This is pretty obvious, but I struggled with the arithmetic while my lizard brain was trying to keep track of which shim was which...
Shims come in three sizes: 0.003", 0.005", and 0.01"...You can feel which is which by bending them slightly and comparing...You can achieve any thickness within 0.001" starting at 0.008"...Basic math, but this helped my mind understand:
S - 3
M - 5
L - 10
3 - S
5 - M
6 - SS
8 - MS
9 - SSS
10 - L
11 - MSS
12 - SSSS
13 - LS
14 - MSSS
15 - LM
16 - LSS
17 - MSSSS
18 - LMS
19 - LSSS
Above that, just add another L and repeat the earlier pattern...I keep the thicker washer toward the top to prevent damage from the twisting nut...My new joints were between 0.020-0.025". It might be worth springing for a set of Japanese maintenance-free ball joints, but I didn't...