adverse affects of removing dust shields on disc brakes

[JeepcoMJ]

are there any adverse affects of removing the dust shields on the disc brakes of our trucks?

 

I wheeled this weekend and got some helacious squealing from the front brakes when rocks (pebbles) got stuck up between the shield and various components of the brakes. so, I'm wanting to just ditch them alltogether.

 

two things I know in advance;

 

they technically help with cooling (there's not much help they can do there with our trucks)

when removing them I would need to cut the middles out and use them as spacers for the wheel hubs

 

I'm converting to discs in the rear as well, so this is a plan on everything.

 

oh, they also get bent/broken when dragging an axle around... :oops:

[Pete M]

I ditched mine long ago. No problems yet.

[JeepcoMJ]

I ditched mine long ago. No problems yet.

 

 

good enough for me. consider them gone.

[DirtyComanche]

I ditched mine long ago. No problems yet.

 

 

good enough for me. consider them gone.

 

 

I always remove them. I think they're useless as their described function. As to how they help with cooling, could you elaborate please? Something to do with directing air to the centre of the rotor so it is channelled back out through the vents (in a vented rotor)? Anyways, never had a problem with them off.

[pingpong]

I kept them on the rear, but I lways junk them in the front

[JeepcoMJ]

I ditched mine long ago. No problems yet.

 

 

good enough for me. consider them gone.

 

 

I always remove them. I think they're useless as their described function. As to how they help with cooling, could you elaborate please? Something to do with directing air to the centre of the rotor so it is channelled back out through the vents (in a vented rotor)? Anyways, never had a problem with them off.

 

 

bingo. on performance vehicles with slotted rotors they help cooling tremendously, and they probably even help a bit on our trucks. I wasn't too concerned about that on these though

[ejndssn]

If your going to ditch them a few pix of b4 and after would help for those that are interested in doing the same :brows:

[mvusse]

I was going to ask the same question, due to the same squealing, on the same off road trip.

 

You beat me to it.

 

Before lunch I got pebbles stuck between the dust shield and rotor on the driver's side, and the passenger side dust shield itself had gotten bent up against the rotor. Pried them away from the rotors and dropped out the rocks and I was good again.

 

Within 15 minutes back on the trail the squeal was back. This time the passenger side had pebbles stuck in there and the driver's side the shield itself was touching.

 

I intend for them to be gone before weekend is over.

[JeepcoMJ]

well, Idk when I will actually get around to it. maybe this weekend? idk...don't particularly feel like working on the truck much anymore. met the deadline for the badlands, and since I've now got a 2002 gmc savana 3500 duramax van for work...well, don't really need to DD the truck. drive local and it's safe...brakes will be the first fix with discs in the rear :D

 

I'll do a write-up on both the rear brakes, and removing the dust shields

 

-Pat