Shims between stabilizer bar and reaction(?) bar?

Hi guys,

I have a 1969 Buick GS 400 and I'm currently working on my rear end. It looks like I have some sort of shims between my stabilizer bar and reaction(?) bar. Is that normal? (not much left of it though)



My car is a Canadian built one and they came with a 12 bolt rear end. Perhaps that has anything to do with it?

Edit again: decent sized pic now

 

Some cars used them, some didn't, I don't think there was any standard. It depended how the bar fit the car when assembled. I think you can get them repro now.

 

Yes, they are available. I just put a rear sway bar on mine and it came with several of those shims.

 

My '72 GS had no shims between the bar & the lower control arm.

 

If it is real rusty,you might find rust holes in your control arms,when you take that apart.

 

Yup. Due to the tolerance build up of parts, shims may have been required to make a stress-free fit when the car was assembled. Your upper control arm alignment shims on the front suspension are an example.

 

I added a rear sway bar to my 71 Skylark....it needed a pair of shims on both sides.

 

Yeah that is the reason it is apart now. I'm restoring my car.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll be looking for new shims.

 

I'd wait to order any until you are fitting everything back together. If you are putting new bushings in the control arms or replacing the control arms the spacers may not be needed. It's one of those items that is used "if needed". No use in spending money on them until you know if you need to use them.
Robert

 

The way I determined if I needed shims was after I installed new bushing I set the car down on the wheels with the weight on the springs and test fit the sway bar and if it was loose between the mounting bolts I added the shims. Not sue if this is the correct way but have done this no a few cars and some needed a shim and some did not. Thanks Bill.

 

I think assembly manual calls for up to 4 on each side at the most and each side needs to be within one of the other. Check an assembly manual rather than trust my memory.

 

Put your control arms on the car... Then put the car wheels on ramps or some way you can load the rear end in the air. place the control arm under the car in the place where it should mount. IF you have gap between the arms you will need shims if it fits snug then you do not. It was for imperfection on the brackets of the control arm mounts...NOTHING is perfect... if the arms were too far apart when welded from the factory you will need the shims ...HOPE they did not goof the other way...LOL. You just do not want to over bow the swaybar in... it will stress it the wrong way and snap the bar under too much twist when it is being used.
Jim