Is this what a bad dust shield typically sounds like?

Mike534x

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
So I've been chasing this rattling sound down for the past few weeks, it comes and goes and some days it doesn't even make the noise. There are times it'll make the sound while turning to the left but it was making it while driving straight. So today I was able to catch the sound, for the entirety of its duration until I got home. Most of the time its quiet, but recently its been becoming more frequent. I thought it was my cats at first, thinking the element broke free and it was banging around. Then I began to wonder if my dust shields are out on it's way out but haven't had a chance to pull the front tires. Hubs are new (Moog and Timken) put on 2 years ago with 8-10k on them so far. So if the dust shield is going bad, could it cause this rattling sound? I can upload the other video but I managed to catch this when I got into the drive thru.

 
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Maverick6587

Member
Dec 16, 2018
730
Sterling Heights, Michigan
That sounds like a rubbing dust shield to me. I would take the wheel off and bend them away from the rotors. They could also just be really rusty and coming apart.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
How are the brake pads? Maybe the squealers?
 
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littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
That sure sounds like the dust shields.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Relistened to it, yeah, sure sounds like a dust shield.
 

Mike534x

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
That sounds like a rubbing dust shield to me. I would take the wheel off and bend them away from the rotors. They could also just be really rusty and coming apart.

I was wonder if the dust shield was rubbing, it comes and goes a lot. Didn't really bother with tracking it down, but now that its constant. It's not the nicest sound to hear traveling down the road haha.

Relistened to it, yeah, sure sounds like a dust shield.

I'll be pulling the front tires off to inspect the shield, I know they were pretty shot when I did the brakes/wheel hubs 2 years ago. Pads are roughly at 12-15k, and had a bit to go before they were half worn.


Is it even worth replacing the shields? Otherwise I'll just rip them out if thats the case. They're $22 a pair on Amazon. Odd thing is the driver side is loud, and the passenger side isn't nearly as bad, both make sounds around the same time.


That sure sounds like the dust shields.

I honestly couldn't tell if it was the shields, I'm used to just hearing them rub against the hub from bending them when doing rotors/brakes.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Is it even worth replacing the shields?

No, they're completely useless. In fact, Ontario's safety check rules say that the dust shields can be missing and still pass safety. I usually pull them off when I do the hubs even if they're still in good condition as a preventive.
 

Mike534x

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
Oh really? Well that is a relief. Indiana doesn't really have safety checks, besides the typical emissions testing. Sucks that the hubs have to be pulled off, but a small price to pay to get rid of such an annoying sound.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I was wonder if the dust shield was rubbing, it comes and goes a lot. Didn't really bother with tracking it down, but now that its constant. It's not the nicest sound to hear traveling down the road haha.



I'll be pulling the front tires off to inspect the shield, I know they were pretty shot when I did the brakes/wheel hubs 2 years ago. Pads are roughly at 12-15k, and had a bit to go before they were half worn.


Is it even worth replacing the shields? Otherwise I'll just rip them out if thats the case. They're $22 a pair on Amazon. Odd thing is the driver side is loud, and the passenger side isn't nearly as bad, both make sounds around the same time.




I honestly couldn't tell if it was the shields, I'm used to just hearing them rub against the hub from bending them when doing rotors/brakes.
The envoy did it a while back, started out only when turning and only when turning one way. Got progressively worse as time went on.
 

Maverick6587

Member
Dec 16, 2018
730
Sterling Heights, Michigan
I wouldn't remove the hubs. I would just die grind them off or use tin snips to cut them. Just make sure if you use my suggestion, that you use a file to deburr/smooth the edges where you cut them to prevent injury in the future.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
But when I do remove the hubs, they're gone. You can also just bend them back and forth until they break off, which is usually pretty easy when they are usually rusty.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
The envoy did it a while back, started out only when turning and only when turning one way. Got progressively worse as time went on.

:undecided: My EXT does this, very seldomly though. I only hear it on making a right turn, leaving my neighborhood, when the windows are down, and I take off kinda quick in the turn cuz traffic is coming. :bonk: I guess when I check my brake pads this winter, I'll get a better look at mine and consider getting rid of them too.
 

Maverick6587

Member
Dec 16, 2018
730
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Ya know... I'm now remembering an episode of south main auto. When Eric O. found a rock lodged somewhere in the caliper/brake pads. I don't think that yours sounds like there's a rock stuck in there. I just remembered it and thought it was funny what crazy things can cause noises.

 

Mike534x

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
Appreciate the helpful responses everyone!


I finally got around to pulling the front tires off, after wresting with getting the gas tank back up after swapping out the fuel pump/sending unit. The dust shields look to be shot, I tried bending them away from the wheel, which made it a little worse now that rust bits fell off and some may have found their way in behind the rotors.

So that's one problem solved! The other I think is my rotors. The portion with the vented middle half is pretty rusted up, and there's actual chunks coming off it. I'm wondering if that would contribute to the noises as well. The PO put "new" rotors on sometime before buying the Envoy, so I had no reason to change them out when I did the pads.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Those don't have to be replaced neither but does expose the parking brake.
 
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Mike534x

Original poster
Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
Well damn, wish I knew that before I ripped off the driver side rear shield on the Avalanche when I did rotors/brakes on it 3 months ago. That thing was so rusted it out, it had enough flex that it cracked apart in chunks.

Solved the noise on the Envoy. Pulled the front rotors and changed them, noticed the driver dust shield was a hair away from touching the back side of the rotor. Since I forgot to grab more cutting wheels, I took Mr. Hammer and banged it away leaving enough space that it shouldn't happen again.
 
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paul2005tb

Member
Nov 26, 2014
299
Massachusetts
Doing my rear brakes, and Im thinking of not buying replacing those dust shields. Im not really driving in a sand storm.
 

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