'98 Legacy sedan 146K The driver's side rear brake started, all of a sudden, making a grinding noise as I would brake to a stop. I pulled the wheel off and discovered that the rusty, upper edge of the backing plate had broken off and a piece of it was hanging across the disc.

So I removed the offending piece and the I also removed the rest of backing plate that was the furthest gone. Now I don't hear the sound and the brakes are working fine.

As this is a car to "drive into the ground" please write back and tell me:

--Is this a safety issue?

--Is the backing plate crucial?

--If it is important, can I go w/o it for a while?

****Please write back ASAP as I urgently need the car this week.

Many thanks

The plate is there to discourage foreign objects and water from getting in there. Water gets in anyway and the foreign objects like sand is only a wear issue.

 

Those concentric rings that wear into a brake disc are caused by foreign matter.

 

 

So, the plate is not essential.