Best Rotors?

[dsmchic_26]

I need to replace the front brakes on my car and i don't know which is better? Should i get crossed drilled, power slotted, both, or will any brake be as good as the rest?

do i have to replace the calipers as well? i know i should probably replace the pads when doing this...but i've never had to deal with my brakes, so i have no clue as to what i should do.

thanks,

 

[Fakie]

I have slotted rotors at all 4 corners...I like'em. I dont think I would get slotted AND cross drilled for a daily driver...I dont think they would heat up fast enough. but someone else might know more about that...hope it helps!

 

[Fakie]

oh...and I have stock calipers. new pads would be a good idea. nice talon by the way!

 

[cait sith]

Blank refills.

Be it factory or brembo. Slots and Drills are junk for a street car.

 

[AWDPetmitsu]

Yeah, you do fine with just plain rotors. Slotted and cross-drilled rotors are unnecessary for street use. Plus, slotted rotors will wear your pads quicker.

 

[91awd]

Why are they bad for street use?

 

[a_scobel]

They're just overkill for normal street cars..the difference isn't really noticable. Like mentioned above, they wear your pads out quicker too. Most of the people you see with them on their cars just got them for the looks.

 

[allshow_2g]

They're just overkill for normal street cars..the difference isn't really noticable. Like mentioned above, they wear your pads out quicker too. Most of the people you see with them on their cars just got them for the looks.

I mean is there a difference though in performance of the brake with slotted rotors vs. blanks? So what if it's for street use, I drive crazy fast and need to brake quick. If theres actually a difference then theres something to think about of course...

 

[Defiant]

Search some of Todd TCE 's posts. For my money, he is THE person to ask about brakes.

 

[Leitnin]

A comment Id like to be corrected on if im wrong but:

I had always been "told" that most drilled rotors are not as strong due to the stress of the drilling and therefore you should avoid them (i.e. the drilled holes aren't worth the loss of strength) unless they are cast with the holes in them as are porche rotors.

 

[Fakie]

I havent noticed any unusual pad wear. slotted rotors help out especially in wet conditions with dissapating the water. They reduce heat and are supposed to last longer than non-slotted or drilled rotors. and no I didnt buy them for looks. both of my cars have slotted rotors actually.

 

[AWDPetmitsu]

From some cross-drilled rotors that I've seen, the holes get all filled up with brake dust, and that renders the holes useless for any sort of heat dissipation. That might depend on the type of pads you use, though.

 

[cait sith]

A comment Id like to be corrected on if im wrong but:

I had always been "told" that most drilled rotors are not as strong due to the stress of the drilling and therefore you should avoid them (i.e. the drilled holes aren't worth the loss of strength) unless they are cast with the holes in them as are porche rotors.

There's no such thing as cast cross drilled. Porsche rotors are drilled like any other rotor.

Cross drilling attacks a problem that died with Disco. Let's leave it there folks.

 

[Leitnin]

"Porsche brake rotors are the only rotors in the world that are cast with holes in them, all others are drilled! The cooling advantage can easily be confirmed with a quality infrared thermometer. Many will downplay cross-drilling and rightfully so, this process will tend to weaken the rotors resulting in stress cracks after a few track events. As previously stated, Porsche casts the holes in their rotors to eliminate this problem."

brembos come with the holes cast in apparently


Porsche brakes are not cast with cross drilled holes. that is a contradiction. they are instead, cast with the holes in them rather than being cast and then having the holes drilled. this eliminates the stress problems of drilling which can result in cracked rotors.

 

[HALO1]

All right. Everybody read this before posting anything else in this thread:

http://scirocco.dyndns.org/faq/brakes/pulpfriction/pfpage1.html

It was written by a mechanical engineer who designs ABS systems.

 

[!^3]

All right. Everybody read this before posting anything else in this thread:

http://scirocco.dyndns.org/faq/brakes/pulpfriction/pfpage1.html

It was written by a mechanical engineer who designs ABS systems.

Very good read.

Do not believe that slotted rotors are bad for street use. Drilled rotors are bad for street use. Slotted rotors do not cause uneven wear on pads (how could they? The pads across the entire surface see the same amount of the slot. Maybe if the slots were uneven in size from outside to inside diameter but they are not).

I personally use Powerslot Prostop II rotors and Hawk street pads. They work great. Just make sure they are broken in correctly after you install them and they will provide many miles' worth of reliable and safe controllable stopping power. Check out www.tirerack.com for them; I paid $250 shipped for front rotors and pads. Good luck!

 

[flinguist]

One major advantage of drilled rotors is their performance in wet conditions, at least on my car. My brakes work so much better when wet, than with regular rotors, and they look cool too. Porsches use them, and I trust their judgement.

 

[Todd TCE]

...cast with holes in them....Great urban myth, they are all drilled.

And even if the WERE cast with holes the thermal expansion problems would stil exist. A radius helps the hole but you can only do two of the four surfaces.

Wet weather reports are always a bit better, heavy track use results in cracks and premature wear, sure they look cool, yes they save weight. All in all, do you need drilled rotors? No, not really.

 

[c5chris]

Slotted and Drilled are GOOD for STREET use.

Street duties do not subject the rotors to extreme frictions and heat that would cause them to warp and crack. Running in a track in the triple digits and then slowing down to a tight turn will heat up the rotors to a point that its almost glowing! This causes fade in many brake systems.

With the advent of new compounds for pads, slotted and drilled rotors are just now for show since these new pads do not produce much gases that need to escape.

 

[Turbo Shogun]

... Then I don't see the need to purchase drilled and slotted rotors.

Slotted rotors seem plenty for street/track use, though you have to deal with replacing your brake pads often as a trade-off for the fade resistance. Oh, well. It's not like it's hard to do pads once or twice a year. Even so, a set of replacement OEM rotors cost $30 at Napa Auto. Compare that to the price of powerslots at $160+ a pair.

Again, it's all on what you plan to do with the car ... Tune it based on how you drive it, where you drive it and how often you drive it.

 

[Talon2z]

Any FWD guys out there had experience with the AWD big brake upgrade for the front?

I was thinking of going with AWD OEM front rotors and calipers on my GS-T. In my experience, the cross-drilled rotors are junk.

 

[flinguist]

Any FWD guys out there had experience with the AWD big brake upgrade for the front?

I was thinking of going with AWD OEM front rotors and calipers on my GS-T. In my experience, the cross-drilled rotors are junk.

I've done the AWD big brake upgrade. It works well, even with drilled rotors.

 

[neuralracing]

I am plannin on installing the Big Brake upgrade on my 1Ga (out of a 300GT NT)... and my car is 80% track and 20% street use. What rotors should I get and where? I want to keep my stock rims... but want to use the biggest rotors possible.