I've been rebuilding an '86 4runner bit by bit over the last 3 months so that I can have a known-good overlander to make a lap of America this Fall. The latest bit is the dead front diff. I opened it just to take a look-see and found lots of pitting on all the bearings, so I've replaced the diff bearings with a Timken set from Randy's. The disassembly was a normal semi-PIA with some prying to get the carrier out. The install went way too easy...the carrier just fell in. When re-using the old shims and measuring the gaps I find that I have 0.045in left to fill. Randy's has said that the bearings are the correct ones and Timken notes that an 0.030 shim is needed behind both bearings. The measurements make sense, so I'll bite. Yet they couldn't source the req'd shims today... I'll call 'em back tomorrow to check on progress.

So my question: has anyone else run across this issue? And if so, where the heck did you come up with these shims?

 

That is interesting. I just used the original shims (the big thick ones) for the carrier bearings. Checkout gearinstalls.com

 

Check the Timken catalog for a shim kit...
http://www.showmetheparts.com/timken/

 

Thanks for the Timken link bswarm. By their catalog I got bearings (or at least races as that's all I can read since the bearings are installed) for an early '60s Oldsmobile haha. I didn't make progress with Randy's today, but I'll see what I can do tomorrow and follow up here.

 

You're welcome.