Hi there:

I've owned my 08 Arctic Adventure 173 (161k) for 9 yrs now and she's been faultless. However my front pads were changed recently and the fitter pointed out a fast corroding heat/dust shield on the offside, its the thin metal pressed roundish shield on the inside of each front disc. Nissan have quoted £8.95 each for the part (thought this was reasonable)

Anyway, she's due her MOT and I got the garage to check the corroding shield. A small part of the outer circumference has corroded off but the rest of the shield remains intact and properly fixed and shouldn't fail on this issue.

It will need replacing, but then I had the kicker!! I was told the wheel, calliper, disc and hub need to removed/split and could be quite a labour intensive job. Called Nissan Service but they really didn't have a clue what I was on about so no help there.

Anyone had this at all or could someone advise with more knowledge as I will need to get it changed at some point.

Many Thanks.

Hi

I believe the part your referring too is a brake backing plate like the one in the link https://www.milneroffroad.com/nissan/x-trail/t30yd-2-2td-yd22-62001-52007-inc-european-models/t30yd-brakes/t30yd-brake-backing-plate-front-rh although this is for a T30 they will be similar.

I haven't yet replaced mine as they are corroded but having looked at the job you will need to remove the hub to get to them, therefore wheel, disc, caliper, driveshaft will all need to come off to get it off.. I wouldn't imagine it's a great deal of time in a garage (driveway repairs always take much longer scratching around for sockets )

Personally I'd estimate 4 hours to do both sides, strip and re-build..

Backplates are around £25 - 30 each. I don't think Nissan sell anything foe £8.95 from experience! As stated, quite a bit of dismantling to replace them.

I'm sure they will sell you a sachet of genuine screenwash for 8.95

I want to know the name of that dealer? You can pay almost that much for a single washer, or a bolt for a caliper. My question is why do you even have to replace it? It's simply not worth doing unless you are replacing a wheel bearing at the same time, and the reason for that is that the bearing will be destroyed while removing the hub. At least I am 99% sure this would be the case for a T30 which requires pressing in the bearings. Maybe with the assembly used on the T31, it can be unscrewed without destroying the bearing. Frankly, I cannot see why with disc brakes it is even necessary. They do not perform any safety role. For what its worth it might be worth checking if that actually applies to cars with disc brakes or if its really only a factor for cars with drum brakes where that plate is part of the actual braking system. Or as with the X trail, when they use the plate as part of the parking brake system for the rear brakes. For the front ones you may be able to just leave them be or even remove them.

They don't perform a safety roll such as an airbag would but they are there to prevent heat soak and mainly brake dust, they are not required for drum brakes either. In my humble opinion, they are installed because they serve a purpose and if they have rotten away then generally speaking they require replacement. Personally if the car is suffering these issues then it's likely the wheel bearings would warrant replacement anyway whilst the other work is carried out..

Actually they do not serve as a heat sink, they are purely a barrier to grime and dust.

From the following--https://www.carsdirect.com/car-repair/is-it-bad-to-remove-brake-dust-shields

''Because dust and grime can more easily make its way into your braking system, prolonged use without a dust shield can lead to an accelerated buildup of road grime and dirt. In severe cases, this can lead to malfunction and increased difficulty with maintenance. Brake dust is relatively easy to clean from a braking system, but dirt, sand and road grime can be substantially more difficult.

In relatively clean, dry areas with mild weather, removing your dust shields will not immediately cause any problems with your brakes, nor will it significantly shorten their lifespan. The same, however, does not hold true in areas with extensively harsh weather or seasonal snowfall. In areas with heavy rain, dust or snow, removing your dust shields can accelerate corrosion and potentially lead to premature failure, so it's best to leave them equipped whenever possible in these cases.''

Considering the original poster said his were only a bit corroded, I would just let them be. New ones will not make much difference. There could be issues related to dismantling everything. It's not like this cannot be monitored and inspected a couple of times a year. In an ideal world they probably should be replaced but otherwise its not an emergency.