Hi my first post on S2KI. I'm looking for some expert advise. I got my first S2k about three months ago. Just changed brakes did it myself and everything went great.

I noticed the rear sheet metal rotor shield was missing on the drivers side. The screws that would have held the shield are intact no sheet metal scraps remain. The car was well taken care of not raced. I think the brake pads may have been original. My question is this a problem?

I've done some reading and to replace the shield looks like a pain in the neck.
Would you leave it alone or replace the shield?

Thanks for any advice

 

The splash guard is there to minimize water splashing on the rotor. Having this guard in place will allow your pads to last longer and reduce the risk of rotor pitting and rusting.

Is it absolutely necessary? Probably not, but if you want your brake to work reliably over time, you should get one on there.

It's really not that difficult. You just have to remove the wheel, the caliper, the hub, then the spindle nut. Then you can pull the hub off. Once the hub is off, you can unscrew the three screws that hold the splash guard in place. Install the splash guard, then put everything back together in reverse order.

Unless you encounter some stubborn bolts, you should easily be able to install a splash guard in less than a half hour.

 

Many removed rear shields attempting to cool rotors during track use. My car has not had them for the last six years with no issues and no noticible difference in pad wear.

 

I thought it was also there to keep the heat of the rotor from getting on the other brake and suspension components?

 

watch your ball joints. lots of people who remove them for the track also wrap the joints in header wrap to keep them from melting.

 

If you want to replace the the shield it can be done without removing the hub which is not trivial as indicated above. You'll need to cut the shield between two of the screws so it can be slipped on. This is a bit tricky and getting the screws in an tight is a challenge due to access.

I will post up more detail for you later when I have more time. I used this approach when I put on a used rear knuckle that had a bent shield.

 

If you can get a shield, cut where the blue lines are in the image below. Slide it on and put the screws in. It may take a few attempts at trimming to get it on. You will need to rotate the hub to allow access to the screws.



The shield fits over and attaches to the knuckle show in the image below (labeled 3 and 4).


If you don't take this approach taking out the hub requires the bearing to be pressed out after the knuckle is removed. The bearing gets destroyed in the process and is about $50 to replace plus the charges for pressing it out and in. BTW this is what has to be done to replace wheel studs.

 

Thanks for the info Random1. I spoke a mechanic at the dealership. He says the same thing about the bearings needing replacement after removing hub. I might try to get the screws out. If I can I'll pickup a splash shield and give the cutting a go. Thanks again