Clawfoot tub question

[DangerDano]

Hi everyone. My wife and I are trying to install a roll-top clawfoot tub that was refinished and given to us as a gift from my mother-in-law. I was having a heck of a time installing the brass waste and overflow when I noticed the edge of the tub was sloping towards the drain end. Turns out the feet on the tub are different heights - back ones have a 6 stamped on them, front ones have 5 1/4 stamped on them. The tile floor that the tub is sitting on is level so I've already eliminated that as a cause of the problem.

My question is whether or not the roll-top style clawfoot tubs are supposed to sit level in both directions? As it sits now, I would have to shim the front feet about 1/2" to 3/4" to bring the tub level in the long dimension. And I imagine that would help out tremendously with installing the drain shoe! However I do not feel comfortable shimming the tub that much since it carries such considerable weight. Would it be advisable to try to find some replacement feet that are all the same length? Experts, I would like to hear your opinions!

Thanks so much in advance for any insight provided. Cheers!

 

[Terry]

The slip joint nut for the clawfoot drain is very close to the floor. This one had an escutheon that gave very little room for the nut to slide over. The legs wound up being shimmed.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

In most cases the bottom of the tub "slopes" so you need longer feet at the " back end" compared to those at the drain end.

 

[DangerDano]

Thanks for the prompt responses!

As a follow-up question, should I not worry about leveling the long edge of the tub? I checked the slope of the bottom of the tub and it is at a much steeper gradient than the top, so if I raised the shorter feet (~1/2") there would still be enough of a slope to easily drain the tub. In the current configuration, I will have to trim off a decent portion of the bottom of the escutcheon to allow the shoe to be mounted to the drain without putting a lot of stress on the pipe. Any additional troubleshooting thoughts?

 

[Terry]

I just realized I had pictures of this job I did.

 

[Terry]

An unusual drain here.