Brake shields, needed or not

[Mossberg]

As my replacement of my wheel bearing has escalated somewhat,  I want your opinion of brake shields. Same they needed? Are they useful? Do they work. 

They are not currently fitted so I would have to buy them together with any brackets.

I don't want to go to the expense of parts if they don't really do anything,  or even worse the are a hindrance. 

I welcome the knowledge of your folks experience. 

Thanks for your help. 

Mick.

[Retroanaconda]

What do you use your vehicle for?

If it is lots of heavy off road work in very muddy conditions, then they can trap mud/grit in the brakes and cause a faff cleaning it all. For normal use, including other types of off road work, they do help reduce premature brake pad wear. This is especially noticeable on the rear where pads can wear out in a few thousand miles without them fitted.

[Mossberg]

Well at the moment it's not getting a lot of use.  I would like to do a bit of laneing in the future.  It's more a recreational vehicle more than anything. 

[Chicken Drumstick]

I don’t run them on mine. But mine is used to trials competitions. Honestly don’t think there is a huge difference with or without. I understand the advantages of them. And the cons. 

[Retroanaconda]

If you do use it regularly on unsealed surfaces I would fit the rear guards at least. I used to use mine on unmetalled forest roads a lot and fitted a set after going through brake pads in 1,500 miles. Makes no difference to the fronts as it’s the grit/dirt kicked up underneath that causes the issue and that doesn’t reach the front brakes much. What the fronts do prevent is that first ineffective brake pedal application after driving at speed on a wet motorway for a while - can be a little exciting if you’ve not left enough time 

For what it’s worth I have (or will have when I get around to it) rear ones fitted but don’t bother with the fronts, this suits my usage.

[miketomcat]

I don't have them fitted but you do get uneven rear pad wear. Mine tend to last about a year (about 10k) on the rear.

Mike

 

[western]

Non on the front & rear of my 110, if I was to refit a set then I would go for the YRM brackets for the front & galvanised shields.

[uninformed]

I run them on rear only. The fronts tend to catch more bits and also get damaged easier. 

[Mossberg]

Thanks folks, if I fitted them I would look at the galvanised ones, but these are £150 without brackets! I don't want to be spending that money on things that are not really needed, and in fact could be more of a pain when working on the truck. 

Decision made - they are not going on.

[PolarBlair]

If you have a blasting cabinet or know someone that has, then you could always blast them back to bare metal and have them galvanised. I'm sure you could get a reasonable result with a wire wheel too.

I was quoted the £50 minimum charge for a bracket from my local galvaniser. Other than that they told me it's usually done on weight. But for smaller parts they tend to just throw it in with another job. If you already have the parts, you could save a fair bit compared to buying new galvanised.

[Lightning]

Land Rover must think these brake shields are necessary, They may have several uses such as brake cooling and water dispersal while driving.

Personally l can't see why you'd want to remove them.

They are fitted to all cars. Surely if they weren't important some manufacturers wouldn't bother with them.

 

[uninformed]

3 hours ago, Lightning said:

Land Rover must think these brake shields are necessary, They may have several uses such as brake cooling and water dispersal while driving.

Personally l can't see why you'd want to remove them.

They are fitted to all cars. Surely if they weren't important some manufacturers wouldn't bother with them.

 

Plenty of car companies have bits on their cars that are dumb or good in one scenario and not another. 
 

it’s common for the fronts to get stuff jammed or caked between it and the rotor, they bend easy and get ripped off.

Plenty of LRs around the world running without them and no ill effect…

[Mossberg]

4 hours ago, Lightning said:

Land Rover must think these brake shields are necessary, They may have several uses such as brake cooling and water dispersal while driving.

Personally l can't see why you'd want to remove them.

They are fitted to all cars. Surely if they weren't important some manufacturers wouldn't bother with them.

 

Well a couple of things;

Firstly there are a few things on my land rover that I cant believe they thought were a good idea.  I am sure some things were done on cost or ease of production rather than what is best for the application - though to be fair I would not put brake disk shields in that category. It is difficult to categorise a "one part suits all" brake disk shield when you look at a standard road vehicle and a vehicle that is used off road.

Secondly,  many people improve their vehicles.  These improvements may be because:- they look better, work better, adapt the vehicle for its owners use, make the vehicle easier to service, make the vehicle longer lasting etc.

Please don't think I am saying you are wrong, just making an observation. 

With regards my particular situation  - I don't have brake shields in the first place so it is not a case of leave them off or put them back. To fit them I would need to purchase them and the brackets which would probably cost in the region of £200 - that would probably cover the cost of four sets of discs.  When the opinion of vehicle users on here is split 50/50, that cost influenced my decision. I am also trying to avoid any mud traps.

I have noted that people recommend keeping the rear shields, and when it comes to servicing the rear of the truck, they will be staying on (or replaced if required).

Thanks for your comment. I read people's opinions and then make a judgement based on my personal situation/vehicle use. Its good to get individual opinions to allow me to make that judgement. 

ATB

Mick

Edited February 16, 2022 by Mossberg

[missingsid]

2 hours ago, Mossberg said:

Well a couple of things;

Firstly there are a few things on my land rover that I cant believe they thought were a good idea.  I am sure some things were done on cost or ease of production rather than what is best for the application - though to be fair I would not put brake disk shields in that category. It is difficult to categorise a "one part suits all" brake disk shield when you look at a standard road vehicle and a vehicle that is used off road.

Secondly,  many people improve their vehicles.  These improvements may be because:- they look better, work better, adapt the vehicle for its owners use, make the vehicle easier to service, make the vehicle longer lasting etc.

Please don't think I am saying you are wrong, just making an observation. 

With regards my particular situation  - I don't have brake shields in the first place so it is not a case of leave them off or put them back. To fit them I would need to purchase them and the brackets which would probably cost in the region of £200 - that would probably cover the cost of four sets of discs.  When the opinion of vehicle users on here is split 50/50, that cost influenced my decision. I am also trying to avoid any mud traps.

I have noted that people recommend keeping the rear shields, and when it comes to servicing the rear of the truck, they will be staying on (or replaced if required).

Thanks for your comment. I read people's opinions and then make a judgement based on my personal situation/vehicle use. Its good to get individual opinions to allow me to make that judgement. 

ATB

Mick

When I used to do more regular off road events you could always find at least one coiler that still had them fitted. They were the ones making a horrible screeching noise from the trapped stones.

That must be good for the disks.