My shims are made of steel, chromed, I think.  They had some rust.where the piston has been wearing on them.

Are you sure that MSA doesn't have one side available?  That was the point about removing the tabs.

Zed Head, Now that I think about it, I bet you are right in that they are steel and not aluminum. I was jumping to conclusions because I don't think they rust.

And with that in mind, I bet they are stainless. I suspect the rust you have seen is "embedded" into the shim by the piston, but not growing out of it. I don't have any spares and the only ones I have are on my car. Next time I'm in there I'll investigate a little deeper.

Do you have any spares laying loose? Are they magnetic?

I guess Motorsport does have only the RH available...

Yeah we do have several laser and plasma cutters.  We can make nearly anything now.  I plan to take advantage!

Edited August 30, 20177 yr by ramsesosirus
added comment about laser cutter

I think I have one spare that I can dig up.  I just remember it was very shiny, and definitely had the feel of steel.  

I don't have any spares.  Actually, I remember that I tried the other shim options because one the floating shims that I have is slightly torn at the hanging point.  Running it anyway now because it's the only type that works.  

For the energetic experimenter, there may be options. A little digging turned up what some people consider replacements for the factory shim. And cross referencing has turned up a couple part numbers. There may be others as well, but I didn't dig too deep. Here's some numbers to start with:

Beck/Arnley 084-2008
WAGNER SH14025

The look a little different than stock, but the differences appear to be in areas that shouldn't really matter. Mainly... They are cut straight across the piston instead of having a circular cut out in the middle. Since the piston doesn't contact there anyway, I'm thinking it shouldn't matter. And I don't know if the coating would help or hurt, but I think they would be worth a try if you're desperate.

Here's a pic:

And here's a couple pages with more info:
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=156573&cc=1274745&jsn=10619

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disc-Brake-Pad-Shim-Front-Beck-Arnley-084-2008-/232361458677?epid=75309807&hash=item3619d27bf5:g:sA4AAOSwhvFZNeBE&vxp=mtr

That's a good find.  I wonder if they need modification.  They don't seem to be spec'ed for our cars.  Cheap though.

 

Just ordered a set from Rockauto.  $4.46 shipped, USPS.  Noticed that it's a wholesaler closeout though, with a 3 day delay, and that they don't look anything at all like the other shims for the other cars they're supposed to fit.  Hope they're not made of cardboard.  Wagner is a reputable brand though.

A few thoughts: Make sure the brake pads and calipers are cleaned well. Dirt on the sliding surfaces can cause squeaks. Also, the Triumph TR6 and a few other British cars us the same pads. Perhaps anti-squeak shims from those cars would fit and help (if you can find any).

Edited August 31, 20177 yr by beermanpete

1 hour ago, beermanpete said:

A few thoughts: Make sure the brake pads and calipers are cleaned well. Dirt on the sliding surfaces can cause squeaks. Also, the Triumph TR6 and a few other British cars us the same pads. Perhaps anti-squeak shims from those cars would fit and help (if you can find any).

http://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/tc/full.aspx?Page=61

72' TR6 $9.00

Zed Head, Don't remember exactly how, but I found the Beck/Arnley part number first and started digging into the "used on" applications list. That's how I turned up the Wagner number. One bread crumb that leads to another and hopefully eventually leads to something (hopefully) usable. Cross referencing from other vehicles, and all that.

Thanks for guinea pigging for us. Hope they work!

PS - If they work and aren't made out of cut up black jeans, can I have your old rusty dented originals?  

LOL. Or cardboard painted with wrinkle finish paint...