Axle shims causing vibes???

I had coilovers installed with 1.5 inch AAL and used 3* axle shims. Thought that the shims were made for 2-3 inch of lift period. Just realized on toytec website that they were made for 2-3 inches of lift on rear. So my question is could this cause vibes from 5-15 mph?

 

Probably not, alot of our trucks have the take off vibe after lifting mine included. There's many a thread on this subject but most come down to either axle shims or a carrier bearing drop. Maybe try the c/b drop.

 

I put in the washers total of 1/4 inch and no difference. Just thought maybe take out shims and see if it corrects? Worth the effort?

 

Best thing is to change one thing at a time. You can always get lucky.

When I did my 3" lift, I had takeoff shudder 0-10mph. Shimmed the carrier bearing 1/4" and life is good now. No other changes needed, no vibes at any speed.

Take out all shims and see what your truck shows. Adjusting driveline angles can CAUSE shims as well as fix them, so the best thing is to lift and see if you *need* to address any shudders or vibes.

 

I lifted mine a bit more than yours.

I tried the carrier bearing shims, didnt work

I tried the axle shims, didnt work

I tried both, didnt work

i am having a one piece CV driveshaft made this week, hopefully this will fix it

with all the torque my truck makes with all the FI mods and big tires, I was afraid it would break over time if I hammered it

Justin

 

So it could be the shims causing vibes instead of fixing them? If not what is the most you should drop carrier bearing with 3 inch front lift and 1.5 AAL?

 

Dude, there are no hard and fast answers with this stuff. Once you mod away from stock, it's the wild west.

Most aftermarket carrier bearing drop brackets drop 1 to 1.5 inches. I shimmed with grade 8 washers 1/4" and solved my problem, bingo/bango.

At this point, you pretty much have to experiment, see what helps, and what doesn't.

The only surefire kill method seems to be a double-cardan one piece driveshaft, but that's expensive and requires some extremely precise measurements.

Start by getting the axle shims outta there. Then adjust one item at a time. Good luck.

 

Ok, thanks for the help!

 

There is a max angle for u-joints to function properly. There is also a formula for finding the sweet spot. Measure your driveline angles.
I no longer have the book for this info, so I can't get the formula for you. Just search for driveline angle for u-joints. Someone else will know.
Don't guess, unless you enjoy replacing u-joints and driveshafts.

+1 on cv joints. They don't have the problems u-joints have.

 

I had the same AAL and shims along with the drive line vibration. Pulled out the shims and the vibrations were about 90% gone. I have a very slight vibration (more of a "hum" at about 18-20 mph). I am going to do some washers on the carrier bearing next weekend. All in all, I would say try removing the shims. Only took me about an hour to get them out and get everything back together.