Pinion angle shimming

So I’m in the process of gathering parts to correct the pinion angle due to previous owner lowering the truck. I’ve come up with a -2 degree difference for the diff and bought a 4 degree steel shim kit. My problem is the length of the U-bolts currently on the truck (10.25” long). The shim is just under 1/2” thick on the large side and the nuts on my U-bolts have just about the same left underneath. I need to find at a minimum 11.25” long U-bolts. If I’ve done my measuring correctly they are 1/2” thick diameter and ID is 3.5”. No auto parts stores I’ve been to (Advance Auto, Autozone, Parks Auto, Oreillys, and a few 4x4 places) have them on the shelf nor can they find anything in a book. Ebay has lots to choose from but not all the dimensions line up. Some even are described as (fits Dodge Ram) but shows an ID of either 2.5” or 3”.

Anyone know where I can source some U-bolts?

So I found these, wondering why they describe as “fits 3.5” axles only” but width is only 3.25”.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/11-U-bolt-...-Rear-Lift-U-Bolts-3-5-Axle-Only/232871480974

This company will not be close. HOWEVER, they will make you U-bolts that will be stronger and to your specification. Then you could have them shipped. OR, find a similar company close to you.....

http://www.valleyspringservice.com/index.php?main_page=index

Good Luck... Cheers!

I believe I ordered mine through Summitt Racing.

Looks like the ones I linked above will work. They came the other day and I slipped them over the axle and length looks like it’ll be long enough (just enough). Now I gotta find some 2x12’s to shim the jack stands high enough to get the frame up.

How did the 4 deg shimming go? Did you have any shudder on take off before hand? What made you check the pinion angles to begin with?

BryenW said:

How did the 4 deg shimming go? Did you have any shudder on take off before hand? What made you check the pinion angles to begin with?

Click to expand...

Haven’t been on here in a bit. Since having our daughter born and finally bringing her home a few months ago I haven’t had any time to install the shims. Wanted to install them because I noticed the truck was lowered by the original owner but failed to address all the issues that come along with lowering. Like shortening the sway bar endlinks, replacing the bump stops with new shorter ones, adjusting camber and of course measuring and correcting the pinion angle. Truck has a 3” drop in the rear and what appears to be a 2” drop up front. After careful measurements I determined a 4 degree shim kit would work. I even got all new leaf spring bushing (poly red) that I haven’t gotten to yet. On top of all that, I need a clutch as she’s slipping pretty good now. This is the more costly of the items I need so it hasn’t been ordered yet. Figure new stock clutch, new stock flywheel and viler hydraulics to remedy the potential for a stock plastic unit to fail. I don’t have any major power adders and have also yet to do what I want to the exhaust (3” catless mids with 02 sims), 3” dual mufflers and 3” all the way to rear outlets, new tune with SCT, new coils and wires, catch can and oil clean out while intake is off not to mention intake ports gasket matched. Oh and prolly the final thing is to replace the leak detection pump for emissions CEL to clear, lol.

Wishlist:
New rear tires
New shifter
Rebuild kit for all (4) calipers
New head unit for music
Repaint entire truck with quality paint

Let me know if you need part numbers for the shorter endlinks and front and rear bumpstops. I started a thread a feed months back regarding me lowering my QC

Let me know if you need part numbers for the shorter endlinks and front and rear bumpstops. I started a thread a few months back regarding me lowering my QC. It’s in the general section
Front springs JTSVP vs Belltech

Srt10650 said:

Let me know if you need part numbers for the shorter endlinks and front and rear bumpstops. I started a thread a few months back regarding me lowering my QC. It’s in the general section
Front springs JTSVP vs Belltech

Click to expand...

Thanks but I've already got that all figured out. Just make sure to use bushings for the rear links cause otherwise the metal to metal design of one of those vendors causes the threaded rod to snap. And I wasn't the only one with the issue either. Once I already had the kit I just made my own with longer threaded rods and used washers and bushing on the bottom side through the sway bar. Without that cushion it's subjected to way more shock and will snap your link. The heim joint alone isn't going to soften the blow that occurs while normal driving over bumps in the road and it will stress out the rod.