M1009 Lift Suggestions needed

[RickTheEngineer]

Hey all, I'm just finishing up putting on 4" lift springs in the front of my M1009 K5... My biggest question is do I need to correct my pinion angle? (The spring is symmetrical and doesn't have any shims on it, just as you'd find on any K5 lift kit for the front springs). I know the idea behind the driveshaft angles and all, but here is why I ask. The front driveshaft as many if you are familiar with are double cardian, so I'd imagine that the front pinion should point to the tcase? Only thing is that I heard shimming the front can cause drive line issues from messing up the caster? Or should I just leave it? Thanks y'all!

 

[Ordak]

From what I have read, putting on a 4" Lift does not mess up the pinion angle enough to make it so far out of wack to have to shim it. Also did you have a local shop make up the springs or did you buy it somewhere else?

 

[RickTheEngineer]

It messed up my rear so bad that I had to get another driveshaft haha (I made a thread a long time ago about that, but I'm shackle flipping and doing a double cardan driveshaft so there wont be vibration) only thing is that 4 inches is certainly enough to change the driveshaft angle a bit... Which makes makes concerned about whether or not I need to shim it. Now obviously if I get crazy vibrations in 4wd then it would be a good idea, bit I want to avoid it if I can so my drive line can be consistent without having to get everything realigned. I never saw anyone having to shim the front either. I have seen lots about the rear end though.

Also they are rough country front springs, so I didn't have a shop make em

 

[Recovry4x4]

Shackle flips are horrible for rear driveline angles but I know we are talking front here. Shimming the front to correct driveline angles will toss your steering angles off a cliff. Caster is a ctitically important setting for drivability. I would only shim as a dead last resort and I would be prepared to cut and reweld the knuckles to get my caster back in order.

 

[RickTheEngineer]

Hey Recovry4x4 thanks for the input, I will keep this in mind and try not to shim it unless things get terrible. I am a little doubtful that I will have to myself, however with the shimming issues I had in the past with the rear, I am going into the front cautiously and prepared to possibly deal with some issues there. I am shackle flipping the rear since my new springs in the rear messed everything up. Here is the thread where we had to reach that conclusion (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?155874-Static-Pinion-Angle-Thoughts) also, there will be a custom driveshaft made, so it's worth a try

 

[86m1028]

Your frt should be a direct bolt in, no shimming needed.
Driveshaft will probably need a little clearance work on the cv tabs.