Is it better to remove the Dust Shield/Splash Guard?
In some cases, the splash guard (sometimes called a dust shield) may need to be trimmed or removed in order to install a bigger brake upgrade. This piece is typically made of stamped sheet metal and is designed to keep debris out of the inside of the rotor and water from splashing directly on the inner rotor face. While both functions can be beneficial on a street-car, on a track driven vehicle, the standard factory shield may actually hamper performance by hurting cooling. Practically any debris that can get to the inside of a rotor can typically also get out. If it is not necessary to remove the shields for installation of a brake kit, you might consider doing so anyway to help cooling. Sometimes the shield can even be incorporated into a cooling duct, helping route air directly to the inside of the rotor where it will have the most cooling effect.
