Rotors [Archive] - TorontoMazda3

tommy36

02-03-2007, 08:37 PM

I can't vouch for all the other ones Jason but these ones I bought at the end of the summer from these guys on ebay along with ebc greenstuff pads all around and they are an incredible addition to the car. The performance is awesome even in the snow i have noticed, and they are holding up very well. The price was right too, check them out.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-Mazda3-2-3-x-drilled-slotted-rotors-front-rear-set_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33564QQihZ006QQitem Z160043740338QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

3GFX

02-04-2007, 10:34 AM

Those look good, and the price is incredible for 4, are they seriously good?

02-04-2007, 01:09 PM

Those look good, and the price is incredible for 4, are they seriously good?

+1

doughboyr6

02-04-2007, 05:33 PM

try racingbrake, rotora, stoptech.

when time comes, i'm going with racingbrake.

Donutz

02-04-2007, 08:57 PM

While the forum was offline, I received a really good quote on Rotora's. After some research I've decided to try these. They'll be my first brake upgrade, so I'm looking forward to it! I'm going to pair them up with Hawk HPS.

Thanks for the responses.

Jason.

02-04-2007, 09:02 PM

Donutz

02-04-2007, 09:10 PM

If you don't mind me asking... what is a really good quote? I'll need something soon too.

$450 tax in. I should qualify the statement 'really good quote' by saying, it is the best deal I was quoted on numerous brands. Also, that Rotora was well supported based on what I could find online.

MAZDA Kitten

02-04-2007, 09:21 PM

I did a lot of homework about rotors and I ended up with OEM + EBC green stuff

I dont think my car is making enough power that I need to slap on Brembo's LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo

Donutz

02-05-2007, 08:28 AM

3GFX

02-05-2007, 08:39 AM

Better braking is better braking MK. Shedding speed is as important as gaining it. I like the look of cross drilled rotors, plus I like the fact that they cool off better. Less chance of warping!

Donutz

02-05-2007, 08:48 AM

I like the look of cross drilled rotors, plus I like the fact that they cool off better. Less chance of warping!

Agreed! Cross-drilled was my first choice as well, but I found so many claims of cracked rotors; and a few instances of the holes getting plugged with ice, resulting in poor brake performance.

A friend of mine allegedly cracked his drilled rotors on his WRX. I don't know the circumstances under which this occurred, but it was another factor that steered me towards slotted.

Can anyone comment on the cracking-factor of drilled rotors? Anyone experience this? Is it related to how the rotor is 'treated' after being drilled?

3GFX

02-05-2007, 08:57 AM

Interesting.

CanadaGTO

02-05-2007, 09:11 AM

Agreed! Cross-drilled was my first choice as well, but I found so many claims of cracked rotors; and a few instances of the holes getting plugged with ice, resulting in poor brake performance.

A friend of mine allegedly cracked his drilled rotors on his WRX. I don't know the circumstances under which this occurred, but it was another factor that steered me towards slotted.

Can anyone comment on the cracking-factor of drilled rotors? Anyone experience this? Is it related to how the rotor is 'treated' after being drilled?

Usually occurs when the drilling has been done by "less-than-competant" shops. A few no-name manufacturers will take cheap aftermarket rotors and drill them either themselves or at a shop without the proper knowledge to do it. It's always important to ask if the drilling is done by the actual manufacturer. Even well known brands will sometimes have vendors selling their OEM rotors after drilling them....

As far as ice being stuck in the rotor, generally it won't be ice due to the temps involved, but yeah, dirt can be an issue, which is why I'd recommend cleaning out the holes every year or so. Not too hard to do, and a good way of checking all the other brake components too :)

I know I'm gonna sound like a broken record here, but I'd really have pricing down near the bottom of my list of factors involved in buying most automotive components, especially braking components.

Wild Weasel

02-05-2007, 10:09 AM

So far as I'm concerned, both drilling and slotting is just bling on a stock sized rotor and won't give you any additional performance.

All it really accomplishes is to reduce the amount of friction area available to you.

Generally, the most performance gains to be made will be with proper pads, specific to what you're looking to get from them.

For rotors, for best performance you'll want a quality directionally vaned solid rotor.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a bit of bling so if that's what you're going for, by all means get the dressed up ones. Just make sure they're from a quality company like Patrique said.

Donutz

02-05-2007, 01:53 PM

I picked up some Hawk HPS and ordered my Rotora's. Thanks for all of the input from everyone. I'll post up when they are installed and give some feedback.

Jason.

02-05-2007, 11:06 PM

A friend of mine allegedly cracked his drilled rotors on his WRX.

Can anyone comment on the cracking-factor of drilled rotors? Anyone experience this? Is it related to how the rotor is 'treated' after being drilled?

Not related to cars but on my mtn bike I have warped 2 drilled rotors. I have not warped the solid one yet :) but it is heavier :(

Wild Weasel

02-06-2007, 08:53 AM

heh... and by "warped" you mean "bent" right? :)

For a mountain bike, the holes give you the advantage of saving weight and evacuating water. You've got more than enough braking power and unless you crash, you won't "warp" them because you're not dealing with heat the way you are with cars. Entirely different game. :)

3GFX

02-06-2007, 12:43 PM

Are we talking Bike or Motorcycle here?

If he's talking about a motorcycle I still see it odd that you would warp your rotors easily.

Wild Weasel

02-06-2007, 01:51 PM

He said "mtn bike". :)

3GFX

02-06-2007, 01:53 PM

i missed that, you warped your discs :o those must have been thin, do you potato chip your rim or somethin.

Wild Weasel

02-06-2007, 01:56 PM

I still figure he just bent them on something. :) "Warped" in the sense we use when talking about brake disc isn't really "warped" in the normal sense. It brings up visions of a vinyl record left in the sun, but in reality it's caused by variances in the thickness of the rotor. This is caused by rapid heating and cooling causing hardness differences in the metal that then wear differently over time.

None of this is going to happen to mountain bike discs, which probably don't even wear, do they?

3GFX

02-06-2007, 02:02 PM

The disc basically doesn't wear, the pads are softer on mtn bike brakes.

Screw the weight of discs, V-BRAKES baby!!!

OK back on topc, cheap rotors...buyer beware.

Donutz

02-06-2007, 05:33 PM

cheap rotors...buyer beware.

^^^ Always good advice.

What is a reasonable amount to pay per rotor? I was expecting (looking) to pay $120 - $150 per rotor.

Oh, the quote above ($450) went up to $510 :( I don't know why, but I'll be asking when I pick them up.

02-07-2007, 12:23 AM

Shoot sorry this kinda went way off topic... I was just posting a rotor thing to give people a laugh!

heh... and by "warped" you mean "bent" right? :)

For a mountain bike, the holes give you the advantage of saving weight and evacuating water. You've got more than enough braking power and unless you crash, you won't "warp" them because you're not dealing with heat the way you are with cars. Entirely different game. :)

Nope I mean warped :) in the bike world warped rotors & rims etc is a common term.

The more expensive the brakes the lighter the set. Easier to warp.

To me something that is "bent" is a sharper angle. A "warped" rotor is just out of shape enough to not be usable.

This explains more about warped rotors:
http://blackmountainbicycles.com/page.cfm?PageID=252

i missed that, you warped your discs :o those must have been thin, do you potato chip your rim or somethin.

Ya. Thin suckers. Banged the back end off a few logs. I need to be more careful with my bikes. At any given time one is broken :( Ha ha ya I have taco'd a few rims in my day!

I still figure he just bent them on something. :) "Warped" in the sense we use when talking about brake disc isn't really "warped" in the normal sense. It brings up visions of a vinyl record left in the sun, but in reality it's caused by variances in the thickness of the rotor. This is caused by rapid heating and cooling causing hardness differences in the metal that then wear differently over time.

None of this is going to happen to mountain bike discs, which probably don't even wear, do they?

Perfect example. A warped vinly record in the sun is kinda what it looks like! If I ever warp one again I'll post a pic up of it!

The disc basically doesn't wear, the pads are softer on mtn bike brakes.

Screw the weight of discs, V-BRAKES baby!!!

Ya I actually like v-brakes the best on my xc bike! Discs come in a close second (on my fs bike they come in 1st) I hated my magura's (not the disk brakes but the hydraulic v type brakes) they were super powerful brakes but a bitch to bleed!

Do you guys both ride too?

Wild Weasel

02-07-2007, 08:13 AM

I'd like to say I ride but the fact is, my bike hasn't even had air in the tires for a few years now. :(

This is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to getting a 3. Right now I can only fit my bike in the trunk of my car and won't put a universal rack on top. With the 3, there's mounting points for a proper roof rack where I'll be able to put two bikes so my wife and I can take them somewhere and go riding. It'll be nice to get it tuned up and back on the trails. :)

3GFX

02-07-2007, 10:01 AM

Well a long time ago, I used to ride about 3000km avg a year. Then I got a dirt bike, and well the next year it was 300, and now I struggle to break a century, lol.

I'm trying to get back into it cause I'm getting a little chubby.

I've got one XC bike, an Ironhorse, equiped to a Deore all around with clipless pedals. The highlight of my bike collection is not my beater costco bike, but get this, I've got a Peugout road bike with a Shimano BIOPACE yup BIOPACE gear set. lol, I love it my chain rings are freakin oval!

YEA 1980's what?

majic

02-07-2007, 11:11 AM

so yah.. rotors anyone?

3GFX

02-07-2007, 03:54 PM

^^^ Always good advice.

What is a reasonable amount to pay per rotor? I was expecting (looking) to pay $120 - $150 per rotor.

Oh, the quote above ($450) went up to $510 :( I don't know why, but I'll be asking when I pick them up.

Well Jason, a good price for discs all around is about 500$. An excellent price can be found here from one of our sponsers: http://torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=16091

As for pads you're looking at 150$ +, again here is another good price from the same sponser:
http://torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=16034

tommy36

02-07-2007, 10:59 PM

Alright, first of all, I agree with patrique in that quality is a must when your talking about brakes on a 2800 pound vehicle(sorry i don't know the number in stupid kg's off the top of my head). Yes it would be easy to drill holes too closely or not in an accustomed pattern which would in turn weaken the rotor, causing all kinds of problems. I'll admit that when I bought mine the price was intriguing and the seller had a great rating on ebay so I took a chance and they are phenomenal. But I also change to ebc greenstuff all around which i'm sure made more of a difference than the rotors, but I was semi going for looks, i wanted to stand out a little among 3's. I love watching people turn for second looks at the wheels. I agree though that maybe solid rotors with the right pads would give you equal or better performance, but the setup i have now works awesome. The first time i drove it it was like a diferent car. The only problem i had was the noise, i did in fact have squealing for an excessive amount of time, but you kind of get over it due to the performance. Either way try out the rotoras with the hawks and let us know.....

karsia323

02-08-2007, 08:21 AM

Donutz

02-08-2007, 07:00 PM

Slotted or Combo? It is a wicked deal for either anyways.

Slotted. Good to hear it's a decent price. ;)

MZ3_GS

02-08-2007, 09:25 PM

OEM rotors, or even OEM equivalents are more than enough.
What good is it to have more braking power if you can lock the wheels already? You want to lock them faster?

karsia323

02-08-2007, 09:39 PM

OEM rotors, or even OEM equivalents are more than enough.
What good is it to have more braking power if you can lock the wheels already? You want to lock them faster?

You got it. Performance rotors provide greater surface area for heat dissipation, thus better braking and shorter braking distance. For a lot of people, stock brakes are mushy and they want more responsive braking, esp. at high speed. That is why they go with performance pads and rotors.

MajesticBlueNTO

02-08-2007, 11:38 PM

You got it. Performance rotors provide greater surface area for heat dissipation, thus better braking and shorter braking distance. For a lot of people, stock brakes are mushy and they want more responsive braking, esp. at high speed. That is why they go with performance pads and rotors.

the only way you'd get a greater surface area for heat dissipation is if you went with a bigger diameter rotor, or more vanes in a vented rotor of the the OEM size. cross-drilled rotors have less surface area for both friction and heat dissipation, when compared to an OEM rotor.

mushy brakes are primarily associated with pad composition and performance behaviour, and the condition of the brake fluid.

the front brakes on the 3 are quite capable; it is the rears (both rotors and pads) that are lacking.

CanadaGTO

02-09-2007, 12:04 AM

cross-drilled rotors have less surface area for both friction and heat dissipation, when compared to an OEM rotor.

Although I agree that for the vast majority of people a good pad replacement will more than suffice, the above is not correct. Heat disipation on a cross drilled rotor is greater due to the greater amount of surface are exposed, which includes the inside surface of the holes. Remember, the rotor is a 3d object and you just can't measure the face of the rotor.

It also is improved since the "interior core" of the disc is closer to a surface area (in this case the hole surface area). Also the holes improve gas and dust removal from the pad surfaces during hard pad contact to the rotor facing.

However, as I stated and you pointed out, cross drilled rotors for the vast majority of road applications is completely a bling option. But people like the bling option many times, in which case buying from a reputable manufacturer is key.

Other good brake upgrades are steel brake lines, which many people overlook, but can really help with the mushy feel which is usually due to brake fluid compartment expansion, such as brake line ballooning, however slight.

MajesticBlueNTO

02-09-2007, 01:02 AM

Although I agree that for the vast majority of people a good pad replacement will more than suffice, the above is not correct. Heat disipation on a cross drilled rotor is greater due to the greater amount of surface are exposed, which includes the inside surface of the holes. Remember, the rotor is a 3d object and you just can't measure the face of the rotor.

It also is improved since the "interior core" of the disc is closer to a surface area (in this case the hole surface area). Also the holes improve gas and dust removal from the pad surfaces during hard pad contact to the rotor facing.

let me restate, the conductive heat transfer is less with a cross drilled rotor since the surface area is less between the pad and rotor....this directly correlates to heat dissipation (convective heat transfer from the rotor to the air) being less.

you can't argue with physics.

MajesticBlueNTO

02-09-2007, 01:16 AM

for more reading, which basically sums up what I've said in various threads on this forum on the same topic, click here (http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=50).

note that cross-drilled rotors impede the airflow through the ventilated portion of the rotor, thereby reducing heat dissipation even more.

Wild Weasel

02-09-2007, 07:47 AM

OEM rotors, or even OEM equivalents are more than enough.
What good is it to have more braking power if you can lock the wheels already? You want to lock them faster?

This is flat out wrong. What you want is the most braking power you can get BEFORE you lock the wheels, and you want that braking power to be consistant through multiple hard stops. Even an underbraked car can lock up the wheels, until the brakes overheat.

If you've never overheated your brakes, then you don't understand that once they're cooking, you CAN'T lock them up anymore but again... that's not the goal. The goal is to get the maximum braking power WITHOUT locking them.

As for the drilling... I agree with Majestic. When it comes to a rotor size that is only adequate for the car, such as most OEM sizes, removing material from the firepath will reduce the amount of friction generated by the pad and end up generating more heat in the material that is left.

That's why I suggested a good set of directionally vaned solid rotors as the best stock sized option. The directional vanes will have much better cooling than a non-directional one and you still get the integrity and full surface area of the solid rotor.

Of course, when you've got bigger brakes such as what comes standard on high performance cars llike a Porsche or something, then you've got the surface area to spare and can get an advantage from cross drilling.

I wonder if you'll find many cross-drilled rotors on NASCAR cars?

CanadaGTO

02-09-2007, 08:13 AM

....you can't argue with physics.

I'm not sure a post on a car site (including mine) counts as a published physics article, and I'm still finding contradictory information with both viewpoints. Even one of his posted references has contradictory information:

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/glossary.shtml

Maybe we should sponsor UofT or Waterloo to do research on this :) and we can finally end this thread.

How about we agree on the following:

1) For our purposes, cross drilled will probably only be good for the bling.
2) Get some good brake pads.
3) You may also want to think about getting SS brake lines, also good for bling, but also useful.
4) For all of the above, buy quality parts from quality manufacturers.

There we go. Next thread..... Sedan or Hatch, which performs better.... Oh that's an easy one, I challenge any sedan in TO to a run on the track with my hatch :).........

CTA Patrique runs and hides :)

xg3

02-09-2007, 08:24 AM

i saw on m3f, someone got slotted disc, no holes in them. I want those.

CanadaGTO

02-09-2007, 08:29 AM

i saw on m3f, someone got slotted disc, no holes in them. I want those.

Yup, they are readily available, PM me if you're interested.

OOoooo, another thing I forgot.

5) Get your rotors coated. Won't stop rust, but will help limit it.

karsia323

02-09-2007, 08:40 AM

4) For all of the above, buy quality parts from quality manufacturers.

Don't cheap out on brake parts and don't buy the $20 rotors that will probably last you for one year before they warp.

Wild Weasel

02-09-2007, 09:05 AM

5) Get your rotors coated. Won't stop rust, but will help limit it.

Pretty much stopped rust completely outside the firepath on mine. My rotors are over 3 years old now (installed Oct. 2003) and still look just about brand new!

Of course, if you only expect 3 years out of your rotors, the extra cost probably isn't worth it but some quality brands just coat them as standard practice.

Incidentally, if you want some serious bling, check out whether Baer makes Eradispeed Plus rotors for your cars. :)

Wild Weasel

02-09-2007, 09:08 AM

Hmm.. their catalogue only lists the Miata in the application guide under Mazda. :(

MajesticBlueNTO

02-09-2007, 12:30 PM

I'm not sure a post on a car site (including mine) counts as a published physics article, and I'm still finding contradictory information with both viewpoints. Even one of his posted references has contradictory information:

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/glossary.shtml

Maybe we should sponsor UofT or Waterloo to do research on this :) and we can finally end this thread.

I'm not saying that a website counts as a published physics article. I am talking about the physics behind:

the conductive heat transfer is less with a cross drilled rotor since the surface area is less between the pad and rotor....this directly correlates to heat dissipation (convective heat transfer from the rotor to the air) being less.

heat flow / time = thermal conductivity X (area/thickness of barrier) X (temperature difference)

Q/t = [kA(Thot - Tcold)]/d

reduce the A (area of heat transfer), and your Q (heat transfer) will be less.

I already have my Iron Ring for Mechanical Engineering, so i'm not just pulling this out of my arse.

As for UofT or Waterloo doing research on this, there is no need as Formula 1 racing uses neither a cross-drilled or slotted disc (we all know the engineering budgets in Formula 1 far exceeds anything we could sponsor). However, Formula 1 does use different methods of cooling, the biggest being pad and rotor material compositions.

majic

02-09-2007, 12:40 PM

Patrique,

go to timmies buy 2 donuts a boston cream and a chocolate dip. the first is a donut without a hole thus with a larger sureface area and the second on has a hole thus less surface area.. now nuk'em in the microwave for a few seconds and then drop them on the ground.. which one will deposit more chocolate on the floor (weight and actual circumference being all equal)?

that is what Neil was trying to illustrate ;)

mmm now i'm hungry.. ;)

Wild Weasel

02-09-2007, 01:44 PM

As for UofT or Waterloo doing research on this, there is no need as Formula 1 racing uses neither a cross-drilled or slotted disc (we all know the engineering budgets in Formula 1 far exceeds anything we could sponsor). However, Formula 1 does use different methods of cooling, the biggest being pad and rotor material compositions.

I'd made the same point about NASCAR. Lots of braking going on there! :)

wtom

02-09-2007, 02:00 PM

.. now nuk'em in the microwave for a few seconds and then drop them on the ground..

mmm now i'm hungry.. ;)

Of course you are, you just wasted two perfectly good donuts! :)

CanadaGTO

02-09-2007, 02:10 PM

I'm not saying that a website counts as a published physics article. I am talking about the physics behind:

heat flow / time = thermal conductivity X (area/thickness of barrier) X (temperature difference)..........I already have my Iron Ring for Mechanical Engineering, so i'm not just pulling this out of my arse.

As for UofT or Waterloo doing research on this, there is no need as Formula 1 racing uses neither a cross-drilled or slotted disc (we all know the engineering budgets in Formula 1 far exceeds anything we could sponsor). However, Formula 1 does use different methods of cooling, the biggest being pad and rotor material compositions.

I'm not sure that you saw I was trying to put some humor into the situation.

I never knew that rotors would be such a HOT topic :)

This conversation is just going around in circles now...... BADA BAM.....

My humor is wearing thin now....... WHOA....

Anyway, I'll now refrain :)

Wild Weasel

02-09-2007, 02:20 PM

http://www.michelleandkevin.ca/forum/images/smiles/rollin.gif

majic

02-09-2007, 02:33 PM

I'm not sure that you saw I was trying to put some humor into the situation.

I never knew that rotors would be such a HOT topic :)

This conversation is just going around in circles now...... BADA BAM.....

My humor is wearing thin now....... WHOA....

Anyway, I'll now refrain :)

j00 suck at teh humour ..

Flagrum_3

02-11-2007, 08:02 AM

Where does one find directional veined rotors? I've been searching forever on the Internet and cannot find any.I'd like to compare different brands if its possible....Anyone??

Thanks,

_3

.

Wild Weasel

02-11-2007, 10:37 AM

Well I know Baer makes some, but don't list the 3 on their website.

DBA makes some high-end stuff but I can't seem to make heads or tails of their product codes so I can't tell which line is which. Finding a supplier might be an issue, but here's the Mazda app guide:

http://www.dba.com.au/dba_catalogue_2004/HTML/INT2006_PDF/MAZDA_INT_06.pdf

They list the 4000 series (directionally vaned) only for the 2.3L SP23. I don't know what that means. Does the wagon have bigger front brakes than the sedan?

Wild Weasel

02-11-2007, 10:40 AM

Actually, I might be wrong about those 4000 series rotors. I think they're referring to the slotted ones as being directional. It looks like it's their Kangaroo Paw line that's directionally vaned, and they don't list them for the 3.

I find it interesting that slotted and cross drilled rotors are a dime a dozen for just about any car, but it's somewhat difficult to pin down a directionally vaned one. I suspect people are much less willing to pay for pure performance without the bling. :)

Wild Weasel

02-11-2007, 10:44 AM

This is from Baer's website:

Internally, all Baer rotors are directionally ventilated and they must rotate in the correct direction to obtain proper airflow for cooling of the rotor. An arrow is machined into the mounting surface of one-piece rotors, and laser etched into the hat section on two-piece units. Failure to install the rotor in the proper direction will cause an overheat condition and premature failure. This error is easily determined when rotors are returned to Baer for visual warranty inspection. To see which way your rotors must be installed, please use the link to our Tech Tips. This page will have all the information you need to ensure correct rotor direction. If you should have further question or concerns, please contact us at brakes@baer.com or by phone at 602 233-1411.

Donutz

02-11-2007, 11:38 AM

Where does one find directional veined rotors? I've been searching forever on the Internet and cannot find any.I'd like to compare different brands if its possible....Anyone??

Thanks,

_3

.

I found this link on RacingBrake.com. I'm not sure if this indicates that Racing Brake has directionally vented rotors. It sounds like it based on their responses in the thread:

http://forums.racingbrake.com/viewtopic.php?t=103

CanadaGTO

02-11-2007, 11:53 AM

We carry Baer, but not DBA or Racingbrake. Let me know if you want any more info on the Baer line.

edit: Actually doesn't look like any Mazda3 app for the Baer rotors, only for the Miata.

MZ3_GS

02-18-2007, 09:48 PM

This is flat out wrong. What you want is the most braking power you can get BEFORE you lock the wheels, and you want that braking power to be consistant through multiple hard stops. Even an underbraked car can lock up the wheels, until the brakes overheat.

If you've never overheated your brakes, then you don't understand that once they're cooking, you CAN'T lock them up anymore but again... that's not the goal. The goal is to get the maximum braking power WITHOUT locking them.

As for the drilling... I agree with Majestic. When it comes to a rotor size that is only adequate for the car, such as most OEM sizes, removing material from the firepath will reduce the amount of friction generated by the pad and end up generating more heat in the material that is left.

That's why I suggested a good set of directionally vaned solid rotors as the best stock sized option. The directional vanes will have much better cooling than a non-directional one and you still get the integrity and full surface area of the solid rotor.

Of course, when you've got bigger brakes such as what comes standard on high performance cars llike a Porsche or something, then you've got the surface area to spare and can get an advantage from cross drilling.

I wonder if you'll find many cross-drilled rotors on NASCAR cars?

How does having more braking power before the wheels lock up help. You are ultimately limited by the tires how fast you can stop.

And unless you plan to track your car, or tow a heavy heavy trailer. There is no need for larger rotors.

Wild Weasel

02-18-2007, 10:01 PM

Having more braking power enables you to better control the braking so you can brake harder without locking the wheels.

Having larger rotors with more ability to dissipate heat allows you more repeated hard braking before they fade. Sure, that's of far greater value on the track, but it's also good for some peace of mind on the road to know that after a hard stop, they're still going to work. I wouldn't have expected them same out of my stock brakes.

Of course, a Mazda3 has better stock brakes than a Sunfire does so perhaps it's not as big an issue.

midnightfxgt

02-20-2007, 11:52 PM

Did anyone mention Magnum?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Magnum-drilled-rotors-Mazda-3-5-Mazda3-Mazda5-04-06-F-R_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33564QQihZ013QQitemZ2 30093071934QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

They are great to deal with, and allow local pickup also :)

I am not usually the guy to buy things simply based on price. But you can;t beat it :) I ran a group buy YEARS ago (Guessing about 5) for the Ford Probe/Mazda MX6 guys and sold like 14 sets. Had 3 guys come and ask for more last year, and had no complaints. I ran them for 2-3yrs and thought they worked fine :) No complaints.

-John

xg3

02-21-2007, 02:21 PM

I got a set locally for $165 cDN. You can see the pictures on my other post in "Performance"

Reason, i havn't talk about it is, most ppl are interested in the expensive rotors.. Well i am going to give these a try to see if it worthwhile.

Flagrum_3

02-24-2007, 08:53 AM

karsia323

02-25-2007, 11:33 AM

Well I've been searching for days now and also been asking around at several shops...apparently no one manufactures 'Directionally veined 'solid' rotors!' (and coated) of course, which is all I want...from my experience searching...Every rotor seems to be slotted or drilled...Is it too much too ask for?

_3

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"Directionally veined 'solid' rotors" might be the best according to some, but why look for something not really readily available? The majority people out there are using drilled and slotted rotors. They can't be all wrong. :)

active3s

02-25-2007, 12:12 PM

Wild Weasel

02-25-2007, 12:18 PM

I thought the solids are designed for heavy vehicles only. You know bigger then the mazda 6 and so on. They use more force on their braking that can warp the rotors lots quicker than compact cars...
Or am I just not making any sence again?

You seem to be using the word "solid" as in non-vented.

He was using the word "solid" to mean a rotor that hasn't been drilled or slotted.

Have you found any directionally vaned rotors at all? These are generally only for high performance cars and it wouldn't surprise me if you couldn't get them in the right size for the 3. Have you found directionally vaned ones that are also slotted or drilled?

Donutz

02-25-2007, 01:23 PM

I think racing brake offers them; slotted I mean, not blanks:

This page indicates which vane direction is available in one-piece:
http://www.racingbrake.com/main/application_guide.asp

Here's what's available for our cars:
http://www.racingbrake.com/MAZDA_3_s/2452.htm

I didn't look closely enough at them when I picked up mine :(

PS - anyone wondering what vanes are for?
http://www.racingbrake.com/main/rotor_vane_design.asp

Wild Weasel

02-25-2007, 01:58 PM

The directional vanes act as an impeller driving air through the rotors for cooling.

active3s

02-25-2007, 07:23 PM

karsia323

02-26-2007, 12:45 AM

Does anyone have any feed back on this
http://129.33.208.36/L1Rotors.jpg

NOPI carries them.
http://www.nopionline.com/nopistore/dsp_parts.cfm?vpcid=480&vcatid=0040&vcatyear=2005&vmodelid=197&vmakeid=220&vL1id=0&&vtitle=2005%20MAZDA%203

Unless Nopi has changed their supplier lately, Nopi rotors are made by KVR. In other words, they are rotors made in China.

Wild Weasel

02-26-2007, 08:23 AM

Most of the time, when they say it's a left side or a right side rotor, they're saying so simply due to the slotting or drilling pattern. It's only the high-end stuff that's directionally vaned.

I wouldn't make this a make-or-break feature when it comes to what to buy. I mean... if nobody makes them for your car, then you don't have much choice in the matter, right?

Flagrum_3

02-26-2007, 09:24 AM

You seem to be using the word "solid" as in non-vented.

He was using the word "solid" to mean a rotor that hasn't been drilled or slotted.

Have you found any directionally vaned rotors at all? These are generally only for high performance cars and it wouldn't surprise me if you couldn't get them in the right size for the 3. Have you found directionally vaned ones that are also slotted or drilled?

I've found numerous disks that were directional but also slotted or drilled.I believe all Brembo products come as "Directional" as for the others I can't recall the brands.It looks like I'll have to go with atleast grooved rotors to get the feature....oh well!! You can't always gget want you want.

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