I have just installed a 9" from a 71 stepside pickup into my 53 f100. The pinion angle does not look correct. It looks to be pointing up instead of parallel to the tranny output shaft. Anyone have any experience with this combination and will I have to shim the leaf spring pads with a wedge spacer?

Any input would be great!!

 

I understand that they do have to be shimmed to correct the angle and NAPA carries the shims. I put a rear end from an 89 in my 55 and I had to grind the brackets off and slide them over about 1 1/2 " to make them work. I corrected the angle problem when I re-welded the brackets to the shafts. Shimming would have been a lot eaiser.

 

Get a magnetic angle indicator, available at parts supply houses for under 20 bucks, and measure the angle on the tranny out-put shaft yoke and your rearend input shaft yoke. Make sure you have them lined up equal and vertical, then see how much angle difference you have to make up.

704-1168 is the pn for NAPA's 5* caster wedges or shims - the largest angle they carry, but they also list narrower shims. This is what I used in my 48 F1 with a '65 9". JCWhitney also lists some shims in a variety of widths in their Jeep section.

 

Thanks for verifing my thoughts, I thought the shims would be needed.