Sure, I'm sure most of you will immediately say that it's better to just "rip em off" as it'll aid in cooling. But what's to say that they aren't there for that very reason? If I remember correctly, the shields flare away from the rotor at the outer edges, almost as if it's an aerodynamically designed piece. Can anyone in here honestly say that there was a noticeable difference after tearing these shields off? I've heard opinions that go both ways, but I'd like to hear the voices in this forum.

 

Why take them off?

I've always thought that they in fact prevent heat from moving on elsewhere...

 

with = R4 pads die in 2 weekends
without = Blues are 1/2 gone after 3 weekends.

Easy removal... while swapping rotors/pads.

Will
-who has fresh air to his r0t0rs

 

You take them off to get more cool air to the brake system. On the road, this is no big deal, on track it's huge (see Will's post). See, you don't want to prevent the heat from the brakes from escaping... you want to assist it in that direction if possible.

Disclaimer: I have my heat shields still on the car, but I drive a Miata, and the sheild itself is shaped nicely to catch the air. If I had something heavier, or that had all it's weight on the front brakes, they'd be gone.

Warning: I believe that takes you out of stock class for auto-x. (? someone correct me if I'm wrong ?) Locally nobody will likely care. Nationally, you're much more likely to get protested.

 

Wow...good stuff. Must remove the shields come track time!

To clarify, I meant that I had thought that the shields would prevent heat from damaging other parts...

Jason- who votes that the Comp forum is the most informative on HT!


[Modified by darth vadeR, 4:41 PM 2/12/2002]

 

If

a) the track is hard on brakes
b) the driver is fast enough to need 100% of the brakes all the time

then YES removing the shields will make a big difference.

Just ask Madhatter .. last time out at CMP he wore the inside pad of an almost new set of blues to the backing plates in a single weekend. I have 2 trips to CMP and a couple other weekends on mine and they probably have 1/3 left. Even wear on both the outside and the inside pad.

Edit: Madhatter was running with shield, I was not. Both of us in GSRs.


[Modified by SPiFF, 4:38 PM 2/12/2002]

 

The reason I ask is that I've never really had an issue in the two HPDEs I've done. I have noticed that I've definitely gotten a LOT faster in just 3 days of instruction, and have wondered if maybe with the increased speeds I should consider removing them. The fact that some of you have seen some pads last longer without them leads me to believe that it may be a worthwhile project.

I have heard the opposite theory on how the shields actually assist in cooling, and I guess I'm just looking for real-world results.

 

good info!! i'm changing pads this weekend so should i pull the sheilds or not??

 

Upgrade pads first.

EX. XR4racer and I have the same car... similar mods... different driving "styles"... Hawk Bl00s on the front... OE pads on the back.
And we both have the "same" pad wear. I don't use shields. He does use shields.
Real world experience? me thinks so.

Unless duct work is fastened to the shield... there is no assistance.

Will

[sp]


[Modified by Willard, 4:56 PM 2/12/2002]

 

pull it off. their real function is as dustshields, which unfortunately also acts as heatshield (not want you want when racing). the rotor gets plenty hot... maybe 1000F, you have a thin metal place less than 1/2" away it will reflect a lot of heat back into it. no need for the heat under extreme conditions. a little dust ain't going to hurt anything down there.

 

Remember the flip side of removing them - more dust and/or water can splash onto the rotor, making those sudden highway stops a bit more hairy.

I'd say leave them on unless you have a good reason to remove them.

 

Welp .. Do you have trouble with your brakes? Fade? Lots of pad wear? Is your car mostly a track car?

If the answer to those is YES .. thet toss the shields. Otherwise ... leave 'em.

 

Change your pads asap and break them in before the event.
Leaving your shields in would be your best bet.
I don't think you will fade them fancy new pads.

Will

 

good, i didn't feel like all the extra work!! they will go on this weekend, so that will give me a weeks worth of daily driving on the panther plus.

 

I think an important question to consider in whether to remove your heat shields is what kind of tires you're running. If you're on street tires in the 200+ treadwear category, chances are you're probably not going fast enough, and more importantly not braking hard enough, *really* need to remove the shields. If you're running race rubber and competition brake pads, then you'll almost certainly need to remove them.

-Mike

 

panther plus pads, and yoko AVS. going wid will's advice and leave them on.

 

I'd hope the designers are a bright bunch and put them there for a good reason. My guess is to protect sensitive parts from extreme heat (like ABS sensors and even the CV boot). But hey, unsprung weight is expendable in this hobby.
I took mine off but ran different pads and different tracks so I have no direct comparison.

 

Without my heat retainers, I was able to effectively use $20 Wearever pads at Jefferson Circuit. That's right, WEAREVERS. $20 at Advance Auto.

I'll be on them again this weekend. Next weekend too probably.

 

What about modifiy the shields? Either look where the sensative things are behind it, and then remove other material, or just drill some holes? I'm sure you could paint the shield, make a few runs, see where the paint burned off (the hot spots) and then drill some cooling holes there, leaving the rest stock? Just a thought...

Reefer_Bob.

 

There is a coat of paint on them. Not Maad SKilz Yellow, but there is one. It gets burned off quite quickly. Primarily where the shield comes closest to the rotor, but it also streaks away to the rear in a flame pattern. I have utterly destroyed a grand total of 5 sets of pads and 2 sets of rotors because I ran with the shields on. Ditch them. They aren't doing you any good anyway. You are just cooking the caliper with it on there.

 

hmm.. honestly, I don't understand this... I run Hawk Blues up front, OEM in the rear, with the sheilds on... and have no brake fade, no pad-wear problems, and no rotor issues, other than normal wear and tear from Blues. I've also used R4 pads with no issues, except they wear a lot faster than Blues. Yes, maybe my brakes would not get as hot with the shields off, but why fix what ain't broke? Acura put them there for a reason. If and when I notice an issue, I'll take them off. I know everybody drives differently, and some people use more brakes than others... .. nothing personal because I don't know anybody elses style, but don't assume that everybody uses the same amount of brakes.. perhaps driving style could fix some of these problems.

 

Not knowing what the wheel backside looks like at the moment, try cutting a horizontal slit starting from the front of the shield halfway across the bottom preferably or top about 2 inches from the outer edge, so that you can bend the flap out to act as a deflector scoop to funnel air past the rotor. People say apparently it works.

Gary

 

I am hard on my brakes. A change in driving style would definitely help
I notice, though, that you have an R, and the 60 fewer pounds, offset by an increase of 1 full inch on front rotor diameter over the GS-R might have something to do with this....


[Modified by madhatter, 11:05 AM 2/13/2002]


[Modified by madhatter, 11:06 AM 2/13/2002]


[Modified by madhatter, 11:07 AM 2/13/2002]

 

The larger rotors may help me, but the full 6-point roll-cage kinda negates the weight advantage. But, thanks for not taking my post personally... it wasn't directed just at you. Just an observation for everybody to think about.

 

With all due respect, there may be a possibility your brakes will last longer without the shields if you haven't tried that yet.