Drilled/slotted or smooth rotors?

[EmeraldCityGuy]

Carrying this thread on with 2 questions:

1. On long down grades when brakes are needed (already down shifted), is it better to apply brakes long and steady or harder (to take off more speed) then release (to allow cooling)?
2. At a stop, once fully stopped, do you release the brakes just enough to let the pad come to a stop on a different section of the rotor - believing that lets heat dissipate better and reduce chances of warping the rotor?

 

[Caman96]

That would be an "example" pic, not of actual specific part for your application. The rotors in that pic are definitely not vented; they are solid, they are not the rotors that fit your truck.

Vented rotors are the ones where the front and rear faces have cooling vanes in between. Not a reference to drilled, or slotted.

Richard

Come on Richard, I know what a vented rotor is Lol, I was just making the point that they are made and that picture certainly looked like one.

 

[Pinger]

Carrying this thread on with 2 questions:

1. On long down grades when brakes are needed (already down shifted), is it better to apply brakes long and steady or harder (to take off more speed) then release (to allow cooling)?

I'd go with the second method - frequent hard and short applications rather than one prolonged.

2. At a stop, once fully stopped, do you release the brakes just enough to let the pad come to a stop on a different section of the rotor - believing that lets heat dissipate better and reduce chances of warping the rotor?

Release them as soon as not needed and get the pressure off of the pad.

 

[Cadillac Bob]

I’ve put the cheap eBay drill/slotted rotors came with the ceramic pads I didn’t have any problems with them I do feel they burn though the pads faster since the slots are designed for grabbing but they do bite more after you’ve braked a lot I noticed which then you ease into the brake pedal but on these 400’s it’s no bigger difference maybe a few feet better braking but no one’s out here doing a comparison test lol! But one thing is for sure they do look way better than the smoothies as your walking up to your ride lol! But you want real actual better braking stainless steel replacement on you brake tubing lines that isn’t metal already and modifing your drums into rear disc’s is really what would be best.

 

[Cadillac Bob]

But now have smooths but like I said I only noticed a difference once I had to brake a lot or a prolonged slowdown that they get a lil heat then you start to feel them bite more. An a bit more dusty but if you have em run em! I do however have them on my work car 09 Ford Fusion but I noticed it helps more on smaller vehicles to not run into warping rotors issues that I had had in the past with everyone driving faster highway speeds it’s just enough extra cooling since smaller cars aren’t meant to be driven as hard as they are now at least older economy cars like my old 97-01 Saturn SL’s I had for work. Great lil cars!!

 

[mdiekman]

After replacing rotors twice on my 2003 S-10, I went to drilled and slotted rotors. End of problem. There are two ways rotors are warped. #1 is heat, #2 is lug nuts being over torqued. Make sure your mechanic uses torque sticks.

 

[Caman96]

After replacing rotors twice on my 2003 S-10, I went to drilled and slotted rotors. End of problem. There are two ways rotors are warped. #1 is heat, #2 is lug nuts being over torqued. Make sure your mechanic uses torque sticks.

So you can’t really say the drilled/slotted rotors resolved the problem. Maybe it was #1 or #2.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

On the street, use whatever is cheapest. If you really use brakes, like on a race track, the drilled rotors do not last. There's no difference in stopping distance that I ever found.

 

[mdiekman]

1st time was #2. The 2nd time was on a mountain road - cause #1.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Aren't comparisons with 'race' a little meaningless now race brakes are carbon? Vented, but undrilled and no slots.

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Some race brakes are carbon, but certainly not all.