Drilled Rotor | Rotor Disc | Flettner Rotor | Rotor Replacement

The brake system of a vehicle is equally important as its engine.  Every time your vehicle moves, you will need something to stop it too and that is your brake system.  Nowadays, cars and other modes of transportation uses brake rotors.  There are two types of brake rotors that are popularly used, the slotted rotor and the drilled rotors.  Brake rotors available in the market are mainly made out of cast iron or carbon.  There are also some specialized materials used to manufacture brake rotors. 

Drilled brake rotors are commonly used in our cars today.  Even motorbikes and bicycles commonly use this type of brake rotor.  In this type of rotor, there are holes drilled through the surface with a main purpose of dissipating heat quickly. The brake system works with a brake pad pressing against the rotor to stop the latter from turning which would cause the vehicle to stop and the friction between these two parts produces heat.  Another purpose of the drilled holes is to let water pass through it.  When a vehicle passes through a puddle of water or mud, water goes into the tires and mainly spreads all over the parts in it.  The holes on the rotor allow water to pass thus drying the surface quickly.  One downside of the drilled brake rotor is compromised durability. 

Slotted brake rotors on the other hand boast durability and lasting performance.  The slots on the surface help in releasing heat from the rotor caused by the friction between the pad and the rotor during braking action.  Slotted rotors may last longer but it will wear out the brake pad in much shorter time.  This type of brake rotor is usually installed in high-speed vehicles that require a stronger stopping power on its brakes like race cars.  So which type of rotor is suited for you?

A vehicle’s brake system has two main components, namely the brake pad and the brake rotor. Depending on your vehicle type and required braking performance, there are two types of brake rotor namely the drilled and the slotted. Drilled brake rotors are commonly used in our normal vehicles nowadays while slotted brake rotors are installed in vehicles that require stronger braking powers like race cars.

The drilled brake rotor also comes in a variety and one of them is the cross drilled type. This type of brake slot is used mainly on motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and even on high performance mountain bikes. It is called crossed drilled due to the placement of the holes on the rotor. The holes in the crossed drilled are not aligned but usually are in a formation similar to the letter v drilled around the rotor. This type of brake rotor helps prevent lower the heating up of the disc due to friction between the brake pad and the rotor. An added feature of the cross drilled rotor for is its decorative appearance since the brake rotors are visible and without cover. However since there are more holes on the cross drilled than the drilled brake rotors, the cross drilled usually are less durable and wears out easily.

Cross drilled brake rotors are used on lightweight vehicles that would not require a strong braking performance due to the speed limitation of the vehicle. For the smaller vehicles, there are a variety of materials used to manufacture cross drilled brakes and not limited to iron or the expensive carbon. Some cross drilled brake rotors are made from stainless steel or even the lightweight aluminum which is mainly installed on mountain bikes.

Your vehicle even if it’s the Fred Flintstone’s car or whatever it may be, requires a braking system.  Brake rotors or what used to be called brake discs are the main component of the brake system.  This system works with the brake pads pressing down on the rotors to slow down and eventually stop the rotation of the rotor.  When the rotors stop rotating, the vehicle also comes to a full stop.  There are a variety of materials or elements that can be used in manufacturing brake rotors which could be heavy cast iron, carbon or other specialized materials. 

There are two major types of brake rotors used in transportations today, namely the drilled and slotted.  To determine which type to use on your vehicle may largely be dependent on how you want your vehicle to perform.  The drilled brake rotors have holes drilled through them.  In earlier days, there was a problem with heat in the brake system.  The holes were positioned to help ventilate the heat caused by the friction between the brake pad and the rotor. When this heat is not aired out, it could lead to brake fade that diminishes the brakes power.  Another reason is water wherein a wet brake rotor can be slippery causing brake failure.  However with the drilled brake rotor, the holes moves gas, heat and water from the surface of the rotor ensuring the brakes stopping power. 

The second type is the slotted brake rotor which instead of holes would have slots on the surface of the rotor.  This type is much more durable than the drilled and performs better but tends to wear out the brake pads faster.  This is the ideal brake rotor used for car racing due to its higher stopping power required to halt a speeding car.  One thing to remember though is that regardless of what brake rotor you are using, drilled or slotted – keeping your brake system in top condition is a must to get the best performance in your brake rotor.