Highly active and selective hydroisomerization catalysts are prepared by heating to 300 DEG -450 DEG C. at subatmospheric pressure, a mixture of nickel synthetic mica montmorillonite (Ni-SMM) with a hydroxy aluminum polymeric solution. The resulting pillared Ni-SMM catalyst, preferably Pd-loaded, is especially useful in hydroisomerizing C4-C7 paraffins
