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.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

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.

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Jim

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.

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2008 GL320CDI 6K
1970 280SL 112K
1982 240D 210K (Sold)
1973 220D 220K (Sold)
1967 200D 160K (Sold)
1992 400E 139K (Sold)
1988 300E 148K (Sold)
1987 300D 257K (Sold)
1991 300E 108K (Sold)
1987 300E 131K (Sold)
1978 300D TMU (Sold)
1980 300D TMU (Sold)
MBCA Member

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.

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]

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

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.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

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]

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

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...

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic