Disc guards - are they necessary?

Post by **Mark2** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:32 pm

Currently reassembing my new disc rear end. I'm seriously thinking about ditching the guards. I think it would be easier to clean out the brakes, monitor the condition of the rotors, less chance of sticks and stuff getting caught up as well. Its hard to see how the disc could get damaged anyway.

Does anyone have a compelling reason for keeping them on?

Post by **Loanrangie** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:18 pm

I cant see any reason not to keep them, with the wheel in front and the guard at the rear you are less likely to damage anything not that it would happen much. I always take a wheel off every now and then just to check the discs/pads.

Post by **red90** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:04 am

Ditch them. They hold mud and rocks and contribute to pad wear.

Post by **KiwiBacon** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:11 pm

Their function on the front seems to be limited to keeping swivel oil off the discs.

Post by **cloughy** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:53 pm

KiwiBacon wrote:Their function on the front seems to be limited to keeping swivel oil off the discs.

Post by **Philip A** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:17 pm

I had no guards on my 77 rangie, and I found that in sand the rear pads disappeared at an amazing rate.

I once went to Fraser for a week. Went there with about 50% pads, got back to Tewantin with metal only. yikes.

And I am really careful not to use brakes on sand.

regards Philip A

Post by **Mark2** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:56 pm

Philip A wrote:I had no guards on my 77 rangie, and I found that in sand the rear pads disappeared at an amazing rate.

I once went to Fraser for a week. Went there with about 50% pads, got back to Tewantin with metal only. yikes.

And I am really careful not to use brakes on sand.

regards Philip A

I would have thought the guards had the potential to keep sand in there........

Post by **subaman** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:13 pm

I would say for offroad use they just end up bent and get in the way more than anything. Thats my 2 cents.

Post by **Reddo** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:32 am

I think the problem with excesive pad wear is due to mud and sand collecting on top of the caliper, above the pads and feeding into the gap between the pad and the disc, acting like grinding compound. Not much you can do about this other than retro fit a shield of some sort atop the calipers (an idea to ponder). But best to leave any shield that's on there as a precaution against more mud and sand accumulating around the brake/pad area.

I've even heard of some serious off roaders pushing pads back and locking off rear brakes to prevent excessive pad wear on trips where they know brakes are not going to be in demand. Southport for example in Tassie (now shut) was a b'tard on brakes - one set per trip was not uncommon. Had to do with the fine silty quartz suspended in the peaty water logged soils. Was great for bearings and seals too.

Post by **mickrangie** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:09 am

red90 wrote:Ditch them. They hold mud and rocks and contribute to pad wear.

Yep too true!! they act like shovels!! Loose them!

Post by **red90** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:21 am

Reddo wrote:I think the problem with excesive pad wear is due to mud and sand collecting on top of the caliper, above the pads and feeding into the gap between the pad and the disc, acting like grinding compound. Not much you can do about this other than retro fit a shield of some sort atop the calipers (an idea to ponder). But best to leave any shield that's on there as a precaution against more mud and sand accumulating around the brake/pad area.

Except that with the stock guards, it is almost impossible to clean all of the mud out after a run, so they continue to grind during street use. Without the guards, the calipers are easily and fully cleaned.

Post by **chimpboy** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:45 am

Can you keep the guards but modify them so you can blast water through them to clear them out?

Post by **mickrangie** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:54 pm

chimpboy wrote:Can you keep the guards but modify them so you can blast water through them to clear them out?

you can modify them with a F*&king sledge hammer and that might make them 2% ok...... trust us they are more pain then they are good.....

Post by **ISUZUROVER** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:23 pm

They must provide some benefit. I noticed on all the WRC cars (at the LAST EVER Perth WRC round) that they all had guards made from 2-3mm (approx) steel plate with heaps of 6mm holes driilled in them (don't know if for weight or ease of cleaning).

Now I am sure if they were completely unnecessary they would ditch them.

Post by **KiwiBacon** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:39 pm

ISUZUROVER wrote:They must provide some benefit. I noticed on all the WRC cars (at the LAST EVER Perth WRC round) that they all had guards made from 2-3mm (approx) steel plate with heaps of 6mm holes driilled in them (don't know if for weight or ease of cleaning).

Now I am sure if they were completely unnecessary they would ditch them.

Surely on a WRC car they'd be to stop thrown stones from damaging the rotors.
Vent holes would make sense too.

I know the last time my turbo hose came apart, the rear disc guards kept all the oil off the brakes.

Post by **nottie** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:14 pm

Plus on say a hilux you usually have a scoop like thing off the front of them to direct air onto the disc for cooling.

Post by **mickrangie** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:05 pm

ok i think we are missing the point! A WRC car is going fast and needs the brakes cooled....... that why they have them with out getting all technical

My rangie dosn't go fast! It goes threw mud! I never seen a comp truck with stupid disc guards!!

Comparing a Land Rover to a WRC car is pretty funny so 10 points for that!

Post by **walker** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:38 pm

mickrangie wrote:
My rangie dosn't go fast! It goes threw mud!

I didn't think your Rangie went anywhere!

Post by **mickrangie** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:11 am

walker wrote:
mickrangie wrote:
My rangie dosn't go fast! It goes threw mud!

I didn't think your Rangie went anywhere!

Post by **ISUZUROVER** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:25 pm

mickrangie wrote:ok i think we are missing the point! A WRC car is going fast and needs the brakes cooled....... that why they have them with out getting all technical

My rangie dosn't go fast! It goes threw mud! I never seen a comp truck with stupid disc guards!!

Comparing a Land Rover to a WRC car is pretty funny so 10 points for that!

Yes, but plenty of people drive on beaches, deserts and wa pea-gravel, and often at pretty reasonable speeds. Ever seen the underneath of a car that has been on a desert trip? underneath of the car looks like it has been sandblasted...

If you are only driving slow speeds, or in mud, then I agree, they won't have any benefit. But not all of us have the misfortune to only have mud to drive in

Post by **mickrangie** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:59 pm

ISUZUROVER wrote:
mickrangie wrote:ok i think we are missing the point! A WRC car is going fast and needs the brakes cooled....... that why they have them with out getting all technical

My rangie dosn't go fast! It goes threw mud! I never seen a comp truck with stupid disc guards!!

Comparing a Land Rover to a WRC car is pretty funny so 10 points for that!
Yes, but plenty of people drive on beaches, deserts and wa pea-gravel, and often at pretty reasonable speeds. Ever seen the underneath of a car that has been on a desert trip? underneath of the car looks like it has been sandblasted...

If you are only driving slow speeds, or in mud, then I agree, they won't have any benefit. But not all of us have the misfortune to only have mud to drive in

Yeah I guess but they still useless!!

Post by BJ » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:15 pm

I agree wth Mick

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Disc guards - are they necessary?

Disc guards - are they necessary?

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