Anyone recognize these shims?

Batmanacw

Registered
Registered
Joined
Sep 3, 2020
Messages
1,767
Help! I can't figure out who makes these. They are 1" x 1/2" give or take.

20241021_100008.jpg

I'm tired of cutting them out with scissors.
 
I think they are called body shims. Lots of variety in terms of size and thickness. Can get them at an auto supply shop.
 
Harbor Freight has a shim assortment box that is similar , but has a larger tab extending out.
I want to say that they are about $6 for the assortment
 
Harbor Freight has a shim assortment box that is similar , but has a larger tab extending out.
I want to say that they are about $6 for the assortment

I made I don't know how many of those things when I did a "work experience" in a body shop. Had about 30 stacked and clamped with grips at a time, clamped in a vice on a drill press and ran a drill through them. Spent a day doing that to "re-stock" a box on a cart. Mainly thin ones.

As they were needed they were either left as they were with just the hole, or, with a pair of snips, the hole was turned into a slot.
 
Body shims are a relic from another time, when tolerances were in the 6mm realm. Completely unnecessary today, except at the bottom-feeder shops, as car manufacturers' tolerances on bodies is in the 1-2mm range. A local body shop probably has lots in their Kent or Wurth drawers - they likely have no use for them anymore (if they are any good at what they do)

If a shop still uses shims today, and you're thinking of having them do some collision repair for you, run away like your hair's on fire.
 
These are nothing like body shims. The shape and size are important. I've seen these is 0.002, 0.003, 0.005, 0.010, 0.015, 0.020, 0.025, 0.030.

I found a place that sold them one 20 years ago but never again. Curse the morons who built a machine with fine tuning adjustment based on these shims.
 
Harbor Freight has a shim assortment box that is similar , but has a larger tab extending out.
I want to say that they are about $6 for the assortment
I have a box of those and they start at 1/64", pretty thick actually If you are looking for machinery shims starting at 0.001" this is them.
 
These are nothing like body shims. The shape and size are important. I've seen these is 0.002, 0.003, 0.005, 0.010, 0.015, 0.020, 0.025, 0.030.

I found a place that sold them one 20 years ago but never again. Curse the morons who built a machine with fine tuning adjustment based on these shims.

Not sure where you get that idea...

I saw a fair few of this size as well as larger and, believe it or not, smaller sized (dimension wise) shims used during my "work experience" (many-a-year-ago now) at a body shop (also crash repair centre). They used these things like they were going out of fashion.
 
Back
Top