Brakes: 70: Front Dust Shiels / Backplates

[phatboy130]

Hello Gents,

Just a quick question, I've searched but come up blank, feel free to point me to a thread I may have missed....

Are the front disc brake dust shields / black plates an MOT fail if buggered?

Also, is it possible to change them without major dismantling? From a few pictures I've seen online, it looks like the disc has to come off to get at the 3 bolts, anyone done them themselves??

T.I.A.

Jay.

[mankypaws]

No they’re not a testable item for the mot

[Austin160]

Is that absolutely correct with no caveats?
I would have thought that if they were rusted and disintegrating to an extent where pieces of rusted metal can be displaced into the braking system then that would be a reasonable point of MOT failure.

[Nullsleep]

Nope, as long as the brakes work on test day all is good, if your worried just remove them

[Monty rudge]

Hi just finished replacing all four back plates on a c 70 coupe looking at the discs they looked ok on taking them off the inside is totally gone it would appear the back plate should be replaced to stop this.When you think about volvo put them there for a reason.

[deepswhite]

I've a spare back plate from a 960 which you are welcome to have for the cost of postage?

[dingov70]

If they are so bad remove them , or trim off the worst of the corrosion

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-insp...section-1-1-21 (c) is the clause they may fail you with , if the back plate may breakaway / become trapped in brake system

To be clear brake disc back plates can be removed . BUT any back plate that has brake components attached will fail for the above given reason . Mercedes Sprinter a classic as the handbrake springs fit into back plate

[SteveSarre]

Hi all,

Corrrectly or not, my 2001 C70 failed its MOT when I had removed the front brake back plates, so I had to fit new. (At the front no brake components are attached). (Rear back plates would have components attached).

I am 99% sure you can remove them without removing the disks (just 3 x 10mm hex bolts).

HTH
Steve

[dingov70]

That's a naughty tester searching for work , next time challenge the outcome with the tester & the authorised examiner ( you might suggest they print out a VT17 & watch them panic , it's an appeal form relating to the outcome of a test )

[Luxobarge]

Although not an MoT failure, if the shields were holed or even absent I'd fit new ones, as these are less to shield from dust as to shield from water spray on wet roads. If you've had the experience of driving for a while in the wet and then applying the brakes only to find that they don't work for a few moments until they've dried out, I suspect you'd agree! Doesn't happen very often, but can be scary when it does. Just my personal view, as they're neither expensive nor difficult to change.