imagine how much damage this would do if it slipped out during a bump..

I decided to take out the shims and extended u bolts.. I will be returning these back to toytec. They should have either made longer heads on the center pins or made a groove/bump on the bottom of the shim so that it could sit into the axle center pin hole.

The truck drives great with out it.. there is a very very tiny vibe at exactly 5mph-7mph but it would be un nocticeable if I told someone to drive ti and didnt tell them. I feel it in the steering wheel so I am hoping that after alignment next week that vibe goes away.. if not I will try the cb drop.

Eitherway, I am not going to put in a toytec shim no matter what unless the engineering on it is made a little bit better.. customers shouldn't be second guessing fitment on something that could damage the truck or harm others because of a slip.

 

^^ Very true! Im going to try and get rid of my vibes this weekend. Didnt want to use the crappy design toytec shims, unless I got extenders for the center bolts.. So I ordered some new/better shims off summitracing.com. There actually bolt on shims that came with new center pins... So wish me luck!

the only gripe about the new shims is that there 2"s wide (universal shim) and the Tacoma leaf pack is about 2-3/8" wide.. but it should work just fine!

 

Sub'd

 

Today I moved from major vibes to minor vibes by flipping the CB. This weekend I'm thinking I'll add the 2 degree shims to make the rear diff angle 0 degrees.

Here's where I am now:


If I install my 2 degree shims then I'll still have issues since the TC angle and second shaft angle are not opposite. I guess I'll add the CB drop too to see how that works out. Any ideas?

EDIT: the process I used for measuring angles was: zero the angle finder on the TC. measure 1st shaft angle. measure 2nd shaft angle. zero angle finder on rear diff. measure rear shaft angle.

EDIT2: on second thought. If I just lower the CB enough to get it from 2.8 (4.9 - 2.1) to 0 degrees, then perhaps the TC and rear diff angles will cancel each other out, as long as it doesn't have to be lowered too much causing the TC angle to go over 3.5 degrees.

 

Has anyone ever put the shim in backwards to create a little more pinion angle? The reason I ask is because I have about 2" lift in the rear and this created a pinion angle of about 2.5 degrees. The angle coming off the transfer case is 5 degrees and the CB angle is only 0.7 degrees now. So my theory is if I get a little more angle on the Pinion the TC and the pinion angles will cancel each other out and my CB angle is already near zero so I should be good. This is according to Driveline 101. I'm not an expert in drivelines but I've been researching a lot and this should do the trick for me. Just pulled this off another thread which supports my theory. http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PDFs/Federal_Mogul_how_to_measure_driveshaft%20angles.pdf
I only have a slight take off shutter so I'm not even sure if this is causing it, but I've learned that having the angles off like that can cause a vibration. I have no other vibes in the rear end and I get it over 80MPH on occasion. Not sure if its even worth it though I've had my wife drive it and even asked her if she noticed anything. She didn't! Oh and I've tried dropping the CB many times from 1/4" to 1" and tried rotating the CB 180 and that made it worse.

 

Got some driveline vibrations with my Dakars. I have shims ready to install. I'm also going to install a center pin washer to lengthen the bolt. I have a few preliminary questions about how the install is going to go:

From my understanding, I will need to loosen the ubolts, and drop the axle down away from the springs in order to get the pin out and install the washer. I'm assuming I will have to unbolt the rear shocks in order to get the rear axle down far enough? Is that correct? Is it best to do one side at a time? or unbolt both rear shocks, drop the axle down and install everything at once?

 

Bump for advice! Is removing the rear shocks, or at least unbolting the top of the shock from the truck, necessary? I need to get the axle down far enough to install a washer on the center pin and slide the shims in. Id rather not unbolt the shock if i dont have to, but I don't want to over-extend it from the weight of the axle. Input please!

 

What did you end up doing?

I just installed Dakars myself. I will probably be putting a 2 deg. shim in. But I may have to have 4wheel parts do it. I cut a tendon on my thumb, so I'm not supposed to be working

I recommend you unbolt the bottom shock mount, and also the brake bracket that sits on top of the axle. Get as much room for yourself as you can.

If you already did it, was the Dakar pin long enough to go through the shim? My pins came extra long, and I just drilled into the bumpstop instead of cutting.

 

The Dakar pin will be long enough , but it depends on the style of shim whether it will work or not .

Some axle shims have a hole in them that matches the diameter of the centre pin threaded portion , and are mounted to the pack by removing the pin completely , running it through the shim and leafs , thus bolting the shim to the leaf pack , in this case the regular Dakar pin on it's own will work .

The other style of axle shim has a hole that matches the head diameter of the centre pin , in this case you need centre pin collars to extend the portion of the pin that is exposed on the bottom of the leaf pack so that it is sufficiently long enough to extend through the axle shim and still positively engage the axle .

Let me get you a link on axle shims , collars and Dakars

One second

 

Here

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2839336

 

Thanks.

Yeah, I want to get the ones that bolt up to the pack. Trailmaster or Rough Country are the ones I've seen. Probably a pretty generic part.

I was thinking that the Dakar pin is probably left long by them to accommodate the optional extra leaf that they offer.

 

Correct

 

I ended up using 2 jacks. One to jack the back of the truck up, the other to support the rear axle. I unbolted the u-bolts and then the rear shocks from the top (rather than the bottom), and just used a coat hanger to keep the shock compressed. I used two C-clamps to hold the leaf pack together while I pulled the center pin, added the washer, then reinstalled. I used the 3 degree shims from toytec. The pin on the dakars was long enough, but the addition of the washer was necessary to get the head of the pin into the axle perch, and for peace of mind.

 

Damn...I need to get with the program on installing my axle shims.

I bought the shims and new u-bolts over a year ago. They've been sitting on the workbench in the garage... I just need to buy new centering pins and the spacers/washers.