Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
#16
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
I guess I am still in the dark on this one. I have been told that slotting will help cool the rotors, and x-drilling makes little to no difference. From what you guys are saying, you are better to stick to just a plain rotor? The veining in the rotors are pretty much the same (between plain rotors and the slotted/X-drilled ones) from what I understand, and yes, I guess you could go crazy and run ducts to add more cool air to my rotors, but I would rather just change the brake set-up instead. When I changed to a X-drilled and slotted rotor, the brake fade I previously noticed under hard braking was eliminated. I didn't change airflow, or anything else. Yes the calipers were changed, and different pads, but the rating on the pads were the same as before, so how was the brake fade eliminated if slotting and X-drilling the rotors didn't do it? I am not trying to be a jerk here, I just don't understand.
#17
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
Originally Posted by Greed4Speed
No, the only possible need for slotted is for looks.
Originally Posted by wdtiger
Absolutely. And any good racing pad won't gas out anyways so you still wouldn't need, or want, drilled/slotted rotors. All things being equal, it's the pads that make the biggest difference.
#19
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
First of all... don't trust what the companies making these things tell you... because frankly they'll tell you whatever they think will make the sale. The primary reasons most folks think that slotting/cross drilling helps are twofold:
1) Whoever sold them the disks TOLD them they would help
2) They upgraded their brake system and are misattributing improved performance... it's the new calipers and pads that made the difference... not the rotors.
Every bit of real data I've seen has said that these days you are absolutely better off buying rotors with a solid braking surface for street cars... and even for many of the racing apps (if you're looking for optimum performance). GOOD rotors will have cool design tweaks like directional cooling vanes... but they'll still be solid. High end 6 piston designs will have other cool tweaks like floating hats... but they'll still have solid braking surfaces.
Now personally I think venting and cross drilling looks cool... gives your brakes some personality, so I don't have an issue with folks who go that route, I just don't believe it's anything but cosmetic.
1) Whoever sold them the disks TOLD them they would help
2) They upgraded their brake system and are misattributing improved performance... it's the new calipers and pads that made the difference... not the rotors.
Every bit of real data I've seen has said that these days you are absolutely better off buying rotors with a solid braking surface for street cars... and even for many of the racing apps (if you're looking for optimum performance). GOOD rotors will have cool design tweaks like directional cooling vanes... but they'll still be solid. High end 6 piston designs will have other cool tweaks like floating hats... but they'll still have solid braking surfaces.
Now personally I think venting and cross drilling looks cool... gives your brakes some personality, so I don't have an issue with folks who go that route, I just don't believe it's anything but cosmetic.
Last edited by Dave K; 03-23-2006 at 10:29 AM.
#22
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
Right, it has to do with how efficiently your rotor pumps air from inside to out. Straight vanes will still work but vanes that follow more of an airfoil path will work significantly better. Even so... if you plan on a lot of hardcore braking (you're a road course guy for instance) then one of the mods on your short list should be ducting air to the inside of your rotors (just make sure you've got a screen in there to catch the odd stone or bird).
#23
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
So what I am gathering here is to upgrade the calipers, and pads, and as far as the rotors go, get plain ones that are directionally vaned. And then if I want to go crazy with it (which I don't), add air ducting to the rotors.
Are there any plain rotors that are directionally vaned, that are superior to others? Or are they all pretty much the same?
Are there any plain rotors that are directionally vaned, that are superior to others? Or are they all pretty much the same?
#27
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
Now I do know that the plain rotors I had, always seemed to warp even after a few months of use! (I am probably not an average driver on the road ) When I switched to my X-drilled and slotted, even after 15k and 3 years of severe abuse, they are not warped in the least bit! Perhaps it is the material the new ones were made from, or just an overall higher quality rotor, I am not sure.
Also if someone could explain to me, if X-drilled and slotted rotors do absolutly nothing to your stopping power, why do they put them on all the high end cars from the factory? (ex. Porsche, Lamborgini, Ferrari) Are you saying that even for high speed cars such as these that the rotors are purely cosmetical? I guess I am just not completly convinced here.
Also if someone could explain to me, if X-drilled and slotted rotors do absolutly nothing to your stopping power, why do they put them on all the high end cars from the factory? (ex. Porsche, Lamborgini, Ferrari) Are you saying that even for high speed cars such as these that the rotors are purely cosmetical? I guess I am just not completly convinced here.
#28
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
The way I see it is...
Even though Ferrari's and Porche's might use slotted/drilled rotors, what does the C5R/C6R use?
Not sure about the C6R... but I'm pretty sure the C5R used solid rotors. So I don't think the top race engineers missed that
Even though Ferrari's and Porche's might use slotted/drilled rotors, what does the C5R/C6R use?
Not sure about the C6R... but I'm pretty sure the C5R used solid rotors. So I don't think the top race engineers missed that
#29
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
From the reading I've done, the one valid performance reason to cross drill rotors is to reduce weight... perhaps that's the reasoning although I wouldn't say that it's NOT cosmetic - looks are even more important when you're paying 200+ thousand dollars for a car.
#30
Re: Drilled/Slotted Rotors for street
Porche rotor x-drills are ON the vanes. This make them stronger than the common x-drilled rotors you'll get for your f-bod. I have read an article where a Porche engineer was interviewed and he stated that Porche started offering x-drilled AS AN OPTION because people who spent that much on their car thought they needed them. Think about it, polished rims are an option, does this mean they have a performance benefit also? Well, Porche offers them.... Ya, leather interior makes it handle better too....Porche and Ferrari has it!
Call, your x-drilled rotors not warping is going to be due to more mass and/or better metallurgy. 15k in 3 years on a set of rotors isn't much milage. I put at least that much on in a year and I am far from easy on my brakes.
Yes, x-drilled will lighten the rotors, which isn't good for a street rotor. Remember, rotors are a heat sink!!!! The only place this is good is in highly competitive racing applications. Drag racing, and some higher end racing where they run carbon rotors etc.
Call, your x-drilled rotors not warping is going to be due to more mass and/or better metallurgy. 15k in 3 years on a set of rotors isn't much milage. I put at least that much on in a year and I am far from easy on my brakes.
Yes, x-drilled will lighten the rotors, which isn't good for a street rotor. Remember, rotors are a heat sink!!!! The only place this is good is in highly competitive racing applications. Drag racing, and some higher end racing where they run carbon rotors etc.
Last edited by Greed4Speed; 03-28-2006 at 10:20 AM.