Hope someone can help me out here. I've had multiple issues recently with my Wilwood BBK all stemming from an installation done at Big-O-Tires. I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

Do the rear factory backing plates need to be removed in order to fit the BBK?

I read a few different places online where they said that the backing plates need to be removed. I'm guessing because the larger rotors don't fit with stock backing plates. If that is true, do I need to purchase after-market backing plates? Possibly from Wilwood? I was told at a friend's shop (not Big-O-Tires) that backing plates are needed to help prevent dirt, water, etc. for getting all over the rotors. I was also told that the backing plates help dissipate heat from the rotor.

Check out the pictures below. They are gruesome at best. The installation of my BBK was done by Big-O-Tires in Pleasant Hill, CA. Rather than call me up during the installation and tell me that the rotors wouldn't fit without newer/larger backing plates, they decided to take it upon themselves to hammer, bend, and cut the backing plates so that they would clear the rotors. WTF?

Photos 1 - 4 are the left rear. Photos 5 - 8 are the right rear.

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Ghetto cut job.

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So.... do I need backing plates? Or can I have a reputable shop remove these mangled pieces of metal?

Thanks in advance!

 

They should have just cut the lip off.I would just remove those beat up now useless plates.

 

The plate will probably be necessary to keep debris out of the parking brake area. And may shim the offset of the parking brake pads etc. so removing it completely could be more problem than benefit.

To do this the most "idea" way the plate would be removed and cut (plasma cutter) around the section of that which is only necessary for the parking brake area. That makes it about 8" in dia perhaps? The main reason many shops and owners will not do this is the time and hassle to get to it! Thus the cut, bend, pry, trim and hammer metod tends to be the norm....