Shim measuring apparatus

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining the thickness of a shim or shims required for positioning a ball joint in a suspension assembly of the vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to such methods and apparatus to determine the as-built shim thickness. A shim measuring apparatus to determine the thickness of a shim, with the shim used with a ball joint including a snap-ring and a controlled arm having a bore and a notch. The measuring apparatus comprises an upper housing including a measuring device and a lower housing coupled to the upper housing. The lower housing is configured to receive the ball joint and to engage the notch in the bore. The distance between the upper housing and the lower housing while a load is applied is measured by the measuring device. Such distance between the upper housing and the lower housing represents the shim thickness.