Disc Brake Shields

A

aaron77

New member
Hi,

I am new to this forum and I hope that this isn't a stupid question.

I have a new 330 arriving in 4 weeks. It is Jet Black and I really want to keep it looking great from day 1 and this looks to be the place to find out how. I have always tried to keep a clean car but with this car I want to be sure and do all of the right things to protect the finshe from Day 1. Any pros or cons to using disc brake sheilds to keep the dust off of wheels?



Thanks

Jack
 
No, there are very few "stupid" questions. :) Yes, brake sheilds work, but they also keep the brakes from being cooled properly because they completely cover up the front side of the wheel. If you drive your 330i as it should be driven, then I wouldn't get these. ;)



Try a search for these. I'm sure more opinions will turn up.



PS: Welcome to Autopia! :wavey



EDIT: Here are a couple pages (it helps to spell "shield" right :p):

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4068&highlight=brake+shields

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4356&highlight=brake+shields
 
Disc brake shield is a big no no on a BMW, don't do it! One of the bigger issues with BMW brakes is warped rotors and rotors warp because they overheat so reducing cooling capacities of your brakes with those shields you're inviting brake problems. Second thing is less cooling will cause quick fading even in street driving and this could be dangerous.

Your only option to reduce brake dust is to use aftermarket brake pads like AXXIS, Ferodo or Pagid. PM me if you want more info on these pads.
 
brake shields were factory issue on all TVR "S" series cars here in UK...... even the 155mph, 0-60 in 5 secs V8 versions, so i think they are fine for a road going BMW. Unless you are track daying the car there is no reason to fit them. and i must say my wheels are perfect with them fitted.
 
Maybe TVR has factory designed shields that work as part of braking system.



BMW doesn't sell these shields and recommends against them. BMWs here in US have different spec rotors, we don't get floating or cross-drilled rotors and even cars like M3 have non cross-drilled US spec rotors and they warp easily. You'll have a hard time getting dealer to replace them under warranty after he sees brake shields. You may run into warranty problems with non OEM brake pads but many owners still get them and get great results. If in doubt ask your dealer.
 
i imagine BMW dosent sell em because part of the rotor probably catches on the shield. I know my brothers Golf GTI had this problem and he had to take them back. As for heat build up, under normal road conditions your brakes are no where near their limit and you are not going to warp a rotor just because of the heat shield. Mine have been on since new and have never had heat build up.
 
The BMW's that you see with ugly brake dust all over the wheels are the ones that never get washed.....



It sounds like you're going to be an Obsessed Fanatic (like me).....



If you wash the car once a week or more.....you won't even have to worry about break dust......A couple good coats of wax will take care of that.
 
markbigears said:
also, if you get loads of brake dust, that usually means your pads are getting low.
Click to expand...



BMWs are known for their dusty brakes and it has nothing to do with the amount of wear on pads, my new car dusts like crazy.

Brake dust is nothing more than friction material worn off the pads and they are made to wear evenly.

German pads are dusty and it has something to do with the compound material. Many suspect that graphite is used since BMW brake dust acts like graphite.
 
german pads? there are many german makes of pads , textar, pagid etc..... BMW dont make their own pads. And i had "german" pads on my porsche and they didn't dust like crazy.
 
All German makes are required to use TUV approved graphite impregnated pads so even if Pagid, ATE, Jurid or Textar make OEM pads for BMW they will be more dusty than their other pads.

Original brake pads on new Porsches are much more dusty than they used to be.
 
Besides the practical issues that have been presented, what about aesthetics? To me, some of the beauty of the car comes from seeing the rotors and calipers behind the spokes.
 
Thanks to all for your enthusiastic replies. I think ya'll (yes I'm from the South) hit on my main concerns. Overheating and rotor problems and the decreased airflow-fading problems. I was hoping for some "magic" answer...but I guess you're right on cleaning and waxing. I try to keep my car clean, time permitting, at least once a week and I just want to keep this one as pristine as possoble while it will still be a daily driver.
 
BTW... I love those AMG C32 wheels, I wish I could get some just like those for my 330, even though it's coming with the M Double spoke wheels, those Mecedes wheels just rock.
 
Any pros or cons to using disc brake sheilds to keep the dust off of wheels?
Click to expand...
Shields will keep your wheels cleaner, but DON'T USE THEM! Shields cause more harm than they are worth because they inhibit cooling.



I've seen specific prohibitions of shields from BMW. My guess is that if you use shields and your nice new rotors get warped, BMW will not repair them under warranty.



Having recently purchased a BMW with OEM brakes, I will wholeheartedly agree that the pads are very dusty. If dust is a real concern, you should replace the pads. There are lots of high quality aftermarket pads on the market, but two in particular give excellent braking along with a significant reduction in dust.



Once choice would be Ferodo DS2500. A second choice would be Axxis Ultimate. The Ferodo pads are more expensive, but they supposedly offer the most reduction of dust while still providing excellent braking characteristics.



One final comment. The pros and cons of various types of brake pads are the subject of highly religious debates in many online forums. There are many opinions. The above is mine! Your mileage may vary.
 
Make the dealer switch to low dusting pads. If everyone who bought a BMW, Audi, VW, Mercedes and Porsche would refuse to accept $35,000-$130,000 cars that shed so much brake dust that the front wheels are black in two days, they'd switch to a low dusting pad.



As long as people accept cars that shed a ton of brake dust, nothing will change.



I honestly don't know why those of y'all with German cars tolerate it. Ceramic pads stop at least as well as semi-metallic pads and they hardly shed any dust.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top