Shims for new Dakars

headstrong had center bolt extenders or something like that for adding shims to the old dakars. I’ve got the new hd springs and I guess those extenders won’t work.

What center bolts do I need to add shims? Or is there some other extender for the new Dakars?

 

What kind of shims do you have. do they have a slot or just a hole through them

 

Didn’t get them yet but don’t want the open slot type

 

I got these. the bolts that came on my new EL096R heavy dakars where long enough. I did have to drill the hole out in the shim to 1/2 inch so the dakar center pin would slide through. it's aluminum so it's really easy to drill through

 

The Dakar pins made it into the perch hole with the shims?

 

The bolt head doesn’t go through the shims. So the whole bolt head is sticking out to go into the perches

 

I’m confused...

So these shims you have to remove the bolt and add the shim to the pack, then bolt the shim together with the leaf pack?

That was what I thought the headstrong extenders for the old packs worked around...

Sorry, for whatever reason I never had to shim leaf springs before. Got lucky I guess.

 

The extenders are used if you want to install a slotted shim. Loosen the U bolts and slide the shim in under the leaf pack. The better way is to use a proper shim with just a hole drillied through it. You install that in the bottom of your leaf pack using the center pin which you have to remove from the leafpack first. Provided the center pin is long enough.

 

Got it. Thx.

 

Marie shared this with me when talking dakars and shims
"Another thing we recommend is adding the center pin head lengtheners and center pins to your order. The lengtheners are a thick narrow washer which elongate the center pin head. This allows you to be able to add in shims later if need be. If you get them ahead of time you can clamp the leaf pack together, remove the center pin, slide the lengthener over the new center pin and replace them. This way if you do need a shim, down the road, you would just have to slide it in and not have to remove the pack to add in the lengthener then."

 

The new dakars center pin head is pretty long. They are almost the depth of the hole in the perch. I think if you add a washer without a shim they would bottom out on the axle tube before the spring sit on the perch.

When I installed mine I had to clean all the mud out of the center pin holes before the springs would sit down on the axle perches.

Plus I would want a shim that can’t go anywhere like the bolt on toy tech ones I linked earlier. But I beat the crap out of mine I cracked the last shims I had that wasn’t bolt on of that tells you anything

 

Are most guys needing shims with the dakars? Whats the consensus

 

It all depends on how much lift you get. Best thing to do is measure your drive line angles

I needed 3 degree shims

 

Thanks but that was part of my initial post: that the lengtheners don’t work with the new Dakars.

 

Oh, so you used the original center bolts that came in the Dakar packs? I was wondering about that actually bc the link you posted to the shims you ordered included new bolts.

 

I measured my angles before but haven’t measured again bc I wanted to settle the suspension before remeasuring. I have a slight vibration around 20 mph. 2” ome lift w heavy leaf packs.

 

also if the center bolts have a long enough head, is it necessary to split the pack and bolt in the shim? I thought it was common to just slip the shim between the spring and perch and ubolt everything back together...

 

I guess they dont thats why she suggested getting the new center pin while your buying the head lengthner.
Im learning here too

 

i just drilled mine out and they still worked fine