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I need to replace the brake rotors on my truck this spring . It has rotors all around . Has anyone up graded to the above mentioned rotors? Are they really an better in stopping power? I know they look cool but are they worth the extra cost ? I would be keeping the factory calipers too .
Some have both slotted and drilled and others one or the other. Which of them would be better if at all? Do they create a lot more brake dust then standard smooth rotors ? Here's a pic of my truck, it's strictly a pavement pounder . LoL
I believe car manufacturers wouldn’t put drilled rotors on factory vehicles if this were always true. Drilled rotor that have been chamfered are supposed to be more crack resistant since chamfering reduces stress fracturing.
I recently put the xtreme pads and rotors on the front of my 08 Sierra, I can’t comment about any differences over the stock rotors/Wagner thermoquiet pads VS the power stop extreme set up since I haven’t had any hard stops or trailering yet
Find a set of dimpled and dimple groved rotors, no cuts or holes through the rotor.
Also take the time to find them ?cadium? Coated, the non brake surface wont rust nearly as quick or as bad.
run semi metalic, if you want proof why ceramic is bad for a big truck, just to talk to any wrecker driver.
they all say the same thing, the ceramic works good until it over heats and then they slip.
Semi mettalic wont dust up very bad and have a long lifespan. The simplest method i have found to clean dust is the megs hotlips wheel cleaner, its fantastic!
mckees hydro blue sio2 spray coating extends the time between wheel,cleaning by a phenomenal amount. Spray that stuff on everything!
After doing more research on line and checking out the responses here. I'm going to stick with the stock style rotors, but replace the flex lines with stainless ones, replace the brake fluid cause it hasn't been done in 9 yrs and get some good quality brake pads.
The next decision will be what brake pads are better.
Drilled rotor cracking depends on a lot of variables. That being said, my Tahoe is running drilled/slotted up front because they were cheaper than blanks and wanted to try these out. The drilled holes and slots have a good chamfer right out of the box, PowerStop brand iirc. No difference between them in stopping power because that's the job of pads. Drilled do shed heat quicker which improves stop/go brake fade in summer traffic. They also extend brake distance on the highway or in the cold (noticed your Ontario plates). Other than operating temps they perform the same.
FWIW, my STI has one of the best braking distances available from the factory and it came with blank rotors and hot Brembo pads (same with Mitsu Evos). Race car Camaro in my driveway also has blank rotors and hot ceramic pads with no concerns letting several hundred ponies loose on the street then wrangling them in.
For what you mentioned, I would stick with good blank or slotted rotors and low dust pads to protect those wheels. Slotted, drilled, or blank rotors don't change the dust shed by the pads. Low dust pads come in different flavors of hot (towing, track, aggressive driving), cold (lives cruising highway), or normal use. I have no clue which to run in your climate and terrain. My preference has been hotter ceramics because those seem to hold up better to my driving style of frequent 130+mph pulls and cornering at 2x-3x whatever the posted speed limit is for any given turn.
Quick tip, don't scrub your rotors with sandpaper. Silica embeds in the rotor face causing accelerated hot spots.
Nothing about pads/rotors affect wet braking. That entirely depends on driver, ABS, road conditions, and tires.
As 1redta pointed out, chamfered holes do reduce the cracking since all sharp points are more prone to breakage.
Some really good info here . I think I'll stick with the blanks as stated in a reply. Go with some good pads and install better flex lines and replenish the brake fluid with some good quality stuff.
So, it takes a little time to do it, but if you want to change your brake fluid the "easy" way, I just use a turkey baster and suck out as much as I can and replace it. Then rinse and repeat every evening or drive there after for a bit. But good pads do make a huge difference!
I stick with GM OE pads and rotors and hardware. Truck stops great, even when towing. She's not a road racer, so saw no need for those fancy rotors. GM does offer them though. 18A1705 SD.
We did try Power Stop products for the little Kia, Good quality pads and rotors, no complaints thus far.
If you decide to upgrade the flexible section of brake lines, be extra sure the lines are approved for road use. Does Canada have something like the US D.O.T.? I've run Goodridge stainless braided lines with a thick clear nylon sleeve on a couple cars as they were the only DOT approved stainless brake line. Crimped ends were correct orientation and perfect fit on every install, after some 80k miles on the first install they still looked new.
02-19-2019, 06:35 AM
Thoughts on slotted drilled rotors
