Shims found ??

[love2fly]

Shim?

Okay obviously its best to look at what I am talking about so being the way I am (hate to leave things that are questionable), I remove the right spring Assy to get that shim.
It really does not look like a Toyota production item, looks more like a homemade shim. It is slightly tapered with what looks to be a welded piece of flat steel. It may as well been a shim and someone added the small flat steel latter. It was in place for a long time as it was in rusty condition before. If it was sandwiched between the mount and spring with the large end forward, would it tilt the front axle down in the rear making the drive shaft lower??
I checked the threads before and after removal and looks as it would cinch up just fine without the shim. It may be a caster shim from some cheap alignment shop years ago. But I still can't explain the measurement differences as mentioned in my last response. I am now debating on having the spring arced
3/4" more so I should have my 1/2" raise on the right hand side when installed, and taking out the shims and tossing them or replacing with new.
The U bolts look to be the same in the rear, three in front are the same and one is square.:

 

[Living in the Past]

Okay obviously its best to look at what I am talking about so being the way I am (hate to leave things that are questionable), I remove the right spring Assy to get that shim.
It really does not look like a Toyota production item, looks more like a homemade shim. It is slightly tapered with what looks to be a welded piece of flat steel. It may as well been a shim and someone added the small flat steel latter. It was in place for a long time as it was in rusty condition before. If it was sandwiched between the mount and spring with the large end forward, would it tilt the front axle down in the rear making the drive shaft lower??
I checked the threads before and after removal and looks as it would cinch up just fine without the shim. It may be a caster shim from some cheap alignment shop years ago. But I still can't explain the measurement differences as mentioned in my last response. I am now debating on having the spring arced
3/4" more so I should have my 1/2" raise on the right hand side when installed, and taking out the shims and tossing them or replacing with new.
The U bolts look to be the same in the rear, three in front are the same and one is square.:

Because of it's location between the spring and the plate it will doing nothing to the caster or raise or lower the vehicle. In that location it is nothing more than a spacer. I would be curious what the stock part listed would look like. Is it possible this was just a flat piece of metal at one time that had the extra piece welded in? I couldn't see Toyota using a piece like that. Plus it doesn't make sense it is wedge shaped just being used as a spacer.

The square U bolt is probably a replace or off another cruiser. My FJ62 U bolts are square.

 

[love2fly]

shims

The u bolt is designed that way as the seat it goes over on the top of the axle is squared also.

 

[FJsnoozer]

Again, That shim is doing nothing jn its current location. If you buy the spacer from CCot or toyota, that should fix your lean.

While installing my lift. (My truck had no lean prior) i found that my cruiser had the toyota plate on both front and rear of the passenger side. After installing just the lift, the cruiser leaned a lot. I had to loosen everything up and reinstall the plates between the spring pack and the axle.

The plates are about 1/4+ thick and are supposed to be installed on the high side.

 

[love2fly]

The Shims

I agree that they are pretty much worthless in the located areas other than the spacing of the u bolt threads.
So if I were to place a lets say 1/4" spacer block on the front left high side between the top side of the spring pack and axle, that may fix my low right side?
Thanks guys for the input, we now know that the plates were probably just to space out the u bold threads from some long passed shop. The lean on the spring should of been taken out when the first arc was done on both the springs but maybe this right spring is a little more on the weak side. At least there are no broken spring plates in that pack.
Thanks again.

 

[FJsnoozer]

Yes, But you should try the Rear Passenger side first. My truck happened to have them in both. front and rear.

the lean is not caused by the spring, so unless you are having the springs rearched at different curves, this will not fix it and will eventually settle back to the same eight.

 

[jim land]

update about the weird shims in the front
Yes ,it is a factory toyota part , i have the same on my 84 bj42 , and i found their real use , (it is not a shim for the u bolt threads) , without this shim ,the washer and nuts are not square with the u bolt plate (the nut contact the u bolt plate unevenly) you can see the gap in the pic

it is use to compensate the angle of the spring pad on the axle , when i slide the shim back on , the nut contact is square so it don't put stress on only one side of the nuts

 

[greenbeasty]

Now that makes a lot of sense .

 

[jim land]

u bolt threads lenght difference with no shim

 

[Economist LC76]

u bolt threads length difference with no shim

View attachment 1653615

Very cool and rare info!
One question for my understanding - the thick part of the shim has to be forward looking (both front and rear)?
Thanks

 

[jim land]

Front only

 

[Economist LC76]

Front only

Why I ask. The front and the rear have the same shims.

 

[1911]

Why I ask. The front and the rear have the same shims.

You shim the front axle if you need to correct the steering caster.

You shim the rear axle if you need to correct the working angles on the drive shaft u-joints.

The same shims could be used on either.

 

[jim land]

Those shims on this pic do nothing for caster because they are Factory weld to the spring plate.
The one on your image @Economist LC76 are different shims.

 

[Economist LC76]

It’s still not very clear for me.
This magic shim 48475-60020 was used from 08.1980

For J4 below the leaf springs, for J7 above

Before 08.1980 it was 48475-60011.

After all explanation it’s another shim that is welded to the spring plate. And the purpose of the welded shim is to prevent the bolt threads. What is the purpose of non welded 48475-60020?

Probably I am a bit slow...

 

[fj40alex]

I have an '82 and have this exact factory wedge on the plate. Just discovered while doing a lift kit. Driver side only. Been racking my brain trying to understand it until I found this thread. So is the thick part of the wedge facing the transmission side of the axle or towards the front of the vehicle?

 

[pb4ugo]

From my research, The 48475-60020 shim was used for the rear axle to cure cruiser lean. It has no taper. I have some in the classified section if your interested.

 

[merbesfield]

From my research, The 48475-60020 shim was used for the rear axle to cure cruiser lean. It has no taper. I have some in the classified section if your interested.

So if I understand my research correctly, this plate is used to level out and correct "Cruiser lean". My 1982 FJ40 leans to the drivers side even after installing a new Old Man Emu suspension kit. If I install this shim plate on the drivers side rear between the leaf springs and the spring plate it will raise the drivers side up and counter the "Cruiser lean". Do I have it right?

 

[peesalot]

2 different parts, 1 a spacer used with round top u bolt to prevent bottoming of nut, 1 a angle correction plate to properly align hardware with ubolt plate on square top ublot

 

[pb4ugo]

So if I understand my research correctly, this plate is used to level out and correct "Cruiser lean". My 1982 FJ40 leans to the drivers side even after installing a new Old Man Emu suspension kit. If I install this shim plate on the drivers side rear between the leaf springs and the spring plate it will raise the drivers side up and counter the "Cruiser lean". Do I have it right?

The leveling shim is installed between the spring and the axle spring perch. The shim is installed on the side that's higher, it is designed to lower the side that is higher by about an inch. I have a couple of them for sale in the classified parts section. I'm open to offers within reason.