disc spindle gasket

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str12-340

str12-340

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So this is my first time rebuilding KH discs. They are on my 70 Dart. There are the remains of a foam gasket between the spindle and the dust shield. It looks to be a triangular gasket that has holes for the 3 bolts. Like I said, these were really degraded so it's hard to tell what they looked like originally. DMT sells foam gaskets that they say fit drum and disc systems and they are a round gasket with a round hole in the middle. It is hard to tell if you could just use them and push the bolts through once the spindle locates the gasket or whether I need something specific that looks more like what I removed. Any of you brake gurus have some info for me?
 
All that i ever have done is just cut out your own from packaging foam material.
Or.
Many just use a thin film of silicone between the spindle, and backing plate.
Just personal preference what you wind up doing.

KH Brakes 65-72 #2 012 (Small).JPG
 
str12-340 said:
So this is my first time rebuilding KH discs. They are on my 70 Dart. There are the remains of a foam gasket between the spindle and the dust shield. It looks to be a triangular gasket that has holes for the 3 bolts. Like I said, these were really degraded so it's hard to tell what they looked like originally. DMT sells foam gaskets that they say fit drum and disc systems and they are a round gasket with a round hole in the middle. It is hard to tell if you could just use them and push the bolts through once the spindle locates the gasket or whether I need something specific that looks more like what I removed. Any of you brake gurus have some info for me?
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I would just use a thin bead of silicone and bolt it on. Remember that when those were first assembled there was no silicone sealants. Another thought, how many other makes put similar assemblies together with nothing in there and they function just fine.
The point being, whatever floats your boat and works for you.
 
got gaskets from DMT - not exactly like originals, but they seem to work
 
I don’t even run the shields since they serve no purpose if you’re not running the car in winter or off-road.
 
Best gasket replacement on the market, not cheap. Unlike silicone, & like all loctite products does not set up till air is removed. Which means I can open this tube & I will be able to use every bit of it till it's gone.
20220323_101946.jpg
 
mcodecuda said:
I don’t even run the shields since they serve no purpose if you’re not running the car in winter or off-road.
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The shields do keep water off the disc in rain. Yes that is only one side, but that side can reduce brake efficiency for a bit until the water gets out from behind the pads. I tried this on a car with solid discs and filled my shorts during a quick down pour. I left the shields out thinking I would get better brake cooling.
 
mcodecuda said:
I don’t even run the shields since they serve no purpose if you’re not running the car in winter or off-road.
Click to expand...

They're practically useless all the time. Some cars come straight from the factory without them nowadays, it's not unusual for them to not be part of a disk brake design.

I've run my cars on gravel roads and during the winter. All the shields do is trap heat, brake dust, and other junk near the rotors. I've gotten several pieces of gravel stuck in the shields on my Mopars as well as other makes and models. Nothing like getting a rock stuck between the shield and the rotor for some terrible screeching noises and rotor damage.

Dale Davies said:
The shields do keep water off the disc in rain. Yes that is only one side, but that side can reduce brake efficiency for a bit until the water gets out from behind the pads. I tried this on a car with solid discs and filled my shorts during a quick down pour. I left the shields out thinking I would get better brake cooling.
Click to expand...

I've been driving my Mopars without shields for over a decade now and 100k+ miles, year round. I've been in plenty of downpours without significant loss of braking. A light splash is all that would be repelled by a shield, any significant amount of water will have no issue going around and between and depending on your wheel style you might get much more water from the outside than the backside anyway. My enkei's for example have a TON of open area to the outside of the car, there will be a lot more water coming off the fenders, off other cars as spray, not coming in from the suspension side. If standing water on the roadway is the issue you should have light pressure on the brakes as you go through it anyway to keep water off the friction surfaces and some heat in the brakes, wet weather driving 101, true for drums and disks (although much more necessary for drums). A perfect time to do a little light, left foot braking while maintaining speed.

Heck, one of the reasons why drums suck in wet weather is because they're so shielded, if water gets in there it stays. If water is getting into drums a goofy shield on one side only, with access holes cut in it and with a 1/4" standoff from the rotor isn't going to keep it out.
 
Sorry but I disagree - the shields are valuable. All you have to do is look at both sides of a well used disc. The side open to the wheel is always more corroded, more unevenly worn from crap getting thrown up on the disc face and then captured by the pad. I think that the reason for the gasket is to keep the vibration between the shield and the spindle down.
 
str12-340 said:
Sorry but I disagree - the shields are valuable. All you have to do is look at both sides of a well used disc. The side open to the wheel is always more corroded, more unevenly worn from crap getting thrown up on the disc face and then captured by the pad. I think that the reason for the gasket is to keep the vibration between the shield and the spindle down.
Click to expand...

Hey I don’t care, do what you want. As I said, there are more than a few brand new cars that don’t come with them at all, so my opinion is shared by at least some factory engineers. Of course so is yours, as some cars still come with them.

Personally, the only thing I’ve ever seen a brake shield do first hand is trap gravel and cause rotor damage, not prevent it.
 
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