Front disc brake shields

[Jedeka]

I am finishing up my Dana 44 front axle build for my 74. I am installing front disc brakes from a 78 Bronco and wondering about dust shields. I picked up this set from Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard and trying to determine what side is right and left. If I put the offset away from the rotor, it is close to touching the lower ball joint/ knuckle area. If I flip them the other way, the barely rub on the back of the rotor. Any thoughts on installation ? I know some people do not run shields.

 

[Got4wd]

Pics would help. You should have the 5 bolt spindles if running 78 disc

 

[bigmuddy]

You have to be a member to post pics. $12 a year which helps support the site.

I ran into a similar issue years ago and decided not to run them. Never missed them personally.

 

[ba123]

Does this help?

 

[Jedeka]

Pics would help. You should have the 5 bolt spindles if running 78 disc

I will get pics of them mounted in the morning. Yes, I have the 5-bolt spindles.

 

[Jedeka]

You have to be a member to post pics. $12 a year which helps support the site.

I ran into a similar issue years ago and decided not to run them. Never missed them personally.

I saw my annual membership just expired. I paid my $12 and able to post pics again. Thanks.

 

[Jedeka]

Does this help?
View attachment 957010

That does help. How close are the shields to your knuckles?

 

[AZ73]

You have to be a member to post pics. $12 a year which helps support the site.

I ran into a similar issue years ago and decided not to run them. Never missed them personally.

This is an interesting topic. When I built my front end I decided not to run the shields. At the time I though they might cake up with mud or hold heat in. Plus there are low-dust pads available. Anyone else with a pro or con to running them?

.

 

[ba123]

That does help. How close are the shields to your knuckles?

I'll try to get another pic later today. That one was from assembly.

This is an interesting topic. When I built my front end I decided not to run the shields. At the time I though they might cake up with mud or hold heat in. Plus there are low-dust pads available. Anyone else with a pro or con to running them?

.

I would think the opposite...These shields will keep the mud off your discs. THAT you don't want.

Honestly, the stock '76 ones do a much better job of covering the rotor for protection but these seem better than nothing.

 

[Oldtimer]

If I put the offset away from the rotor, it is close to touching the lower ball joint/ knuckle area.

Close to touching is NOT touching.

Stock 77 dust shields on stock 77 D44 are close, but don't touch.
View: Drivers side from rear.

 

[ntsqd]

Keeping road grime and grit off the rotors is their often stated reason for being. Seems reasonable that without them that the inside brake pad would wear at a slightly faster rate than the outside pad. I've not experienced that actually happening with the two street cars that I've owned that lacked those shields.

There's been some discussion (not here) that those shields help keep the rotors at the same temperature on both sides, thereby avoiding a thermal gradient across the thickness of the rotor that could lead to premature cracking. I suspect that's more a rationalization or conjecture than anything actual. The only time you see such a part on a race car is when they're ducting cooling air to the rotors. And if they're just blowing that air on the inside face of the rotor they're doing very badly wrong, the air should be ducted into the center of the rotor and that's not always an easy thing to fabricate.

I've read of people having a problem with rocks getting caught between the shield and the rotor. I don't doubt that it can happen, but I am somewhat mystified by the fact that it can happen. WTH are they doing to get rocks up in there?

 

[spap]

What’s nice is they are pretty easy to bend to create a little more clearance Speaking about stock 77 shields

 

[Got4wd]

I do have a really nice set of oem shields I you need them I didn’t get to use them on my build.

 

[SLOWnEASY]

Keeping road grime and grit off the rotors is their often stated reason for being. Seems reasonable that without them that the inside brake pad would wear at a slightly faster rate than the outside pad. I've not experienced that actually happening with the two street cars that I've owned that lacked those shields.

I have experienced the inside pad wearing faster than the outside pad countless times. This applies with the standard one piston brakes with caliper sliders. When you step on the brakes the piston will apply the inside pad to the rotor and then use the pressure of the inside pad on the rotor to pull the caliper inward on the slides so the outer pad contacts. With that type of system there is no way that the inside pad won't wear faster than the outside pad.

If your caliper slides are maintained and appropriately lubricated the wear differences between inside and outside pads might be minimal. But as most backyard mechanics don't give a thought or maybe are not even aware of the importance of properly lubricating the sliders or pins or whatever when changing pads; There are a ton of vehicles with inside pads that wear faster than the outside pads.

Here's an example from my little Nissan Versa. Yes I'm weird and keep the old worn out pads from all my vehicles. And I always buy the Autozone Duralast gold pads with lifetime warranty. So when a vehicle needs new brakes I just grab the box of worn out pads and drive over to Autozone and exchange for new pads before I even start on the brake job. In retrospect I suppose I could actually exchange all the old worn out pads now so I have all new pads on the shelf waiting. Hmmm...

 

[ntsqd]

You illustrate my main objection to sliding calipers. I still use them, but I'm not excited to do so. I was told by a fleet mechanic for our County, who had just come back from a brakes seminar, that GM recommends (at the time anyway) using silicone dielectric grease to lubricate those sliding surfaces. I use that stuff for that more than for anything else.

 

[SLOWnEASY]

You illustrate my main objection to sliding calipers. I still use them, but I'm not excited to do so. I was told by a fleet mechanic for our County, who had just come back from a brakes seminar, that GM recommends (at the time anyway) using silicone dielectric grease to lubricate those sliding surfaces. I use that stuff for that more than for anything else.

Interesting on the dielectric part of the grease recommendation. I wonder why GM recommends that? Maybe it's just dielectric by it's nature. Wait, I just grabbed my tube of Super Lube synthetic grease and it's dielectric with a temperature range of -45 f to 450 f so maybe it is just dielectric by it's nature. I think I'll try it when I replace my front pads which are pretty much due.
https://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html

 

[ntsqd]

It isn't because of the dielectric properties. It is because it is a high temperature, very water resistant grease that almost all shops have laying around.

 

[DirtDonk]

Although, the dielectric properties probably don’t hurt. After all, in some instances, they are going into dissimilar metals. Usually the pins are zinc plated, however, so probably not a big problem. But with aluminum calipers, steel bolts, and cast-iron whatever, I figure it’s not a bad thing to have.

 

[ntsqd]

Other than wilwood's GM D52 clones in aluminum I know of no aluminum sliding calipers. There are plenty of fixed AL calipers. Sliders are usually cast iron or semi-steel to get more rigidity in a design that is severely compromised in that aspect.

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks! Temperature rating it is then!