Dust Shields

[petee_c]

2015 Golf TDI

- both dust shields have now fallen off the front rotors. Anyone else experience this? I've had dust shields rust off before, but the cars were much older...

Not worried, the passenger side started rubbing against the rim about a year ago so I just tore it off, the driver side one last week...

 

[bmwM5power]

2015 Golf TDI

- both dust shields have now fallen off the front rotors. Anyone else experience this? I've had dust shields rust off before, but the cars were much older...

Not worried, the passenger side started rubbing against the rim about a year ago so I just tore it off, the driver side one last week...

are you driving in the salt mine? never has happened to me even on the older 25yrs old cars

 

[740GLE]

while rochester NY is close, it's still not Canada, the science experiments their DPW tosses on the roads for 5-7 months of the year is something else.

 

[petee_c]

They do salt here pretty aggressively.... The dust shield itself is in good shape, just wore through somehow where the bolts attach it to the knuckle...

Weird

 

[adjat84th]

They're pretty thin material. $30 or so a piece from the dealer if you're concerned, but that is early for them to fall off like that.

 

[dataiv]

Yes, this happened to me the other week. Rubbing sound, pulled over to check, ended up pulling the wheel off and snapping the dust shield off. Expect the same for the other one, and like you said, it was right at the bolts. Corrosion from dissimilar metals, I think. Unfortunately the replacements are not common nor cheap. From the USA the best price I found was about $45 USD per shield, and $72 CAD locally was the best I could find. Yikes...

 

[adjat84th]

$30USD for the GTI performance pack ones I picked up. They'll fit the smaller rotors fine just a little larger. Not sure what they'd be above the border though.

 

[dataiv]

Thanks for that link. That sure is the best price I have seen, even the correct sized one is the same price. Unfortunately those guys don't ship outside of the USA and with travel being very limited/non-existent still for the foreseeable future, I will have to pay extra...

 

[740GLE]

What's the conversation rate these days, isn't 72CAD right around 50USD plus a few bucks? Sometimes you gotta pay to play.

Also theres no harm or foul if you drive a while without dust shields while trying to find the cheapest options.

 

[adjat84th]

^^ Yep!
Brake pad material makes a world of a difference. I have the GTI PP dust shields on my 18Z brake kit but the Bosch Quietcast pads are absolutely the worst pads for dust I've ever had in my 21 years of driving.

 

[thundershorts]

Lots of dust also would also suggest short life as well

 

[nkgagne]

Yes lost a dust shield this past summer. I think the shield is a bit too large (probably one part for most MK7) so it's easy to hit it while trying to remount my 15" wheels (particularly since there aren't any studs). If the mounting tabs are already a bit rusty then snap she goes.

 

[dataiv]

Agreed on it barely fitting in the 15" wheels. I just did a brake job and replaced both front dust shields. Left one had just come off a few weeks earlier, and all that was left was a little circular metal piece behind each screw. On the other side, you could see through in the mounting tab spots near the screws and it was ready to go as well. Definite corrosion issue there where it is up against the hub (or whatever it is attached to).

 

[oilhammer]

We had a salt belt car (a Lexus RX350) come through here that was 13 months out of the factory and both rear shock absorber outer shells were rusted off and bouncing around the bottoms. So yeah, in some areas were metal-eating chemicals are in nearly constant use it can really do a number to things. I think the only thing you could do is try and clearcoat/protect as much stuff underneath as possible when the car is brand new, and hope for the best. You really cannot own anything nice up there with that sort of chemical bath road salt use.

 

[redbarron55]

Rust belt life, buy a used southern car in good shape and then let the rust worms eat from there.
By the way Ferdinand Porsche invented rust and then licensed it to Fiat... I have that on good authority.
Later Fiat sublicensed an improved rust formula to Russia as part of an exchange for the license to build Fiat inspired derived Yugo. Russia paid with rust enhanced steel in a cross licensing deal.
One of the best small SCCA race cars was a Fiat X-19 where the real contest was if the car would rust out before the end of the race.

 

[oilhammer]

I think the Russians licensed it to Renault, who is still happy to grace it on their Nissan products' exhaust systems. Toyota seemed to find a good source of it to make their North American built Tacomas and Tundras' frames.

 

[borninabus]

Bosch Quietcast pads are absolutely the worst pads for dust I've ever had in my 21 years of driving

i would agree with this statment