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Thread: rear wheel shims from shine, worth the price?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Scranton, PA
    Posts
    33

    Default rear wheel shims from shine, worth the price?

    I need to do a rear wheel alignment and
    have been trying to source shims.
    Napa has adjustable shims @12.50 each
    but are made of plastic... will they
    brake?
    Shine has a kit made of metal shims
    and hardware.
    but at a cost of $99.
    is it worth it?????

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    IT.com "First Loser" Greensboro, NC USA
    Posts
    8,607

    Default

    We used plastic shims on the back of our rally Golf for years. Broke two stub axles but no shims.

    Kirk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Belmont, CA USA
    Posts
    1,098

    Default

    Yes. I'm using them on my A1 GTI. Currently set @ -2 degrees, as kind of a middle ground starting point. Can go to -.5 to -4 with the kit. Good quality and easy to install / change. Well, getting the old bolts off is not Shine's problem.

    ------------------
    Tim Linerud
    San Francisco Region
    #95 ITB GTI

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Posts
    1,181

    Default

    We've used the hard Nylon shims for 10 years.
    Alignment never changes, shims can't really "break". You're talking about a tiny sliver of Nylon wedged between two steel parts...not much room for forces to act on the shim to break it.

    -Bilon

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Scranton, PA
    Posts
    33

    Default

    Thanks thats what I was looking for.
    Shine's web site said that the plastic can fail, but I wanted to see what you guys were
    using.

    What base line setup should I use.
    toe out 1/6 total
    camber ?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2001
    Location
    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    665

    Default

    Actually, I don't think the plastic would fail. What concerned me was the flexing of the bolts that would be allowed by the plastic, posiibly causing the bolts to fail. A1s only have 4 bolts holding the stubs. Some A2s probably went to 6 bolts for a reason.

    If you go with the plastic, make sure you upgrade your bolts to at least 12.9s... but those cost money too (I think Shine includes longer extra strength bolts in his kits).

    Having melted plastic wheel centering rings, I just don't like the stuff anywhere near a brake; but admittedly, the rears should never get as hot as the fronts.

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