Question on Cam Shimming

[BigSky]

I’ve worked on my own bows for years delving into it more deeply in the past 5 to 10 years. I have been fortunate that I’ve never had to shim cams on any bow I’ve had except one and that was many years ago and I paid to have the shop do it. I have a friend who wants it done and he wants he and I to use my equipment to shim the cams on his 2024 Darton Sequel (Non ST2 version). He has purchased the shim kit.

In our preparation we have viewed numerous resources including YouTube videos. It appears that most people put the bow in the press, relax the bow, remove the axle and swap the shims while things are “mostly put together”. However, he brought to my attention a video in which the guy removed the strings and cables, completely relaxed the bow, and removed the limbs to work on the cam and shims. He would just remove that c-clip, pull one limb away off the axle, remove the shim(s) and then replace that limb and c-clip. Then, he flipped it over and did the other side inserting the shims there. Then, he went to the opposite end of the bow and repeated the process with those two limbs and that axle and shims. It looked much more simple than fiddling around with one’s booger pickers while trying to keep everything strung together while completely removing the axle.

It may be a distinction without a difference and I assume personal preference. Any insight from those who have done this as to your thoughts on the better process? Any direction to what you think is the “best video out there” for this process? Thanks in advance.

 

[Billy Goat]

I always press and remove the axle, leaving everything together.

The bows using g more than 3 piece cable/string can be difficult to get everything back like they were, changing the tune. So if you pull it that far apart, you might put it back with different cam lean, so the shim wouldn't be doing what you expected.


On the Dartons, make sure you back the limbs off before pressing. And the new ones can be sketchy in the press even with the proper fingers.

You need to have adjustments on your fingers to get the pressures correct on the limbs, otherwise you will get the axle out, and really fight it back in.

 

[alexnelon]

I’ve worked on my own bows for years delving into it more deeply in the past 5 to 10 years. I have been fortunate that I’ve never had to shim cams on any bow I’ve had except one and that was many years ago and I paid to have the shop do it. I have a friend who wants it done and he wants he and I to use my equipment to shim the cams on his 2024 Darton Sequel (Non ST2 version). He has purchased the shim kit.

In our preparation we have viewed numerous resources including YouTube videos. It appears that most people put the bow in the press, relax the bow, remove the axle and swap the shims while things are “mostly put together”. However, he brought to my attention a video in which the guy removed the strings and cables, completely relaxed the bow, and removed the limbs to work on the cam and shims. He would just remove that c-clip, pull one limb away off the axle, remove the shim(s) and then replace that limb and c-clip. Then, he flipped it over and did the other side inserting the shims there. Then, he went to the opposite end of the bow and repeated the process with those two limbs and that axle and shims. It looked much more simple than fiddling around with one’s booger pickers while trying to keep everything strung together while completely removing the axle.

It may be a distinction without a difference and I assume personal preference. Any insight from those who have done this as to your thoughts on the better process? Any direction to what you think is the “best video out there” for this process? Thanks in advance.

Darton rep told me it’s easiest and safest to just pull the limbs. I watched him do it in less time than it usually takes to shimmy the axle back into a pressed bow.

You just have to make sure you don’t twist up the strings and cables while they’re off the cam. Easy.

 

[BigSky]

That’s actually good to hear that a Darton rep said that. It does actually look easier to do, at least in the videos I’ve watched. I’m open to other input from those more experienced than myself.

 

[sndmn11]

That’s actually good to hear that a Darton rep said that. It does actually look easier to do, at least in the videos I’ve watched. I’m open to other input from those more experienced than myself.

I shimmed the Sequel I wrote about here assembled and just used slave pins. It did take an extra set of hands.

 

[BigSky]

I shimmed the Sequel I wrote about here assembled and just used slave pins. It did take an extra set of hands.

I was wondering about your process. I actually said to myself; "self, I wish sndmn11 would have videotaped his process". I'm wondering if I could locate a slave pin of the exact width of the spacers through the cam so it would be shy of the axle holes in the limb and allow one to lift the cam, slave and spacers out together, do the swap and then slide the hole thing back down in place. Maybe I'm overthinking that.

 

[wyosam]

When I did my sequel I just pressed and moved shims around one end at a time. Definitely a little fiddly getting everything lined up and back together, but I don’t think I spent more than 15-20 minutes on it.


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[sndmn11]

I was wondering about your process. I actually said to myself; "self, I wish sndmn11 would have videotaped his process". I'm wondering if I could locate a slave pin of the exact width of the spacers through the cam so it would be shy of the axle holes in the limb and allow one to lift the cam, slave and spacers out together, do the swap and then slide the hole thing back down in place. Maybe I'm overthinking that.

We just used a 1/4 Allen wrench for the side with the big shim. The axle is a 1/4 cylinder and pushed it through one side, put the small shims on, the big shim side put the 1/4 Allen through and put the shims on it. Then slid both the axle and the allen backwards to allow the cam in but shims to stay on. Then pushed the axle through.

It took a few times and was dumb, but it wasn't terrible. FYI the hoyt shims are the same size.

 

[sclb745]

I always press and remove the axle, leaving everything together.

The bows using g more than 3 piece cable/string can be difficult to get everything back like they were, changing the tune. So if you pull it that far apart, you might put it back with different cam lean, so the shim wouldn't be doing what you expected.


On the Dartons, make sure you back the limbs off before pressing. And the new ones can be sketchy in the press even with the proper fingers.

You need to have adjustments on your fingers to get the pressures correct on the limbs, otherwise you will get the axle out, and really fight it back in.

That's the key if you're not going to take it all the way apart. I like to take a 1/4" punch and push it through as I'm pushing the axle out to help keep things aligned. I've never taken one all the way apart though, no real reason to.