Thank you thank you! Considering the cost of a screw-up on a project like this, I want to move very carefully and when I see conflicting information I really want to reconcile it before proceeding.

Hmmmm... Maybe I'll try mounting the tire back on the axle, the axle on the main leaf (only) and see where it centers.

As for the shim vs. grinding.. welp, I did do some grinding. Maybe I'll adopt a compromise between grinding the lumpiness out of the original frame welds and adding shims. I'll have to re-evaluate that one.

Thanks again for your help. I'm really enjoying this project and really appreciate your web page on your efforts.

Chip