Car Brake disc back plate

How to detect the brake disk dust cover failure

Examine the dust cover to define its faults. Cracks, warping or corrosion indicate that it's time for the part replacement. After that, try tapping the dust cover: if you hear a rattling noise, the fasteners may be faulty.

You may notice that the brake disc dust cover needs a diagnosis by the following signs:

• creaking, whistling and other abnormal sounds during driving;
• rust on the part surface;
• uneven or premature wear of the inner brake pads;
• vibration at braking;
• increased abrasive wear of the brake disc inner part.

Causes of the brake disc dust cover failure

The brake disc guard operating conditions are quite aggressive. The part is continuously affected by dirt and moisture, stones and other foreign objects flying out from under the wheels during driving. As a result, chips, scratches, cracks and rust emerge on the part surface. Aggressive driving style, in particular, driving over potholes and bumps at high speeds, moving on poor surfaced roads also considerably enhances the risk of damaging the brake disc splash panel and promoting the fasteners loosening. When driving over obstacles, the guard may become warped.

Sometimes the necessity to replace the brake disc dust cover arises due to the vehicle tuning, for instance, when the guard is cut off to avoid dismantling it for the installation of a disc with a diameter larger than standard.

It sometimes happens that due to rusted fasteners, the part detaches during driving. In such a case it can be easily lost.

Repair and replacement of the brake disc dust cover

In most cases, a DIY replacement of the brake disc dust cover is not difficult. For this you need to do the following:

1. Mount the vehicle on the lift.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Dismantle the wheel.
4. Disconnect the brake caliper without disconnecting the hose from it, and tie it to the shock absorber strut with a wire.
5. Dismantle the brake disc from the hub, having unscrewed the wheel studs.
6. Unscrew the dust cover fasteners and disconnect it from the steering knuckle.
7. Install a new part.
8. Reassemble the unit in the reverse order.

On some vehicles you have to dismantle the wheel hub for mounting new brake disc splash panels. In case the hub has rusted and removing it requires too much force, it is best to replace the hub, as there is no guarantee that the unit will work properly after reassembling.