Trailing arm shim question

I finished up the differenctial yokes, installed the haft shafts and spring - all ready to go....BUT --

Well to err on the side of caution, i Would NOT drive it untill the shims are secure.  The shims keep the rear wheel aligned and if some are missing, that would allow the trailing arm to travel in and out, putting some wierd torque on the trailing arm bolt possibly bending/breaking it and then, well, you don't wish to go there..... 

If I take the car to Mineke for a four wheel alignment will they know how to install the shims or do I need to locate a corvette specific shop?

Rear alignments on these cars is best left to a shop that knows what they are doing. No slam against Meineke, but even Corvette shops have trouble getting these things set-up properly...it is time consuming, and frustrating, to say the least. Don't take a chance on it...best to find a Corvette shop in the area, or at the very least, a Chevrolet dealer that sells Corvettes.
You cannot drive the car without the shims...well...you can, but you won't like it at all. The t-arms will flop left/right, and the rear of the car will follow...very unsettling, as well as dangerous. Put the shims in there, preferably putting half on one side and half on the other of each t-arm, then tighten the nuts to hold them in. If you must drive it to get the alignment, drive slowly. You can damage a set of tire if the toe is off, and that is what those shims are for...setting the toe.

When you put in the shims, the u shaped end should straddle the trailing arm bolt. You'll need a long cotter pin to slide though the entire assemble from outside the pocket through the hole in all the shims and then out of the other side of the pocket. lukesvette2010-08-14 20:32:24

OK - thanks guys !  I am not certain I followed the comment on the cotter pin, once the U-side of the shim is placed over the t-arm bolt aside the bushing, how would a cotter pin slide through the other end with the holes?  is there a hole on the t-arm that I didn't see? (didn't look for actually)

The other end of the shims with the tab on it actually sit lower in the pocket where the trailing arm mounts. There are holes on both sides of the pocket - so cotter pi starts from outside the pocket, through all the shims, then through the other side of the pocket. I'll try to post a photo for you.

Check out the pics in this thread. The shims on the left are correct - th ones on the right need to swing down. See the little hole on the right side of the pocket? lukesvette2010-08-15 06:08:48

The early years did not have the shims with the extra hole for the cotter pin. I'm not sure when that feature started, but this is a '68 car, I think, so it prolly doesn't have the extra hole.