Shop By Shim or Spacer Type
What are the different types of shims and spacers?
Arbor Shims
Arbor shims, also known as slitter shims, are thin, washer‑like discs designed to prevent axial movement in assembled components. Unlike washers, arbor shims are manufactured from precise materials to specific tolerances for an exact fit. They are used for spacing and alignment in machinery applications on milling cutters, saws, and grinding tools. They can also be found in automotive applications such as air locking differentials.
- Avoid excessive wear by using shims with contact surfaces of similar hardness
- Offered in plastic, carbon, and stainless steel
- Available in thicknesses ranging from .0010" to .0180"
Shim Rings
Shim rings, sometimes called tolerance rings, are used in stamped, molded, or worn housings to form a tight hold on bearings. Frequently used with retaining rings or lock washers, shim rings prevent axial movement by taking up play between machine components. To ensure they retain their shape under excessive forces, the contact faces of the shim and component must be smooth and of similar hardness to avoid excessive wear.
- Acts as a buffer to prevent damage to machined components
- Commonly found in gearboxes and gearing systems
- Spring steel shim rings offered in Imperial or Metric sizes
Slotted Shims
Slotted shims, sometimes referred to as horseshoe shims or slotted motor shims, are a thin, rectangular shim with a slotted opening. The opening provides an efficient means of alignment and leveling that does not require any modification. They are used on assembled machine components in order to maximize alignment and balance. Slotted shims are ideal for providing repeatable alignment to prevent damage to valuable equipment.
- Efficient and economical method for alignment
- Offered in corrosion‑resistant stainless steel
- Ideal for aligning automotive body panels
Shim Stock
Shim stock is thin precision stock material from which custom shims can be cut for a specific application. This versatile and easy to use material can be easily cut to fit specific needs. Depending on the thickness and material, shim stock can be cut with scissors or metal shears for quick and easy adjustments. Shim stock is typically used for support, leveling, and fit adjustment. Some common applications include electrical insulation, seal joints, and adjusting valve spring pressure.
- Available in flat sheets, laminated flat sheets, and rolls
- Common materials include brass, carbon, and stainless steel
- Nickel, Mylar, and PVC available upon special request
Variable Shims
Variable shims consist of two types of shims known as lengthening and shortening shims. These shims are used to increase or decrease the effective length of shoulder bolts, or stripper bolts, in punch and die assemblies such as those that produce washers from flat strips of metal. The ability to change the effective length reduces costs in shortening shafts or bolts to required lengths.
- Imperial sizes are offered in carbon steel
- An economical solution for increasing or decreasing a bolt's effective length
- Thicknesses are available from .005" to .062"
Feeler Gauge
Feeler gauges, or leaf gauges, are thin, precision manufactured spring steel gauges. Feeler gauges are designed to accurately measure extremely tight tolerances that exist in mechanical assemblies. Huyett offers individual straight leaves, or plates, as well as feeler gauge coil for custom needs.
- Feeler gauge leaves are available in brass or stainless steel
- Feeler gauge coil is available in 15ft, 20ft, and 25ft lengths
- Brass gauges work well where corrosion resistance and low magnetism is needed
Tool Wrap
Tool wrap is cut‑to‑fit sheeting often crafted in thin, stainless steel rolls that can be easily cut using heavy‑duty scissors or snips. Tool wrap is commonly folded into an envelope encapsulating tools to provide a barrier during the heat‑treating process. This prevents the tool from contamination that can create scaling and decarburization.
- Rolls available in 50ft and 100ft lengths
- Common widths offered include 12in, 20in, and 24in
- Stainless steel barrier reduces rework of contaminated parts
Shim Assortments
Huyett offers a broad range of shim and shim stock assortments available in a variety of finishes including brass, carbon, and stainless steel. Shim and shim stock assortments provide a simple and efficient way of keeping a wide range of common parts in one easy to find location. Pre‑packaged assortments are in stock and ready to ship, or give us a call to create a custom assortment complete with your branding.
- Customizable to fit your needs
- Convenient plastic case with dividers to keep parts organized
- Attached visual product layout helps quickly identify shim types and sizes
- Shop kits provide rugged, easily identifiable storage for frequently used shims
Arbor Spacers
Arbor spacers, or keyed spacers, are thick machined spacers that typically feature a keyway. The inside diameter is designed to slide over a shaft and machine key during installation. A wide range of tightly toleranced sizes and thicknesses are available for accurate alignment and spacing. Arbor spacers are often installed on slitting saws and milling machines to take up the slack.
- Imperial sizes offered in carbon steel
- Available thicknesses range from 1/8" up to 1-1/2"
- Provides efficient, accurate spacing between components
Tubular Spacers
Tubular spacers, also referred to as standoffs or compression limiters, are an unthreaded spacer that provides support for assembled components joined by screws, rivets, or rods. Tubular spacers are often used as stand‑offs, bushings, tension sleeves, compression limiters, axles, and pins to replace cut‑off tubing, ferrules, grommets, rivets, or machined parts. They are crafted in a variety of forms including split, knurled, molded‑in, and flange headed.
- Ideal for plastic or composite joints subjected to high loads from conventional fasteners
- Available in aluminum, brass, nylon, and carbon and high carbon steel materials
- Nitrile spacers available upon special request
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a shim, spacer, or washer?
Shims, spacers, and washers are all similar in appearance and design. However, each possess unique characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications.
- Shims refer to a broad class of specialty flat washers used for positioning and spacing. They have the same visual appearance of a common flat washer but are often made from non‑ferrous materials. Shims are crafted using precise materials and production techniques to produce smooth corners, flat edges, and a parallel face. They maintain very flat surfaces and consistent thicknesses across the part.
- Spacers, also referred to as a stand‑off, is a fixed size component designed to provide a pre‑determined distance between two adjoining parts. While shims typically feature a thin profile, spacers are designed with a much wider range of thicknesses from several inches to several feet depending on application requirements. Spacers can also be purposed as sleeves, bushings, axles, or pins.
- Washers are a common fastening component that is stamped from thin metal sheeting. While they can be used for spacing, they perform best when used in tandem with conventional threaded fasteners to spread loads produced by fasteners from tightening or to reduce unwanted loosening. Washers are often crafted with less precision than shims or spacers and can possess curves, splits, or tangs as is common with Belleville, curved, and lock washers.
What is a compression limiter?
Compression limiters are a non‑threaded, tubular insert used to provide a maintain joint integrity for applications that could be damaged by compressive loads. These spacers are ideal for bolted joints in plastic assemblies where tightening forces can compromise the integrity of joining parts. Compression limiters are manufactured in a wide range of types including split seam, molded‑in, knurled, and flange headed.
What are slotted shims used for?
Slotted shims, sometimes referred to as horseshoe shims or slotted motor shims, are an efficient way to solve alignment and leveling problems on already assembled components. They are installed by sliding into the open space between the assembled components. The slot of the shim is fitted against the bolt or pin that holds the assembly together. Slotted shims are commonly used to align body panels on vehicles or drive trains on some power transmission assemblies.
How to use variable shims:
Variable shims, also known as lengthening or shortening shims, are used to increase or decrease the effective length of a shoulder screw or stripper bolt. Lengthening shims are designed to be positioned over the threads of a given bolt to increase the effective length of the bolt's shank. Shortening shims, however, are designed to be seated under the bolt's head to decrease the effective length of its shank.
What are the best practices when using shims?
- Do not use more than 4 shims per application. Too many shims can produce slippage and increase risk of contamination.
- When using multiple shims, thinner shims should be positioned between thicker shims.
- Never shim more than an overall elevation of .150"
How is tool wrap used?
Tool wrap is most often cut and folded into an envelope that protects material by preventing contamination during the heat treating process of tool making.
How to use tool wrap for heat treating:
- Using a pair of heavy duty scissors or tin snips, cut a piece of tool wrap that is roughly two and a half times the size of the tool being wrapped.
- Fold the tool wrap in half using a hammer or roller to create a clean, crisp fold.
- Fold over one end of the wrap onto itself twice. Create a thick, air tight seal by pressing each fold with a hammer or roller.
- Repeat step three for the long end of the wrap. This should leave one short end open for inserting the tool needing treated.
- Insert the tool through the remaining opening of the envelope.
- Seal the remaining opening of the envelope by repeating Step #3.
How to use a feeler gauge:
- Refer to your component's manufacture's or engineer's guidelines for clearance tolerances required.
- Fan out the leaves of the gauge to display the different sizes.
- Select the "leaf" from the gauge that falls within the tolerance range specified or looks to closely fit the gap being measured.
- Put the remaining leaves back so they do not create obstructions while measuring.
- Insert the selected leaf into the void between the two components being checked. There should be light contact, or drag, between the surfaces of the components and the feeler gauge. If the leaf does not fit into the void, do not force it. This means that the clearance is too tight. If the gauge moves too freely, the tolerances are too great.
What are feeler gauges used for?
Feeler gauges are used to precisely measure clearance between mechanical components in tight tolerance assemblies such as internal combustion engines. Their use is often necessary during component set‑up for routine maintenance and repair.
