Ok so apparently you have to put the dust shield on before you put the rotor on. I put the rotor on and have already peened the main nut on the spindle (because why use a cotter pin like other cars?) So the only way I can put the dust shield on is to now undo the center nut and then of course I have to order another center nut because this one has already been peened. Is the dust shield entirely necessary? I've left it off plenty of other cars when adding modified brake kits (big brake kits) and it didn't seem to matter. Just don't want to have to take everything back off... order another nut... wait for a week for it to show up so that I can put a stupid dust shield on. Thanks for any insight.
I dont have any actual experience here, but I'd probably remove the nut, install the dust shield, straighten out the nut best I could, and then reinstall.
I'm leaning more towards putting the dust shields in a box, then if I even have the car the next time the rotors need to come off (which is highly unlikely) then putting them on. Unless there's a VERY good reason for installing it. Just because... isn't good enough for me. What I wouldn't do is try and reuse the nut from the spindle, that would definitely be asking for trouble. So the only option really if I want to put them on is to order two more spindle nuts. Why on earth they would make the dust shield this integral into the spindle and rotor is truly beyond me, but after working on this car for so long it almost makes ridiculous sense.
I too have left the shields off various cars over the years for various reasons. They really are more of a small stone/sand shield, so removing them exposes you to the possibility of some grit getting between a pad and rotor. My E type (which is the most driven older car in my fleet) is in its 21rst year of no backing plates on the front brakes with zero issues. In many decades of owning many different cars, I can only recall one incident where a small stone got wedged into a pad, but was easily sorted by a quick pad R&R.
Yeah I've had a couple cars (still have one) that I put larger brakes on that wouldn't accommodate dust shields. Never had an issue. So I'm thinking they're going in a box
I am confused You don't have to remove the spindle to remove the rotor Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
