im restoring an 85 solid axle. currently have everything but the locking hubs installed.

I got a karsons seal kit. it came with shims. but there is only one packet with six shims in it. hard to tell from the order picture how many were supposed to come.

Ive heard though, that top and bottom of the knuckle, I need to have the same number of shims. I currently have two on the top and one on the bottom. I believe I need another one on the bottom of the knuckle but that only leaves two for the other side (drivers side)

did I lose a packet of shims? or am I doing this wrong and should six shims suffice?

 

There is a little more to it than that. The shims serve two purposes here, 1 is to get the proper preload on the trunnion bearings, and 2 center the axle shaft in the spindle.

Youll need to measure the thickness of each shim to do this. I use the bottom cap/shims to set the spindle height ( I eyeball it ) , and the top shim to set the preload. You can use a fish or luggage scale for a spring scale, cheap and easy.

Lots of youtube videos. The Factory service manual is great here too, but wants you use specialty tools. 4crawler has some helpful instructions: https://4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/AxleRebuild.shtml

 

That makes sense, I appreciate that. And I do have the factory service manual.

I have a question though, when you install the bottom first, do you torque down the nuts before you move on to the top?

 

I do, otherwise if you set preload with the bottom bolts loose, when you tighten everything down it will be too much pre load.