Spacers question: How many spacers are too many?

[Jslampe]

Simple question: I have a bracket on an uneven surface. The bracket takes two bolts, one on the top and one on the bottom. To make the bracket flush with where it should be, I need about 1/2”-3/4” spacer on top of bracket and 1/2” spacers on the bottom. The bracket fits a 3/8” bolt.

Question:
How many spacers can I use before I’m creating an issue?
What kind of spacers should I use?
What material should I be looking for?

Thanks, guys. There’s just not a lot of engineering information on the web when it comes to spacers and washers.

Longer version with context:

My driver’s side firewall had a dent from a farm accident (hit a fence?) right behind the left front wheelwell where my pivot bracket for my clutch linkage is suppose to meet my bell crank. This created torque which eventually sheared off the bolts on the my pivot bracket.

The dent comes in at the driver and creates a noticeable, uneven gap between the pivot bracket and the firewall (top area of firewall is slightly worse than bottom). When I secure my pivot bracket to the firewall, it creates an alignment issue with the Inner Support Bracket (attached to Transmission bellhousing) that looks like this “\“. It’s not terrible, but I do worry about the strain it puts on the vehicle.

 

[mriplaybass]

Let me say first off, the correct way to do this would be to take it to a body shop and have the dent repaired and the frame checked for proper alignment. A collision severe enough to deform a firewall probably did other damage that you can't see without the proper tools. If you are not having problems with tracking going down the road, and nothing looks like it will fall off, , then you may want to try shimming it out. I would not use spacers, as in something that looks like a short piece of pipe, or washers. I would get a piece of plate steel the thickness that you need, and make it large enough so that the load of the bell crank is distributed over a larger area. Drill the plate and bolt it to the firewall, Then just drill the plate, and install the bracket to the plate.

 

[Idahododgeram]

What Bass said. I'd fix it right. If it's a thrasher that no loved ones ride in then that's another story,