3 degree steel pinion angle shims

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Wvbuzzmaster

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Been working on angles and concluded that I need a set of 3 degree shims to correct pinion angle but having difficulty finding them in steel. Finding all kinds of 2 and 4 degree as well as aluminum in all flavors... but no 3 degree in steel... anyone have any source they have found for 3 degree steel pinion angle shims?
 
kursplat said:
curious, why not aluminum?
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I don't like the aluminum ones because they can shift and or break. The steel ones are usually bolted to the leaf spring pack and will not shift or break. That is the reason they use them on 4 X 4s.

PS- Some aluminum ones are cast aluminum which makes them pretty brittle.
 
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72bluNblu said:
DoctorDiff has them

Leaf spring pinion angle shims for Mopar, Ford, Dana
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That’s what I was looking for. Now a question, is billet steel different than regular steel? I would have to drill out the center hole to slip onto the spring center bolt I have instead of undoing the spring pack. Espo uses spring center bolts with extra tall head, so there is plenty of meat to just do the “ring toss” install method of the shim. Only doing one 3 degree shim per side.

My driveline angles after shimming the back of the transmission and accounting for around 3 degree shim in the back axle to raise the pinion (stuck pieces of uniform metal in there for mock up):
Tremec app came up with about 2 degrees between transmission and driveshaft and 5.5 degrees between driveshaft and pinion (3 degree shim will drop that to just below 5). Driveline operating angle is going to be around 3 to 3.5 degrees.

Mind you all this is the app and a smart phone so could be off half a degree anywhere easily, but all the angles go the equal opposite ways now or whatever... it’s closer to right than I started with... so I’m going to go with that... and the springs are brand new so if I get any settling that will reduce the driveshaft to pinion angle, correct?
 
Wvbuzzmaster said:
That’s what I was looking for. Now a question, is billet steel different than regular steel? I would have to drill out the center hole to slip onto the spring center bolt I have instead of undoing the spring pack. Espo uses spring center bolts with extra tall head, so there is plenty of meat to just do the “ring toss” install method of the shim. Only doing one 3 degree shim per side.

My driveline angles after shimming the back of the transmission and accounting for around 3 degree shim in the back axle to raise the pinion (stuck pieces of uniform metal in there for mock up):
Tremec app came up with about 2 degrees between transmission and driveshaft and 5.5 degrees between driveshaft and pinion (3 degree shim will drop that to just below 5). Driveline operating angle is going to be around 3 to 3.5 degrees.

Mind you all this is the app and a smart phone so could be off half a degree anywhere easily, but all the angles go the equal opposite ways now or whatever... it’s closer to right than I started with... so I’m going to go with that... and the springs are brand new so if I get any settling that will reduce the driveshaft to pinion angle, correct?[/QUOTE. Forget about ur drive shaft for a moment. What is ur trans angle and ur pinion angle? Kim
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Engine is set to between 1-2 degrees tail down relative to ground.
Rear axle with the shims I have mocked in right now is between 0-1 degrees nose up relative to the ground.
Hard to keep perfect track cause I have measured a dozen times and raised and lowered the car on the lift and manually cycled the suspension each time before measuring angles. Tremec won’t save the actual degrees of each so must go off memory. And pretty sure driveshaft was around 4 degrees relative to ground with the tail of it down.
again, final numbers on the app I ended up with gave 2 degrees front angle, and 5.5 degrees rear angle with total operating angle of 3.5 degrees.

Before I started the engine was 4 degrees tail down relative to ground and driveshaft was at 2 degrees tail down relative to ground and then the pinion was about level relative to ground before my new springs. So I knew it was phased wrong before I started and that I was going to have to correct the phasing and the angles so I have made quite a large improvement, but I want to be sure I am right on this before I call it good.
 
oldkimmer said:
R u on a 4 post hoist? I would raise the tranny first if u can. What r u working on? Kim
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I already raised the transmission to get rid of the issue of phasing I mentioned in the last paragraph, the above paragraphs were after that fix. The lift I am using is a 2 post lift. So to measure anything I set it down and bounce the suspension first so all my angles vary slightly from the previous time measured do to that variance.
 
Ok, just redid measurements and its as follows:
Engine: 1.5 degrees tail down relative to ground
Pinion: -2.5 degrees pinion down relative to ground
Driveshaft is 3.7 degrees tail down relative to level
 
Forget about the drive shaft. R u measuring the pinion while it’s on the floor. U need all 4 wheels on the floor and the cars weight. If ur not measuring it that way u won’t get it right. If u r measuring it on the floor then if u have room to raise the tranny I would make it level. Kim
 
oldkimmer said:
Forget about the drive shaft. R u measuring the pinion while it’s on the floor. U need all 4 wheels on the floor and the cars weight. If ur not measuring it that way u won’t get it right. If u r measuring it on the floor then if u have room to raise the tranny I would make it level. Kim
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Yes I am measuring with the weight of the car on its tires on the floor. Already raised the trans a good half to 3/4 of an inch. I dont think I have enough room to raise transmission much more. I also have Espo +2” leaf springs.
 
So u r -1* at the pinion. I like to see the pinion down from the tranny at least 2.5*-3* for a street car. It may be good as is. Kim
 
The current angle difference with simulated 3 degree shim added is pinion 4 degrees down in relation to the transmission angle. If i used a 4 degree shim would put it more like 3 degrees but thats more than a 1/4” thick in the center if the 4 degree shim.
 
Wvbuzzmaster said:
Ok, just redid measurements and its as follows:
Engine: 1.5 degrees tail down relative to ground
Pinion: -2.5 degrees pinion down relative to ground
Driveshaft is 3.7 degrees tail down relative to level
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i think you are close,pinion should be -1.5 degrees to the ground,cass always told me set pinion opposite of trans and roll it down 2-3 degrees and your done
 
How much does the driveshaft to pinion angle change when shimming 4 degrees vs 3 degrees at the axle seats on 8-3/4 when the current operating angle at estimated 3 degree shim is 6 degrees.
 
jdsduster said:
i think you are close,pinion should be -1.5 degrees to the ground,cass always told me set pinion opposite of trans and roll it down 2-3 degrees and your done
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That’s why it is best to have ur tranny level first. Then adjust the pinion. If the trans is -1.5* then u want the pinion to be -4.5* or there abouts. Kim
 
oldkimmer said:
That’s why it is best to have ur tranny level first. Then adjust the pinion. If the trans is -1.5* then u want the pinion to be -4.5* or there abouts. Kim
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Transmission is 1.5 degrees (tail lower than nose). Pinion is -2.5 with simulated 3 degree shim raising the front to that setting (nose lower than tail). Driveshaft is 3.7 degrees (nose higher than tail).
Front universal angle is around 2 degrees and rear universal angle is around 6 degrees.
 
Idk how many times I have to say this: Forget about the drive shaft. Don’t simulate any. Where is the pinion at now? Is it at-5.5? If so u are good. That’s down - 4* from the trans. That’s where u want to be. Kim
 
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