shim removal-GU

[simcoe]

OK this may sound stupid but this arvs i took the top "cap" off the swivel hub housing to remove a shim from top and bottom if i got to that.. (had a jack under the front axel to take the weight) and had absolutly no idear what i was looking at!! all i saw was the swivel hub bearing and a heap of grease..

im no stranger to working on my car but i feel stupid!
anyone got any photo's or insight!

awaiting laughter

[ash+aims]

g'day mate,
i haven't actually had i nissan one apart, i have had a few others apart. the shim will be under the bearing usually very thin and can stick to the bearing epecially with a bit of grease. there also might be a spacer which push's onto the beaing and the shims may be between the the spacer and bearing.
as i say i haven't had a nissan one apart only other makes.
hope that helps abit.
cheers ash

[sw1]

firstly why are you removing the shims? you obviously have a reason but dont know what your looking for

[GUte]

G'day Simcoe, what are you actually trying to do?

The caps with four bolts can have shim just on the inside of them, but not always as sometimes they are not needed.
They have the same bolt pattern as the cap.
Remember that what you take from the bottom, you need to take from the top.

Al.

[simcoe]

Reason for removing the shims in to try and tighten the front end up.It's got a 3 inch lift and i know some blokes with lifts that take a shim out of the top and bottom which improves things!

[AndrewPatrol]

as Gute said they are under the cap thing - about 40 mm square with 4 bolt holes in and a big hole in middle. these are quite a fine tolerance on this setting (thats why you can get all different thicknesses of shims ) . if your front end is "loose" then I'd be looking at other things first. If you take a shim out from top and bottom you are tightening up tolerance quite a bit and if you go too far, then bearings could chew out. Has to be set up with out grease in first then pull measured with a tension spring on steering arm.

[trex]

Reason for removing the shims in to try and tighten the front end up.It's got a 3 inch lift and i know some blokes with lifts that take a shim out of the top and bottom which improves things!

Have you actually done anything to correct the castor with the 3" lift

What condition are all the bushes, tie rod ends and steering components like

If these are all worn i think you should be looking at fixing these first.

[simcoe]

Have you actually done anything to correct the castor with the 3" lift

What condition are all the bushes, tie rod ends and steering components like

If these are all worn i think you should be looking at fixing these first.[/quote]

Trex
has new(6 month old) 3deg bushes in arms
new tie rod ends(6 months old)
new bushes in panhard
12 month old 3rd's drag link
2 steering dampeners(helped quite abit)
wheel bearings and swivels hub bearings bout 12 months old

the truck doesnt wobble at all it just seems abit jittery on bad/bumpy roads!
last time i had a wheel allignment it had about 1.8 deg possitive castor
standed is around 2.5

i can live with havn to replace the wheels bearings sooner if taking shims out gives a better ride.i get car parts at trade price and the old man is a mechanic so i can get out of things cheap

[GUte]

Simcoe, raise the front wheel off the ground and grab the top and bottom and move in and out like you are checking for loose wheel bearings.
It's best to have somebody watch the swivel hub to see if there is any movement.
Be careful removing to thick a shim as this could make it to tight.
Buy yourself a spring break as these are only $10 from a tool store or you know those scales fisherman used to weigh fish? Same thing.
Check the preload on the swivel.

Al.

[trex]

Hey Simcoe, its good to see that you have done all the other things first, its just that they weren't mentioned in your first post. it seemed like a bandaid fix. You might want to check out the 4wd Action Forum under Nissan Tech for a post on this very subject.

Cheers Trex