What rotors should i use?

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PCT

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Im replacing my front brake pads. Not sure if i should swap my rotors out aswell.

If i do... My driving habits are 50% city 35% HWY, and 15% snow/offroad/towing.

Should i stick with smooth rotors or should i get slotted, or drilled and slotted?

Also what are some good brake brands.
 

huntergreen

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i would use centrix flat rotors. good quality and far cheaper than oem.
 

Sir John

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Just because it's drilled does not automatically mean it's going to crack. Let me guess, the sky is falling?

If you want drilled, then make sure the holes are beveled and the rotor is good quality metal.
 

Jeff CA

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Agree with Sir John. Look how many Corvettes, Porsches, and Mercedes have drilled rotors.
 

ColdCase

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Agree with Sir John. Look how many Corvettes, Porsches, and Mercedes have drilled rotors.

They are specially cast holes that are cleaned up with milling machines. They can sell more cars to drivers that need the placebo/style effect of drilled/slotted rotors. Winning race teams at all levels have moved to plain rotors, and they should know what they are doing as far as race performance. There is a lot of old FUD around the interweb and fanboys that live in the past, however. :)

The local brake shop has been using autozone rotors for about two years now and never have had one returned for problems. They also used their mid grade pads, but they are ceramic if thats what you want.
 

Gump

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Unless you pay hundreds of dollars for one drilled rotor you will get ones that crack. The more important detail is the cooling vanes inside the rotor. High quality blanks are about as good as you can get on a truck.
 

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Slotted/drilled rotors on everyday driver truck is a waste of money. Sorta like CAI's without a tune.
 

Sir John

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blah blah blah....


I've been eyeing these. I'll probably just waste my money in the spring on a set for the front and rear. If they crack, then I'll just get another pair.....so on and so on...

Premium Cross-Drilled & Slotted Brake Rotors
 

ColdCase

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blah blah blah....


I've been eyeing these. I'll probably just waste my money in the spring on a set for the front and rear. If they crack, then I'll just get another pair.....so on and so on...

Premium Cross-Drilled & Slotted Brake Rotors

Well if you like the style and can live with compromised braking performance... don't be kidding yourself that you will get better braking. That is old school BS and FUD spread by the makers of the stuff ;)

Its not entirely about cracking and durability.
 

Riccochet

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Depends on your application where venting of hot brake gases will be a benefit. If you tow heavy loads up and down steep graded highway, yes, you will benefit from a slotted and/or drilled rotor. You'll experience less fade and better pad cooling. If you're just driving around town and highway, relatively flat, not towing often, they're a waste of money.

If we're talking about the high performance world of racing. Yes, they have gone back to flat rotors. BUT, they are carbon rotors capable of handling 10x more heat than a steel rotor while using specific carbon ceramic pads that don't fade with the heat.

I tow a 8000# travel trailer over steep grades. After installing EBC Ultimax slotted rotors and EBC extra duty pads. My braking performace increased a good amount, a ton less fade on those down grades where engine braking isn't cutting it, which equals less stress on the trailer brakes. Situations where the stock brakes would be smoking these pads and rotors stay a lot cooler with better performance.


It's all about application.
 

Sir John

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Well if you like the style and can live with compromised braking performance... don't be kidding yourself that you will get better braking. That is old school BS and FUD spread by the makers of the stuff ;)

Its not entirely about cracking and durability.

Ooooohhhhhhh....stop it, just stop it! :slap: haha
 

Sir John

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Depends on your application where venting of hot brake gases will be a benefit. If you tow heavy loads up and down steep graded highway, yes, you will benefit from a slotted and/or drilled rotor. You'll experience less fade and better pad cooling. If you're just driving around town and highway, relatively flat, not towing often, they're a waste of money.

If we're talking about the high performance world of racing. Yes, they have gone back to flat rotors. BUT, they are carbon rotors capable of handling 10x more heat than a steel rotor while using specific carbon ceramic pads that don't fade with the heat.

I tow a 8000# travel trailer over steep grades. After installing EBC Ultimax slotted rotors and EBC extra duty pads. My braking performace increased a good amount, a ton less fade on those down grades where engine braking isn't cutting it, which equals less stress on the trailer brakes. Situations where the stock brakes would be smoking these pads and rotors stay a lot cooler with better performance.


It's all about application.


Yup....agreed.

Plus I like wasting money...I have lots and lots and lots to waste. :happy107:
 

ColdCase

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Depends on your application where venting of hot brake gases will be a benefit. If you tow heavy loads up and down steep graded highway, yes, you will benefit from a slotted and/or drilled rotor. You'll experience less fade and better pad cooling. If you're just driving around town and highway, relatively flat, not towing often, they're a waste of money.

At one time that was the rule of thumb, but its been proven incorrect/inaccurate by numerous heavy hauling outfits. We would never put slotted or drilled rotors on our heavy haulers. If you are using pads that outgas, or can benefit from gas extraction, you are using old technology. Routing cooling air to the brake area can be of some help, however. An bigger rotors seem to work better.
 
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DannyMK2

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Depends on your application where venting of hot brake gases will be a benefit. If you tow heavy loads up and down steep graded highway, yes, you will benefit from a slotted and/or drilled rotor. You'll experience less fade and better pad cooling. If you're just driving around town and highway, relatively flat, not towing often, they're a waste of money.

to be fair there is some truth to this. if you are experiencing brake fade then yes, you can benefit from a SLOTTED rotor. there is no need for cross drilled rotors with todays pads though. thinking cross drilled rotors are meant to keep brakes cool is a common misconception. even if it did help, ill bet that it would be negated by the fact that you have reduced your braking surface area.
 

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At one time that was the rule of thumb, but its been proven incorrect/inaccurate by numerous heavy hauling outfits. We would never put slotted or drilled rotors on our heavy haulers. If you are using pads that outgas, or can benefit from gas extraction, you are using old technology. Routing cooling air to the brake area can be of some help, however. An bigger rotors seem to work better.

Any semi-metallic pad will gas off under extreme heat. Ceramic and full carbon will as well, but not as much. But our trucks don't come stock with ceramic or full carbon pads. The stock brakes on my last '11 F150 were smoking while not towing just taking a spirited drive on the blue ridge parkway. Massive brake fade. Then there is heat transfer to the caliper. Boil off of the fluid starts at 311 F. Last I checked they didn't put RL-600 in our trucks.

Try going down a 9% grade for 3 miles with 8000# behind you and maintaining 40-50 mph. Stock brakes will be cherry red and smoking like cheech and chong. Been there, done that. You can have all the braking surface in the world, but if there is a hot gas layer between the pad and rotor it won't make a damn bit a difference.

Maybe you should get a job working for Ferrari, Porsche, FCA Viper dev, Maserati, Audi. Seems they not only user carbon rotors, but they're drilled as well. They sure could use your knowledge.
 

huntergreen

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Depends on your application where venting of hot brake gases will be a benefit. If you tow heavy loads up and down steep graded highway, yes, you will benefit from a slotted and/or drilled rotor. You'll experience less fade and better pad cooling. If you're just driving around town and highway, relatively flat, not towing often, they're a waste of money.

If we're talking about the high performance world of racing. Yes, they have gone back to flat rotors. BUT, they are carbon rotors capable of handling 10x more heat than a steel rotor while using specific carbon ceramic pads that don't fade with the heat.

I tow a 8000# travel trailer over steep grades. After installing EBC Ultimax slotted rotors and EBC extra duty pads. My braking performace increased a good amount, a ton less fade on those down grades where engine braking isn't cutting it, which equals less stress on the trailer brakes. Situations where the stock brakes would be smoking these pads and rotors stay a lot cooler with better performance.


It's all about application.


how are these breaks in normal driving? tks
 
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