Cross Drilled and Slotted Brake Rotors
There are many opinions on the internet over the benefits of Cross drilled and Slotted Brake rotors over stock brake rotors. Let’s take a look at some fact.
Drilled and Slotted Rotor Facts:
Drilled and Slotted rotors have more grip. - Stock rotors not as much.
Holes and slots help air ventilation and expel heat. The Rotors will run cooler and cool off faster - Stock rotor will over heat quicker and remain hot for a longer time.
The slots increase brake pads bite - Stock rotors don,t have the increaded bite.
Note: A false impression out there is that slotted rotor will overheat because of the added bite which increases friction. Yes this is can be true in certain circumstances such as repetitive use on a racetrack or slowing down a heavy load down a steep hill, and the rotors do not have enough time to dissipate the heat. You need heat for the brake pads to work. The problem is, when there is too much heat, the increased bite provided by the slots will raise the brake pad temperature slowing down the vehicle sooner, thus you don't need to be on the brakes as long. Also the added air ventilation of the slots will help maintain lower overall temperatures.
Holes and slots Reduce Wear - A big misconception is that the slots and holes will wear out the brake pads sooner. Yes this can be true if you use cheap inferior brake pads that have a low working temperature. The reason is, that for every 100 degree increase over the pads operating temperature, the pad wear doubles. So for example, if the pads can only withstand 400 degrees and your brakes are running at 500 degrees, then the pads will start to wear quickly. If you purchase a set of performance cross drilled and slotted rotors you need to also purchase a set of good performance pads. This will insure longer life of both rotors and Pads.
Holes and slots expel water and prevent Brake Pad hydroplaning - Stock rotor can hydroplane in bad weather.
Holes and slots vent brake pad gasses, preventing brake fade - Stock brake rotors will fade when the pads out-gas. The out-gassing will push the pads away from the rotors reducing braking efficiency.
Drilled rotors are lighter – Not a real advantage over a stock rotor on a road vehicle.
Drilled rotors are more prone to crack – Yes, but stock Rotor can crack too if exposed to excessive thermal shock (Fast Heating and Cooling). Note: SPPerformance Rotors have an Exclusive Sinusoid curved chamfer that is designed to relieve the stress formed at the edge of the hole to prevent cracking.
Slotted and Cross Drilled Rotors have less surface area - Yes stock brake rotors overall have more surface area, but the additional grip and cooling provided by the holes or slots, compensate for the slightly diminished surface area. Note: More is not always better. Beware of Drilled Rotors that have so many holes that they look like Swiss cheese. Not only is the surface area of the rotor been extremely reduced, but structural integrity of the brake rotor can also be compromised.
Drilled and Slotted Rotors are more expensive - Not really. You can often purchase a good set of Drilled and Slotted Rotors at the price you would pay for stock rotors at the dealer. Note: I mean a good set of performance rotors, not the imitation bargain no name brand rotors. What do you mean by imitation performance rotors you say? Well, most of the cheap performance rotors found today on the internet or eBay, are what I call imitation performance rotors. These are cheap, low-quality rotors that are drilled and slotted to give you the look, but really not the performance. These are low grade rotors with holes or slots. Remember the old saying, "You get what you paid for".
