Odd break question

[RayLCC]

I was putting rear break pads and a rotor on the Explorer this weekend and noticed something that I had thought of before but never got around to asking so I figured I'd give it a shot and see what people thought.

The rear brakes have a metal guard in behind the rotor. Kind of a splash guard I guess. The first thing anyone would notice is that this guard makes it a pain in the ass to get the rotor off. However, it also seems that it would serve a double negative effect as it will hold in heat coming off of the back brake pad and the back of the rotor. Also if you get in the mud it seems like its would be a great place for mud to pack in.
So here's the first questions: Does the splash guard need to be there? What does it guard against? And would the breaks actually run cooler if the guard was removed? What negative things could happen if its removed?

Ok, heres the next odd break question. This would be kind of a poor-mans brake upgrade.
The Explorer has a smaller rear rotor than its front rotor. My question is, would it be beneficial to make a bracket (adaptor) to mount a front rotor and caliper onto the back?
I'm figuring it would be larger brakes, at least in the rear but wouldn't be a special upgrade so it would still be parts easily attainable at the local parts place and junk yards.
I know that one hundred bazillion percent of the braking is done with the front brakes and thats why the fronts are bigger, but I also do some towing in the mountains so I figure bigger, cooler brakes couldn't hurt.
Anyway, lets hear it. Good or bad, what are your thoughts? Not worth the effort? Great Idea? Picture me barreling over a clif if I try it?

[mattadams]

I'm not sure about the "splash guards", I guess mine don't have them or I haven't really noticed it... and I just changed my rear rotors a month or so ago so I think I'd remember if it were out of the ordinary :). If it is like some I have seen though the actually purpose is to help with cooling my forcing air to the rotor where if it weren't there, it might just not get as much air.
As far as the rotor size goes... the rear rotors do about 10-15% of your braking... hence the smaller size. I don't think you'd gain much by going through the work of making new brackets and everything.

[Hypoid]

Hot rotors + cold water = warpie, warpie, warp!

Your resistance to heat fading is engineered into the pad. ;)

[RayLCC]

As far as the rotor size goes... the rear rotors do about 10-15% of your braking... hence the smaller size. I don't think you'd gain much by going through the work of making new brackets and everything.

Ok, true, and I get the part about the front breaks needing to be bigger for normal driving. Heavy engine in front, moving foward, having to stop forward momentum, ect. I get that... But does that change when towing? I figure when towing you place more (sometimes a lot more) weight off the rear of the rig so that would make, at least on my warped mind, the rear brakes have to do more.
You can test this concept easily on a mountain bike. ride fast and lean forward and apply the rear break. It makes it easy to lock up and slide the rear tire. Now ride fast and lean as far back as possible to put as much weight as possible over the back tire and apply the break. Its much harder to lock up the back wheel.

Applying the normal idea about brakes on big rigs would have them with MASSIVE front brakes to stop the loads they carry but thats not the case. instead, they have massive drum breaks on the rear wheels. I theorize that when you think about it, the rear breaks of a tractor trailer rig actually IS, in effect the front brakes. At least they are the breaks at the front of the heavyest load (the trailer) so these breaks have to be bigger to stop the forward momentum of the trailer applying force to the front of the trailer... which happens to be right over the rear breaks.
I don't see why this wouldn't apply, albeit in much smaller scale to towing with a truck or suv except that the force is applied over the rear bumper and not over the back axels. If anything, I would think the force would be multiplied since its applied farther back, up to a couple feet or more behind the rear breaks instead of right over them like with a big rig.
Ok, now I have a headache. Thats enought thinking for this month. I'm gonna go watch a Pauley Shore movie to recuperate. :)

[BLOODBANE]

Don't forget though when towing, especially the big rigs, you should have trailer brakes(brakes on the trailer) that help slow the extra weight down.

[shawns 64 F100]

That shield can actually help the cooling, it has small holes for venting and it is there to protect large items from getting into the pad and rotor. These vehicles weren't designed to be run in mud and off road as most of you all do so.

[Hypoid]

X2 on the trailer brakes!

I never tried one, but these look like the shizznit: http://www.equalizerhitch.com/productinfo/weight_distribution.php

[250stroker]

That inner shield also contains your parking brake shoes. Unless you are towing really heavy loads or racing through the canyons, I wouldn't think that upgrading the rear brakes is an option. I will be swapping the Explorer rear brakes onto my full size Bronco soon and they will be plenty strong enough for that.

[RayLCC]

Ok, so, bad idea. Its not my first and won't be my last. :)
Thanks for the advice.