| | | quote | Originally posted by sardonyx247:
When I went to drilled and slotted rotors all my brake fade went away, so there is some truth to it. Drilled and or slotted = more surface area for heat to dissipate, and less surface area on the pads for more friction. Don't knock it until you tried it. I wouldn't say it stopped quicker, but the fade went away.
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I have tried it. I also have been in many tech semiars from major brake suppliers that tell us they are for cosmetic use only.
In fact the head of EBC said he will never sell a drilled rotor because they are problem prone and they do not increase cooling in anyway. He said on a street car the heat sink effect of the extra metal to absorbe and transfer the heat is much more effective on a solid rotor. I think he would know something about brakes.
He also added that the reason many companies sell them is to make money nothing else. They are major profit products because people have been duped enough they do not have to make crazy claims. He sells a dimpled one for profit reasons.
Note too that most racing cars use at best a grove-ed J to clean the rotors of debris at best. Look at NASCAR, IMSA, Indy, F1. WEC etc. none use a drilled rotor. In fact many track time places discourage them to due to failures.
At one time organic pads out gassed and they also needed to reduce unsprung weight on cars and this is how they used to do it. No longer do they do this.
Many people still believe it and some companies will try to market it as such but if you dig down and really see what the most potent cars in the world use in racing they no longer drill them.
Here is what Wil Wood brakes has to say. I think they may know a little bit about braking. I deal with them often and never steered me wrong.
Q: What's the difference between slotted and drilled/slotted rotors? Which rotor will be best for my application?
A:
PSlots or grooves in rotor faces are partly a carryover from the days of asbestos pads. Asbestos and other organic pads were prone to “glazing” and the slots tended to help “scrape or de-glaze” them. Also, cross-drilling and/or slotting the rotor for racing purposes was beneficial by providing a way to expel the gasses created when the bonding agents employed to manufacture the pads began to break down at extreme temperatures. This condition is often referred to as “outgassing.” When it does occur, the driver still has a good firm brake pedal, but a significant reduction in friction. Normally this only happens at temperatures witnessed in racing. However, with today’s race pad technology, “outgassing” is no longer a concern with pads designed for racing.
So in the final analysis, drilling and slotting rotors has become popular in street applications for their pure aesthetic value. Wilwood provides rotors slotted, drilled or plain. For most performance applications, slotted is the preferred choice. With certain pad material, slotting can help wipe away debris from between the pad and rotor as well as increasing the coefficient of friction between the rotor and the pad. A drilled rotor provides the same type of benefit, but is more susceptible to cracking under severe usage; however, for street and occasional light duty track use, they will work fine. For more severe applications, we recommend slotted rotors.
http://www.wilwood.com/TechTip/TechFaqs.aspxOdds of your brake improvment were more due to better pads or just rotors in better condition. Pads get old and degrade at a slow rate. Even the same pad new will not fade as easily do to less heat cycles and more material.
I would read up on reliable tech info. Don't knock it until you tried i
Also note slotted do have some benefits but not in cooling. They are the only real true upgrade if any,
But I can't complain as if people still want to pay more for drilled my profit sharing makes me happy either way. I am honest with a customer but if they choose to still buy them for performance that is all on my profit sharing. I tell them you want looks or better performance and just let them choose.
