Front disk brake dust shield replacement

[pwyu1969]

Ok folks so in changing my brakes, front right rotor, the dust shield was so rusted I ripped it off like a tin can. Two questions, (1) in putting on the replacement, do I have to take off the wheel hub or does it slip right over and then just screw it in? (2) is it necessary to replace? What happens if I don’t other than dust getting in my suspension parts?

[andrewclaus]

It's not just dust, it's sand, mud, slush, water, etc. They're there for a good reason.

Unfortunately it's a big job. You need a machine shop to press out the hub, and the knuckle needs to be off the car for that. If you haven't replaced wheel bearings, that would be a good time to do it. Front struts, too.

[zbyers]

Some have cut the new dust shield so it will slip over the hub to avoid removing everything. My car does not have any dust shields on the front. So far so good. It's been several years.