Leave them on or take them off ??????????

XR6-VCT-2000 · 24-02-2006, 09:18 AM

OK , this question is just in regards to those thin tin disc protector/covers that cover the discs. Recentlly i was having brake issues/noise , i have resolved alot of that , now the only thing is on hot days / 30 degrees and over , my brakes still squeel.
I was looking to remove the those thin tin disc protector/covers for 2 reasons.

1/. They look crap, I want them off !
2/. To help a bit more air get to the discs to keep them cooler.

I have read other threads in the past about that they shouldn't be removed because they work as a spacer too , stoping the wheel nuts from binding into the rim !. I really can't see this being a major problem ( most wheelnuts on older cars are tight as buggery / almost ceased on after ages anyways ..lol.).

Looking at pics of other peoples cars on this forum it looks like they have been removed with no dramas , or will using the standard discs be a problem without the covers ???????????? help plz ....

lol ..usually if it was an older car i wouldn't give a toss and they would of been off straight away , but being this is my pride and joy car i don't wanna mess it up and have to spend more $$ fixing a mistake i made.

stiddy · 24-02-2006, 09:28 AM

Take em' off.. no problems doing this..

Casper · 24-02-2006, 09:31 AM

Off... they are great killer frisbee's too...

Jake F6 · 24-02-2006, 09:38 AM

They are there for a reason.

If you remove them you will have much more brake dust
on your wheels!

Why not try it, and report back to us on the results regarding
how much more brake dust you get on your mags...

You can easily put them back if you want to later on.

XR6-VCT-2000 · 24-02-2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLACK XR6-VCT

They are there for a reason.

If you remove them you will have much more brake dust
on your wheels!

Why not try it, and report back to us on the results regarding
how much more brake dust you get on your mags...

You can easily put them back if you want to later on.

lol, i know im gonna get heaps more brake dust , my old XE had no covers and i was constantlly cleaning the mags , allthough this was bearable compared to the squeeking brakes i get on hot days , and those crap lookin covers.

Thanks guys , they're coming off this afternoon

loxxr6 · 24-02-2006, 10:06 AM

I've had the same amount of brake dust build up when they were on as when they were off.

Get rid of them.

TheSneakiness · 24-02-2006, 10:08 AM

I remember when Tibbo was doing brakes for me, told him I wanted them on, and he called me a poof. Might have to get them taken off, they're rusting over anyway.

2fishingdogs · 24-02-2006, 10:23 AM

I had the a similar problem with my brakes on my Au wagon and since removing the dust covers I haven't had a problem since, Take them off I'd say

eXi7w0unD · 24-02-2006, 10:43 AM

tibbo called you a poof LOL i can just imagine the what happened at the time lol

XR6-VCT-2000 · 24-02-2006, 10:49 AM

yeah they do look ugly ,specially with that surface rust kickin in - you would think that ford could of done a better job with them , or maybe they didnt bother because they knew eveyone would take them off anyway ..lol

OZFORDAU · 24-02-2006, 10:53 AM

I took them of yesterday! The first disc didn't come of cleanly! But the rest did! Some of the wheels were a bugger to put back on! LOL

Cheers

Simon

Ps. Don't ware good cloths lol...As you seem to get really dirty lol...

:

XR6-VCT-2000 · 24-02-2006, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OZFORDAU

I took them of yesterday! The first disc didn't come of cleanly! But the rest did! Some of the wheels were a bugger to put back on! LOL

Cheers

Simon

Ps. Don't ware good cloths lol...As you seem to get really dirty lol...

:

did it involve much taking the covers off , how long did it take you roughly ?

OZFORDAU · 24-02-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

did it involve much taking the covers off , how long did it take you roughly ?

It was basically taking the wheels off and then knocking the black ИИИИ out lol! Hit it at 12 o'clock then, 3, then 6, and 9 and you should get a even brake and it should come out in one piece! I used a chisel and a hammer was pretty easy! The only real problem that took me ages was puting the wheels back on! It prob took me roughly 1 and a half hours i think cause i had trouble with the wheels going back on! LMAO :nutsycuck

Cheers

Simon

Tell me how you go!

AU:PROJECT:UTE · 24-02-2006, 11:28 AM

I removed the covers from my ute about six months ago, in my workshop here it tokk me about 25 minutes with a rattle gun and 2 post hoist. Just as quick using a trolley jack too. Took me just as long as when I took my Territory Steelies off. Once you have removed the wheel the cover simply pulls off the studs.

Oh and the idea behind the cover being fitting from the factory with alloy wheels is to stop rocks and road debri getting into the brakes from the larger opening in the rims. If you have ever had a rock stuck in your caliper squealing like a b*tch you'll know why they fit these gaurds. It is not a perfect fix to this but it minimises it occuring.

blackers10 · 24-02-2006, 12:49 PM

ok im thinking my fairlane doesnt have the "guard" you speak of??

it has the steel frisbee BEHIND the disc.. but nothing onfront of the disc??

stiddy · 24-02-2006, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackers10

ok im thinking my fairlane doesnt have the "guard" you speak of??

it has the steel frisbee BEHIND the disc.. but nothing onfront of the disc??

If you can look through your rims and see the complete rotor and caliper, then you dont have the disc..
lol better that way.. you wouldnt wanna be a poof.. just hope tibbo dosent get to ya if you have them on LOL jk..

XR6-VCT-2000 · 24-02-2006, 01:26 PM

there gone

, they all came off np , cheers all .

blackers10 · 25-02-2006, 02:25 AM

mine DOES NOT have them YAY!!

Steve_T · 25-02-2006, 02:42 AM

But surely pulling the covers off (without replacing 'em with same thickness shims) has to stress your alloy wheels when you put 'em back on - at least on the front where they have the tapered interface from hub centre to wheel - ??

Racecraft · 25-02-2006, 03:13 AM

if you spend money on a nice open wheel design and have nice slotted or drilled discs they kinda defeat the purpose..The more open the wheel the easier they are to clean. And besides that they are only for poofs hahaha <-- coming from someone that refuses to take his mudflaps off :P

XR6-VCT-2000 · 25-02-2006, 03:32 AM

well , as i said earlier today i took them off this morning , today was hot and i got no squeeling at last! - hooray. problem solved

JADED6 · 25-02-2006, 03:50 AM

Surely a few hours in art class would result in a real looking brake set up painted on these things :P

Steve_T · 25-02-2006, 04:14 AM

Well actually I have seen some cars with 'em painted - just colour coded to the car usually - the right colour car with the right sorta wheels etc. it can actually look good - make 'em into a feature rather than a distraction

- Only gonna work for some cars though obviously.

**Mechan1k** · 25-02-2006, 09:44 AM

My Territory steelies act just like these discs ... the centres are large around to cover the brakes ... I may as well just take the damn things off.

They come off easily too ... last time I had the wheels off the ute ... the protector discs came straight off.

More air flow to the brakes can only be a good thing for the work ute.

Baboon_AU · 25-02-2006, 03:09 PM

they are ment to protect fromn brake dust but don't really do the job... take them off becuase they also allow the air to cool the brakes more and if more brake dust comes out on your mags it is better than having it all stay on the inside to make your brakes squeel isn't it!

XR6-VCT-2000 · 25-02-2006, 11:19 PM

That was the best thing i ever did taking them off , before removing them my brakes allways squeeled on hot days, and felt like the pedal was pulsing under my foot when braking , since taking the covers off i got no more squeeks and the brakes feel very smooth constantlly. Makes me wonder how much heat those covers were trapping behing the rim ! .

JC · 27-02-2006, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

That was the best thing i ever did taking them off , before removing them my brakes allways squeeled on hot days, and felt like the pedal was pulsing under my foot when braking , since taking the covers off i got no more squeeks and the brakes feel very smooth constantlly. Makes me wonder how much heat those covers were trapping behing the rim ! .

I think that is what you would call a placebo fix. The brake dust covers do nothing except limit (not stop) the amount of brake dust that hits your wheels. Heat build-up? Unlikely, unless you drive it at a track day!

XR6-VCT-2000 · 28-02-2006, 12:53 AM

Any restriction like that stops air flow - i seen brakes fail years ago in old hq's with centreline rims ( the old originals , no holes , like a flat disc ) - .. man these things cooked the brakes , and when the rims start getting over 6 inches wide imo u need to get rid of them to get rid of the heat , with a wide rim the disc and calliper is deep inside the dish of the rim - not allowing bugger all air to pass it - creating a wide opening on the outerside of a wider rim ( wide open mags - no disc covers) allows alot more air to pass through .. thats my though anyway as i never see stock cars with 6 inch wide rims or lower with hubcaps too ever oveheating the brakes - the brakes and caliper arent inside the dish really bugger all - allowing alot more air to cool them.