Has anyone tried the after market dust shields to prevent the wheels from getting dirty? My concern is how they may affect brake cooling. (1980 300D..high speed braking not always possible..usually at my destination before high speed is attained!!! :)

I am 100% pleased with them on my 300D. Solves the dust problem. Does not seem to cause any other problems, at least on that model. If you don't get them installed into the wheel far enough, they will make a rubbing noise, but the cause and solution will be immediately obvious.

they came on my 300D
 

that I purchased at 217k miles. I have had the front wheels off on numerous occasions and have not seen any problems whatsoever. No telling how long they have been on the car.

Depending on your driving style, the decreased cross-ven tilation to your rotors could cause excessive heat, leaving you with warped rotors or brake pad glazing. However, if braking duties are kept to a moderate level you may be fine. Although a few of the cars I've purchased in the past have had them, I immediately removed them and experienced the joy of cool brakes (temp) and grimy wheels.

I had them on my car when I had my 15 holes, but when I put on my 8 holes, I gave them to the guy that bought my wheels. As long as you do not brake hard you should be ok. The only down side I noticed is that when I did clean my wheels, I would end up with puddles of black dust & water on my driveway. It seems that the dust would build up and then come out at once when you washed the wheels. With the 8 hole wheels I just prefer to wash them every ten minutes.
:)

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly...
 

My car came with these on it when I bought the car back in October (note the 15 hole, 60 series wheels). I was told at the time by my independent mechanic to lose these puppies, due to the possibility of rotor warpage, and improper cooling. I asked around, and had mostly good things said about them, until I had to decend a steep mountain road, and then I definately smelled hot brakes!

Shortly thereafter, I had to remove a wheel to check why I was getting "trails" from the hub, and I found that the hot brakes had caused my hub to pop off! Once I cleaned the dust guards, the wheels, and replaced everyhing, I began to re-consider using dust guards at all. When you come down to it, there are very small ventilation holes on them, they don't really cool the brakes as much as they should, especially at slower speeds, and the brake dust just accumulates inside the guards anyway.

But others who do not decend steep grades, or do hard braking, or otherwise heat up their brakes may find some benefit to not having the dust accumulate on the wheels, but it will accumulate inside the dust guards. Brake dust will accumulate either way...

Bottom line? I'm taking mine off.

[Edited by longston on 06-05-2001 at 11:16 PM]

Scott, what size 60 series tires do you run on those 15" wheels? I'm running 205/65R15's.

I had mine taken off my car also. My independent shop owner seemed surprised, but then again, they sell the things. He claimed to have never heard of problems related to the things, but I'd rather have dusty wheels and maximum braking. Superior brakes are one of the reasons I drive a Mercedes, and I got used to the dusty wheels early in my life.

Bob...
 

215 60 15's. Pirelli 4000 Super Touring Radials...

We've got a lot of hills and mountains out here in California, and I would prefer not to have to smell hot brakes ever again...

Again, slow speeds, not so steep grades, no mountain passes, use the dust shields. But for extreme conditions, I wouldn't.



[Edited by longston on 06-06-2001 at 12:11 AM]

Agreed. Having seen pictures in some MB brochures of brakes glowing red hot, I didn't fancy the idea of stifling the air flow around my brakes either. I usually drive fairly sedately, but not always :) Also, we have our share of mountains too...