Albrecht
Well-Known Forum User
I'm assuming the pads are universal, so will fit either variant?
Yes, you should be OK pad-wise.
Any thoughts on whether or not I should keep or ditch the brake shield?
For road use, keep. They would be better named as splash shields, as they were designed to protect somewhat from rain/water splash. The earliest design had a sort of pressed-in air scoop on the front facing edge (designed to cool) but this was found to scoop up rain and puddle water and direct it onto the pads, so was soon deleted to protect the type of driver who would be surprised by differences in braking performance...
The thinking was sound though. Brake fade/pad glazing is closely connected to pad heat, but rain water is also an enemy. I've seen some people drill big holes in the shields, and also some fashion a small 'scoop' arrangement to direct cooling air onto the calipers (as per the original design). Maybe something to think about for 'fast road' use, if such a thing still exists...