Car trouble! Any mechanics or knowledgeable car people about?

[Cardisaster]

Posting for traffic sorry.

Had my car MOTd 2 months ago. Various issues with brakes and shocks (it's a 12yo car so kind of expected) which cost £400 to fix.

Today I drove round to the shops and it started making quite a serious noise on the way back - from the wheel/ underside area. At first I thought the exhaust might have partly dropped - this happened to me a long time ago with a different car. But when I looked under it I saw this 😞

Clearly I can't drive it (not ideal as I have a planned 400 mile journey to my partner later this week which I'll have to make alternative arrangements for).

More pressingly I need to know what it is, likely cost to fix if anyone has any ideas? My car is only worth £1k but having just spent £400 on it I'm conscious it's becoming a money pit.

Looks like a shield for the brake hose but it’s been bent down to the wheel.
Maybe you hit something in the road?

Can you post same view of the wheel on the other side for reference?

The roads round here are a nightmare so it's not impossible.
I've tried to take a photo of the left side, bit difficult to get same angle as exhaust in the way but hopefully this helps.

I'm telling myself at least it didn't happen on the motorway. Could be worse.

Looks like the dust shield behind the disc
If you have breakdown cover give them a ring if not I’d take it to the nearest tyre place they should be able to sort it
Shouldn’t cost the earth to fix

That’s what it should look like

I have got breakdown cover luckily, I think it covers taking me from home to a garage but will check.

A dust shield sounds significantly less expensive than some scenarios I've been imagining.

Just pull it off it is just a dust cover.

Think a car dust shield roughly £15/20 depending on vehicle but the work by a garage to change it - lord knows.
Looks like the dust shield has rusted and the hand brake outer cable which is clipped onto the brake disc shield (the component that's hanging off) when pulled, has pulled the rusted dust shield and pulled it away.
Probably shouldn't say this but f the vehicle is frequently used then you could probably get away without one temporarily, but if its often standing/ less frequently in use, then your disc brake will rust, which is an MOT failure apart from anything else.

I showed the pics to DP (he's obviously a few hundred miles away) and he said he thought the trailing arm (?)was broken. If anyone knows what that is.

If you did decide to rip it off and make the journey, make sure that cable is well secured away from the wheel and not flapping around!

I just had the discs replaced at last MOT. Wondering if the shield maybe got dislodged then and with all the massive potholes round here it's been dislodged further? .

It's not a trailing arm.

It's possible but pics aren't that good. I'd expect banging and clanging from trailing arm going.

I have to run at this point, but good luck.

@Cardisaster

I showed the pics to DP (he's obviously a few hundred miles away) and he said he thought the trailing arm (?)was broken. If anyone knows what that is.

It's not the trailing arm - it's just the cover/shield as others have already said. The brakes and suspension work fine without it - for a short while , but it does need to be replaced. It has probably just rusted at the fixing point like the ones on my Audi did. If that side's gone the other probably needs doing but it's a £150 job at the very most.

DH said you could pull it off and drive without it - basically cosmetic.. It isn't the trailing arm.

@daimbarsatemydogsbone

'If that side's gone the other probably needs doing but it's a £150 job at the very most.' Unless OPs daft enough to take it Halfords or Kwikfit where they'll probably claim they have to replace everything (including the interior mirror ).

It’s the disc shield, 5 mins with an angle grinder will remove what’s left of it. No need to bother replacing it.

My husband says a brake disk heat shield

@Shade17

It’s the disc shield, 5 mins with an angle grinder will remove what’s left of it. No need to bother replacing it.

It doesn't need immediate replacement but it does need doing. Why would you not? Manufacturers don't fit them for fun.

Am I likely to do any damage if I try and remove it? I can't jack the car up or anything so there's a limit to how far I can reach, but I don't want to pull it off and make things worse. Equally it's making an awful noise so I don't think I can drive as it is.

If I can get it off, am going to take it up to my local garage (who did the MOT) and get them to replace for me.

It doesn't need immediate replacement but it does need doing.
Why would you not? Manufacturers don't fit them for fun.

Not worth the expense on an end of life car. No issue with removing them. I’ve had to remove them on a number of cars due to fitting larger brakes.

Definitely not the trailing arm. Its your back plate off the rear disc.
If you can pull it off do but bear it mind the top part may not be attached either. Dh also said watch out for cables, springs and clips that might be loose.

I've now removed it, it basically wasn't attached to anything.

Thinking I might still take it to the garage to get a new one put on and check there's no other issues,it's not dislodged anything or caused any damage.