My drivers side a-arm has 4 shims on each bolt...but the passenger side has no shims. Is this typical or within reason?

It was that way when I bought it, and it seemed to drive fine.

I ask because I'm ready to re-assemble the front end, and I'm wondering if I should just put it back like that. It'll go to the alignment shop eventually. On a 69 coupe.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm42/jbasga01/drivera-armshims.jpg

here is a picture of it..(hopefully the picture works)..it's actually 3 shims on the back bolt and 5 on the forward bolt....on drivers side.

I would be more concerned if there were no alignment shims. I would put it back the way it was and get a professional alignment done.

Not out of the ordinary at all, my car had no shims on one side and a couple on the other, every car is different. You said the car drove fine so you should put the shims back in like they were before and get an alignment, like TJS69 said.

Did you go with poly or rubber? I'll be doing the same thing in a couple weeks and was planning on ordering the black energy suspension poly kit. Keep us posted on how everything goes together for you.

Aaron67, I used the black Prothane poly suspension kit. Everything fit great. I got the polyurethane bushings for my radius rod from Energy Suspension because they were the only ones that had them. They didn't fit, too big OD, too small ID. I eventually made them fit but not after some major size modifications.

I'd be concerned about that frame if there are NO shims on the other side of the car. Put a carpenters level up against the wheel(I hope the car is still fully assembled) and see if the wheel is Plumb (zero camber) or out at the top(positive camber). If you are out at the top with full weight on it I'd say you're OK. Also note the shims are different thicknesses.
Jeff

I would for sure use offset shafts on the upper a-arms, just to give you some room. No shims is bad, makes ya kinda stuck.
More shims on the front bolt than the back is plain weird, it won't be that way once you have a proper alignment with some pos caster.

Some cars have lots of shims.
some cars have hardly any.
some have none
and some have a combination of the above.
DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS LONG AS THE ALIGNMENT READS, OK.
It is NOT abnormal to have uneven number of shims on the same side and the opposite side.
Have Shop set Camber at 0