Rocks getting stuck in the brake rotor/shield - what to do about it?

[shijima_ending]

It's starting to piss me off now.

Every time I go on a backroad cruise or canyon run, I gotta pull over and shake the rotor shield so the rocks drop. Sometimes multiple times a drive. It's so inconvenient. They aren't actual whole pebbles like what some people have gotten, it's always small gravel so the noise isn't horrendous but still annoying. I'm in SoCal if that means anything - so I'm not basically rallying the car on dirty roads where it rains or snows. Just normal roads. Also I'm entirely stock in that area

I might be taking the front wheels off to replace the pads soon. Is there anything I can do to mitigate the issue while I'm down there? I heard some people bend the shield back for more room.

Thanks.

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[BigBird]

think you answered your own question

 

[Scrodee]

Same issue on the FL5: https://www.integraforums.com/forum...s-stuck-between-rotor-and-brake-shield.51949/

My experience has been that this happens far less as the tires wear. Most of the time, they pop out after a bit. They never hang in there at high speed (60+). I have only ever had to stop to clear once, and I had to take the damn wheel off to get it out. Unfortunately, I have no other solution.

 

[shijima_ending]

Hi all,

I'm re-bumping this thread because I'm at a total loss currently and am not sure what to do, and I'm hoping someone more mechanically-inclined can help.

The issue is not subsiding at all. If anything it has gotten worse. About 3k miles ago I had the wheels off for a tire rotation and took the chance to bend the brake rotor shields and shake and wiggle it around as far back as I can (It doesn't seem to move much because of a suspension component getting in the way). First canyon drive with this fix, and it was the worst it's ever been - perhaps because the slightly additional clearance means a bigger rock could've gotten in. And I am facing these noises every time I go on these drives. I'm currently trying (and struggling) to qualify this issue and what's going on because there has to be more to this. This can't be normal.

For the record, I have NEVER gotten a rock stuck in between the rotor and shield when daily driving, or have heard as much as a screech. Only when I'm on the backroads and my brakes are presumably getting much hotter. In addition, sometimes it's a constant screech noise, but other times it's whenever I press my brakes. If there is a rock stuck in between the rotor and shield, what does me engaging my brakes have anything to do with this? Has this always been pad-related? Surely not. I'm only at ~8k miles and can confirm I am not at bare metal. Maybe there's always been a rock stuck in there and it only poses issues when my brakes get hotter and expand and thus create the issue? I plan on putting some aftermarket street and light track duty pads on it soon, and I'm hoping once I do that it'll just miraculously go away. Or maybe the issue is a lot bigger and I'll need to disassemble the entire brake system to find it? Not like I can take it to the dealer since they won't be able to replicate the issue. I'm grasping at straws.

It's getting frustrating and even embarrassing. Tried to make some GoPro content with my friend this weekend while he was following me and you can hear my car as I'm screeching down the road. Pull over, shake the shields as much as I can, starts screeching again in minutes. I don't get it.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Superhatch]

I'm facing the same issue, almost always on my right wheel. I have to weave to try and get the pebble to come out, or stop and reverse. It happens almost every time I'm on a back road. Once I had to take my wheel off and then use a screwdriver to back out the pebble from deep in the dust shield.

This morning my wife's '25 hybrid had the same issue, and she pulled over and called because she didn't know what it was.

I think the dust shield has a poor design in some way that is allowing for pebbles to get stuck more frequently. When I swap over to winter wheels this weekend, I'm likely going to cut out the area on the dust shield where they get caught.

 

[asone]

I'm facing the same issue, almost always on my right wheel.

It was always front passenger side for me. I used to get it about once a week. After I switched to Continental DWS, I didn't get that for a year now. I know all-season tires are not a solution for many, but still an option.

 

[jcfishel]

I found that once I stepped down to an 18" wheel this occurred a lot less.

 

[J35W2]

This is my life with the FL5. Only thing to do is get hard 500 TW tires. When I got the Falken 660+ rubber, it’s a regular thing. Sounds like a wheel is about to fly off. I now keep a pair of latex gloves in my glove box, so if I have to pull over & shake the brake/dust shields out. Pfft!
Unfortunately it’s a symptom of stickier rubber; it picks up everything on the road.

 

[David9962000]

I have this issue as we speak, I'm getting the car on the lift tomorrow

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