I'm hoping a brake expert will stumble across this thread...

I will be installing my Stoptech 13" BBK in a few days, and as I was reading the installation instructions, I see where the backing plate has to be cut to allow room for the larger calipers.

My question is: What does the backing plate do, and why can't the thing be removed completely?

Thanks to the experts !!!

Rob

 

what it does i believe its a guard for brake dust, and yes it can be removed completely yo jus need to remove the huc assembly to get it off, i think it would be much easier to cu it off.

 

I just cut the whole thing off with a grinder. Did both front and rear, dressed up the cuts and painted with spray paint to keep some of the rust out.

You also need to grind one of the rear caliper mounting ears (on both sides) down. Pretty easy to do, you can mark it with the new caliper bracket, then grind it down.

 

Oh, and it's not too hard to remove the front ones, but the rear is a big pain. Much easier to just cut them off.

 

Tin snips from sears make easy work of this. You should cut the rear as well even if you aren't upgrading them. The rear shield is huge and hold in a lot of heat. My rear inside pads used to wear significantly faster on the track than the outsides until I cut the backing plate off.

 

Trim dust shield as necessary, to avoid any interference as you install the bigger rotor.