Interesting read about Blanks vs. Slotted

[azn_outlaw]

And here is why I will always stick with blank rotors:

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1437507

[craigrodrigues88]

but slotted/cross drilled just look soooo nice!

[MAZDA Kitten]

Im sure your face in an air bag would look sooo nice too because you couldnt stop in time because of shitty rotors

[Wild Weasel]

I found it interesting what he was saying about big brake kits for the Civics. I know they have them available where you put a bigger rotor on and then extend the bracket to just move the caliper out a bit.

Those will work a bit better than stock based on the additional material in the rotor providing better cooling, but I don't consider that a proper big brake kit. That's just a cheap solution for some extra bling.

A proper big brake kit is more like the conversion he talked about, where you get a bigger rotor and an appropriately sized caliper to go with it.

As for the dressed up rotors... as long as they're of high quality (not just some drilled OEM's or something) and you've got upgraded pads with them, they'll stop you as well as stock. If you're running cheap or OEM pads though with cheap drilled rotors... then MK could have a point. That's just asking for trouble.

[MattC]

+1 to a good write up. I was really wondering about this one a while back, not really interested in getting drilled ones, but i wondered if they actually helped performance, I made my own conclusion, and figured that since there were more variations in the surface, it would cause more friction and stop quicker/eat brake pads quicker.

Good to see someone back the argument up!

[Unoriginalusername]

cyro treatment helps prevent cracking

[Wild Weasel]

+1 to a good write up. I was really wondering about this one a while back, not really interested in getting drilled ones, but i wondered if they actually helped performance, I made my own conclusion, and figured that since there were more variations in the surface, it would cause more friction and stop quicker/eat brake pads quicker.

Good to see someone back the argument up!

I've posted here a number of times that slotting and holes are just bling. They're not so much "variations" in the surface but, rather, just less surface to make friction and dissipate heat.

[dentinger]

wait, so how good are the brembo replacement rotors??
they are drilled and slotted, but are they cast with the holes and slots already there??
cuz eventually, i want to do brembo rotors, with hawk pads, or something along these lines

[Wild Weasel]

I would trust Brembo to produce quality parts.

[KenYork]

+1 to a good write up. I was really wondering about this one a while back, not really interested in getting drilled ones, but i wondered if they actually helped performance, I made my own conclusion, and figured that since there were more variations in the surface, it would cause more friction and stop quicker/eat brake pads quicker.

Good to see someone back the argument up!

Slotted and drilled rotors do have more surface area than a blank rotor.

[majic]

Slotted and drilled rotors do have more surface area than a blank rotor.

how? does a donut have more surface area than a disc (of same size of course)

there's a gaping hole in the middle...

[KenYork]

how? does a donut have more surface area than a disc (of same size of course)

there's a gaping hole in the middle...

because we're talking about a three dimensional object and not a piece of paper.


remembering that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, a groove would be an arc to the plane of the surface, thus more surface area.

for a drilled hold, it would depend on the thickness of the rotor material, because you'll have the surface of the cylinder created within the hole.

[Wild Weasel]

He's right in that it has more surface area... but the important surface we're talking about is the friction surface, of which it has less.

If you're implying that there is more surface area to bleed off heat, then I counter with the fact that there is less material to absorb heat.

I've mentioned before... directional vanes are a good cooling mechanism. Holes are not.

[KenYork]

I've been questioning the friction surface part as well. Like would slots be like pumping breaks, not really allowing breaks to fully lock as quickly(more control, faster stops).

Q: would it be more benificial for the rotors to not absorb as much heat but to still dissipate it as much as possible. Less friction surface means less heat created and to the rotor = better breaking faster cooling?

[Wild Weasel]

I think you're missing an important detail.

Braking works by turning the kinetic energy of the car into heat energy. Less heat created, means less braking happened. :)

The key to a good brake system is to efficiently turn the energy of the car into heat and then quickly dissipate that heat.

[majic]

because we're talking about a three dimensional object and not a piece of paper.


last i checked paper was 3D .. it still has a finite thickness.. in fact 2D is just a mathematical concept so to speak..



remembering that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, a groove would be an arc to the plane of the surface, thus more surface area.

for a drilled hold, it would depend on the thickness of the rotor material, because you'll have the surface of the cylinder created within the hole.

http://xs74.xs.to/pics/06131/iron_ring.jpg <-- thanks but i didn't just get an iron ring for shits and giggles..

all other metal properties aside, two rotors with the same size/circumference, one blank and the other one drilled, do NOT have the same surface areas as per my crude donut example above..


He's right in that it has more surface area... but the important surface we're talking about is the friction surface, of which it has less.


and that would be the most important factor when looking at brakes (at least for me), 'do they stop me quicker?' is the bottom line



If you're implying that there is more surface area to bleed off heat, then I counter with the fact that there is less material to absorb heat.

I've mentioned before... directional vanes are a good cooling mechanism. Holes are not.

+1

i think the entire solar system is in alignment :chuckle

[Skarbro]

Good post. I've always bought blank rotors.

[Wild Weasel]

i think the entire solar system is in alignment :chuckle

I think I'm gonna buy a lottery ticket... :chuckle

[MajesticBlueNTO]

all this has already been discussed in this thread (http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=16351&page=2#35)