Dust Shields??

[MERCEDES300CE]

Are dust shields really bad. I put them on my car and havn't had a problem. A buddie said they are horrible and they should be removed. The dealer also recomended there removal.

Just curious on thoughts. They shre make cleaning a heck of alot easier

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Dean

90' 300CE
80' 300D
80' 300SD

[Ashman]

They may keep the wheels clean, but they also do a good job of keeping the heat on your brakes.

I have heard you can warp the rotors, and or cause premature brake failure due to over heating of the brakes.

Alon

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'92 300CE
Metallic Black (Blue Flaked) on Parchment
Clear Corners
94-95 Tail-Lights
Debadged
Black Grille Insert
78.5k Miles

Future Upgrades:
Sportline Suspension
17" AMG Monoblocks or EVO II's
Euro Headlights
Performance Chip
AMG Exhaust

Click here to Go To My 300CE Page

A simple search of wheels and tires forum would have yielded the answer to this question. It's been asked about fifteen times and addressed each and every time. The "search" button does indeed work.

And yes, the shields are bad news. Too much heat. Take them off and wash more often.

I've had "Dust Shields on all four wheels for over ten years and haven't had a heat problem yet. The interface between the three components must be cleaned of any surface irregularities i.e dirt and oxides, rust and the paint on the shield. The clamping pressure of the wheel bolts makes the wheel the heat sink for the rotor as designed. Feel the wheel after braking and you will feel the heat being removed from the brake system. Use the dust shield with the air slots, they aided the air flow. Dust Shields do a good job keeping the wheels clean with no bad side effects from supposed heat build up. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston!!!

Don
1987 W124-030
168,000 miles

[Luke@tirerack]

Although dust shields do trap heat in the brake area they are not that detrimental unless you are drivng very hard and aggressively such as competitive events or track days. For normal street driving I have not heard of any problems related to heat trapped by dust shields.
Thanks, Luke

[Bill Wood]

Heating problems aside, a lot of Techs don't like the shields because they make tire rotations more difficult. Unlike American cars, Mercedes have no lug bolts sticking out to easily hang the shields on. The shields can sometimes also rub on the brake assembly which can result in a "comeback" for the service shop and therefore possible customer dissatisfaction.

I used the vented variety for hundreds of thousands of miles over nearly twenty years and never had a problem. If you plan on riding the brakes while driving down Mt Washington you may have a problem. If your mechanic thinks they are a pain when rotating tires...tuff luck!

KETOJ, it's nice to have someone other than myself who has had personal experience other than he said she said. I think they are the best thing for wheels since they did away with the wheel covers(some call them hubcaps, but we know where the hubcap is, on the hub not the wheel).

Donald L.Swinford
Retired, 20+years G.M. Engineering Dept.
Cadillac Motor Car & Detroit Diesel Allison Div.
Got smart and bought a W124030, Jan.08,1987
Low miles, 168,---. Going strong.

Thanks
Over 700,000 miles without a problem, that speaks for itself.

[quixtarcar]

IMHO...one thing to consider is how they look vs. what labor it saves you. If your style wheel is a star, five spoke or if you can see a lot of the caliper behind it, then you probably might want to re-think using shields. One would think that being able to see a lot of the caliper means that there really isn't that much wheel to clean. Now if your a 15-holer like me (Lorinsers) then you can "hide" the shield behind the wheel and save an awful lot of clean up time.

I used shields on my previous 190E 2.3 for over 200,000 miles and never had a problem. Never had a negative comment from anyone. Most people never knew I had them on.

Wow KETOJ, 700,000 miles. That must be some sort of record. Maybe you could contact "Dust Shields" and make an endorsement about the good performance you've had with thier product. Never can tell, they may give you a new set of shields. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston, Donald!!!