Here's the excerpt from the 1954 Chevrolet Truck Shop Manual, Page 4-3. It's talking about the axle spacer or block that the spider gear shaft goes thru. The thicknesses you mentioned earlier in the thread, Carl, refer to the block, not any shims.
The 1948-1951 Chevrolet Truck Shop Manual says exactly the same thing.
The bearings and washers have nothing to do with the axle clearance.
Upon further review of the manual and your astute observations therin, I stand corrected and have deleted my misinformation to clean up this thread.
