Best Slotted Rotors

There are several different types of rotors available for vehicles today: blanks, drilled, slotted, or drilled and slotted.

• Best Pads For Slotted Rotors
• Diamond Slotted Rotors
• Best Cross Drilled And Slotted Rotors
• Best Slotted Rotors For Trucks

Rotors, which are sometimes called discs, provide a point of contact for your brake pads when you engage the pedal to stop while driving. The pressure from the pedal activates the caliper housing for each set of pads, compressing them into the rotor to create friction. That set of processes reduces the forward momentum of the vehicle, which allows you to come to a complete stop whenever necessary.

The design of drilled and slotted rotors offer drivers the advantages of both designs with minimal side effects. The drilled holes give you better cooling for the heat generated by heavy braking, while the slots work to sweep away gas and dust which come through braking. That also means the disadvantages of both drilled and slotted rotors apply to this product.

Best Brake Rotors 20211.Power Stop K2149 Front Z23 Evolution Brake Kit with Drilled/Slotted Rotors and Ceramic Brake Pads2.ACDelco 18A816A Advantage Non-Coat. Drilled and slotted rotors are best for those who drive on rougher roads. Planning to take your vehicle off-road? Look for rotors with a slotted design to give you that added stopping force. Nov 04, 2020 The 5 Top-Rated Brake Rotors. Our Top Pick: Bosch QuietCast Premium Disc Brake Rotor. Our Runner Up Pick: Power Stop K6556 Front and Rear Z23 Evolution Brake Kit. Best Budget Pick: ACDelco 18A1324A Advantage Non-Coated Front Disc Brake Rotor. Best Slotted Brake Rotors: EBC Brakes USR850 USR Series Sport Slotted Rotor. Premium Dimpled and Slotted Brake Rotor Kit. The Brake Performance Dimpled and Slotted Brake Kit is engineered to give incredible stopping power over factory rotors while reducing heat, noise, pad fade and brake dust. All slots on our rotors are curved and strategically machined off the edge of the rotor to dramatically improve braking performance up to 30% over factory stock brake rotors. Power Stop drilled and slotted rotors give you the advantages of both drilled holes for cooling and slots to sweep away gas and dust. Power Stop rotors use only the finest blanks and feature G3000 grade castings from the best foundries. All drilled and slotted rotors, except for hub rotor assemblies, are silver zinc plated to resist rust.

If you’re thinking about a disc replacement today, then here are the pros and cons of drilled and slotted rotors to think about.

List of the Pros of Drilled and Slotted Rotors

1. They work better in wet climates when frequent precipitation occurs.
When the weather turns wet, does the braking profile of your vehicle change? If it does, then there’s a good chance that you’re using blanks or slotted rotors on your vehicle. Drilling holes in the rotor give the pads a better bite when you engage the braking system. More friction develops when the system engages because the holes offer moisture a place for escape. Even when water is present, the components of your system stay drier, which means your performance is enhanced.

2. They provide support for heavy-duty vehicles.
The slots on rotors provide extra support for all heavy-duty vehicles, including off-road, competition, and trucks. When choosing rotors with slots, the quality of the machining becomes the most crucial attribute for success. The inner and outer edges must be crafted with an excellent skill to prevent them from cracking sooner than they should. That means you can choose almost any drilled and slotted rotor design for any vehicle you own if you trust the manufacturing process of your preferred brand.

3. They can stop brake pads from glazing.
Brake pads can glaze when there is a continuous application of braking, like when you’re going down a mountain descent. The constant application of friction between the pad and rotor causes surface glazing. Light application of braking functions most of the time can cause some pads to polish themselves too. Reducing braking performance occurs during this situation, including the squealing associated with excessive pad wear.

Best Pads For Slotted Rotors

The drilled and slotted rotor design helps some pads disengage from the glazing process. When constant friction is present within the driving environment, the pad fuses part of itself to the disc, causing the lack of performance, The slots on a rotor break up the contact points of the pad, providing vital momentary pauses in contact that stop the process from occurring.

4. They offer daily driving support.
When you’re behind the wheel every day to commute back-and-forth to work, you want two things from your braking system: a solid bite and consistent friction. That promotes robust stopping power when you need it during an uncertain situation. Drilled and slotted rotors offer drivers the consistent performance they want without changing the responsiveness of the brake pedal. This process gives you the confidence needed as a driver that you can handle whatever situation might come your way.

List of the Cons of Drilled and Slotted Rotors

1. They sometimes experience premature wear.
There are several advantages to consider with drilled and slotted rotors, but it comes with the same disadvantages for each style too. That means your rotors will sometimes wear unevenly when using your brakes if the same area of the rotor receives contacts. High-performance vehicles see this issue most often, with cracks sometimes developing due to the heat and extreme environment they encounter. If you use a vehicle for frequent stops at highway speeds, you may encounter this issue too.

2. They tend to wear in grooved cycles.
Drilled and slotted rotors tend to wear down in concentric cycles, which means you can receive vibration in the steering wheel over time when the rotors age or the hole patterns are not staggered correctly. This issue may cause some vehicle owners to swap out their rotors more often because of the aesthetic concerns they cause. If you’re sensitive to this issue, then a rotor designed more for your specific environment will meet the demands of how you drive each day.

3. They have a shorter lifespan.
Slotted rotors already have a shorter lifespan compared to other options for your vehicles. They also cause some brake pads to experience higher levels of wear-and-tear too. If you drive regularly and go through a period of heavy braking, you may discover that the drilled and slotted rotors require replacement about the same time as your brake pads. Depending on the quality of the rotors used, that means you could be replacing these items as soon as every 25,000 miles – and even more often for frequent city drivers.

If you’re looking for extended life with your brake rotors, then your best option will always be the blank design. It offers more metal for contact, providing a consistent surface of impact to create friction for your stopping power.

4. They sometimes create extra noise when stopping.
All brakes create a squealing sound when the pads wear down because you have metal-on-metal contact. The issue with drilled and slotted rotors involves the rumbling that you hear because of the slot engagement with the pads as you stop. This issue doesn’t impact the safety of your braking system. Some drivers find the extra noise to be more than a little unpleasant. Heavy vehicles can create an excessive sound level which isn’t dampened when the windows are rolled up.

5. They don’t offer a cooling effect for all vehicles.
Drilling does help a rotor cool down some for all vehicles because there is less metal involved with the contact points from the pads. That can be beneficial for some vehicles, but it does create a negligible effect in others. The opposite effect impacts the rotors too. Because there is less metal involved with the design, the disc heats up faster than a solid rotor would. That’s why you don’t use this design in high-performance settings. Too much heat causes warping or cracking, which requires you to complete an immediate repair.

6. They cannot be resurfaced.
If something happens to your drilled and slotted rotors for some reason, then a full replacement is necessary. You cannot resurface the rotor to restore its functionality as you can with some solid-type discs. Although the cost difference of resurfacing is somewhat minor compared to the cost of a full replacement, those who prefer a DIY approach to swapping out the brakes will discover that this disadvantage might cost them a couple hundred dollars, if not more, to complete the necessary work.

These drilled and slotted rotors pros and cons look at the details of using this design with your current driving habits. Most street vehicles benefit from this design, especially in wet environments, because of the consistency offered. There are exceptions to this based on how you use your car, however, so review each point carefully to ensure this investment makes sense for your current needs.

Want to learn about drilled and slotted rotors to determine if they’re a good fit for your needs?

Drilled and slotted rotors are brake rotors with holes and slots in them.

They’re designed to evacuate the moisture and brake dust generated during braking, facilitate the cooling of your brake disc, and increase your contact friction for superior brake performance.

In this article, we’ll cover what slotted and drilled rotors are and why you might consider them for your vehicle. Then, we’ll look at some of their limitations and how to spot failing rotors. Finally, we’ll look at the best way to keep your slotted and drilled rotors in check.

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Let’s get started.

What Is A Drilled And Slotted Rotor?

A drilled and slotted rotor is a type of brake rotor with a series of drilled holes in them and curved grooves machined across its surface.

What is a brake rotor?

A brake rotor (a.k.a. a brake disc) is a crucial component of your disc brake system. It provides a point of contact for the brake pad when you press down on the brake pedal.

Essentially, when you hit the brakes, brake calipers near the wheels compress your brake pads (which could be ceramic pads or metallic brake pads) against your brake disc or rotor to generate friction.

This friction force helps slow down the car and bring it to a halt.

What are the different kinds of rotors?

Besides the slotted and drilled rotors, you also have the:

• Plain rotor: asmooth rotor with a plain surface and no holes or grooves in it
• Drilled rotor: asolid rotor with a series of holes drilled into the rotor surface (a.k.a. cross-drilled rotor)
• Slotted rotor: a solid rotor with grooves or lines machined along its surface
• Vented rotor: a brake rotor with two discs (inner and outer) connected by ribs

Drilled and slotted brake rotors are a popular choice for high-performance and heavy-duty vehicles like tow trucks, motorsport cars, and more. They offer improved stopping power and help you combat brake fade.

Note: Brake fade is the gradual decrease in stopping power of your braking system due to prolonged use.

Why Use Drilled And Slotted Brake Rotors

Here are some reasons why you should consider using slotted and drilled brake rotors for your car:

1. Enhanced Brake Grip

Slotted and drilled rotors offer enhanced brake grip for more efficient brake performance.

When you’re braking, the kinetic energy of your vehicle is converted into heat because of all the friction in your brakes. As a result, repeated braking leads to higher temperature rises.

At elevated temperatures, the resins in your brake pad material can burn up to produce gases that ultimately compromise your braking performance. Fortunately, the disc brake rotors’ drilled holes can quickly expel these offset gases to restore braking grip rapidly.

2. Heavy-Duty Brake Support

Heavy-duty and high-performance vehicles like trucks require extra braking support.

Why?

As they’re very heavy, they usually need more stopping power to slow down.

Drilled and slotted rotors are excellent at delivering that powerful yet smooth braking performance to bring your heavy-duty vehicle to a stop.

3. Wet Climate Suitability

When you’re driving in wet climates, the profile of your braking system changes.

The presence of moisture in between your brake pad surface and brake rotor can reduce the amount of friction force your braking system generates. And this leads to lower stopping power for your cars.

The drilled holes in your disc brake rotor allow the moisture and brake dust to escape. This keeps your brake rotors dry, helping you achieve consistent braking performance even in wet weather conditions.

4. Slows Down Brake Pad Glazing

If you’re going down a hill or are stuck in traffic, you’re likely to apply brakes more frequently.

Doing so can increase the temperature of your brake system, and this causes your brake pad surface to smoothen and harden (known as glazing). Over time, the pad surface starts to mirror the brake rotor, and the pad material becomes incapable of generating sufficient friction.

Fortunately, in drilled and slotted brake rotors, the grooves on your rotor chip off the pad material to slow down glazing.

What Are The Limitations Of Using Slotted And Drilled Rotors?

Although a drilled and slotted rotor offers many advantages over a plain rotor (smooth rotor), it does have some downsides. Here are some limitations of slotted and drilled brake rotors that you need to watch out for:

1. Premature Brake Rotor Wear

Sometimes, your drilled and slotted discs tend to wear out prematurely.

It usually happens because the same areas of your brake rotors are in contact when you apply the brakes, resulting in uneven wearing.

This is more common if you’re using drilled and slotted discs in a high-performance vehicle. The high temperature and repeated stresses that these rotors encounter could cause them to develop cracks and wear down over time.

2. Short Rotor Lifespan

Generally, drilled and slotted discs tend to have a shorter lifespan compared to blank rotors.

With that being said, if you encounter harsh driving conditions regularly and are likely to engage in heavy braking, your drilled and slotted brake rotors will wear out even quicker and might need replacing as often as your brake pad set.

On average, you can expect to replace your slotted and drilled rotors between 25,000 to 35,000 miles.

3. Steering Wheel Vibrations

Your drilled and slotted rotor tends to wear out in concentric circles.

When that happens, your hole patterns get disrupted, and this can result in vibrations on your steering wheel.

4. Can’t Resurface Rotors

A significant disadvantage with drilled and slotted rotors is that you can’t resurface it, unlike a smooth rotor (plain rotor).

If your drilled and slotted brake rotors are distorted or damaged, they can significantly affect your brake performance, and you’ll need to replace your stock rotor.

And replacing a stock rotor is usually more expensive than resurfacing one.

What Are The Symptoms Of Failing Drilled And Slotted Rotors?

A drilled and slotted brake rotor affects how much braking power your car generates, so driving around with a defective drilled and slotted rotor can be a significant safety hazard.

If you notice any of the symptoms below, consider getting your drilled and slotted rotor inspected and replaced by a mechanic:

1. Squealing Noise When Applying Brakes

If you’re hearing high-pitched squealing or squeaking noises while applying the brakes, chances are that your drilled and slotted rotor is badly worn out or warping.

And if you’ve got extensively warped rotors, you’ll probably hear scraping sounds.

When this happens, take your car to an auto repair shop, or have a mechanic come over and inspect your rotor surface and other brake parts (such as the brake pads, brake calipers, brake fluid lines, and more) to identify the underlying issues.

2. Excessive Brake Vibration

If you start to feel irregular vibrations on your brake pedal or through the vehicle chassis, it could be because of damaged slotted and drilled brake rotors.

Why?

Warping rotors tend to generate a pulsating effect that ripples through your car.

3. Grooves On Brake Rotor

This isn’t something you can readily notice. However, if you do manage to see unusual grooves or scoring marks on your rotor surface, your slotted and drilled rotors might undergo imminent failure.

These marks, which develop over time from repeated contacts with your brake pad, can significantly weaken your brake system and can cause brake pulsations that you can feel on the brake pedal.

In such a scenario, request a brake system inspection.

Just remember that when hiring a mechanic, ensure that they:

• Are ASE-certified
• Offer you a service warranty
• Use only quality replacement brake parts like authentic OEM rotors or factory rotors

Diamond Slotted Rotors

Luckily, there’s an easy way to find mechanics who match all of these criteria and more:

The Best Way To Keep Your Brake Rotors In Check

Best Cross Drilled And Slotted Rotors

Driving with a defective drilled and slotted rotor can compromise your road safety.

That’s why it may not be practical to drive your car to an auto repair shop.

The most convenient way to get your brake rotors inspected and replaced is to have a mobile mechanic come over. And if you’re looking for a mobile car repair solution, look no further than RepairSmith!

RepairSmith is a convenient mobile car repair and maintenance solution that offers you these benefits:

• The brake rotor replacement can be performed right in your driveway
• Hassle-free online booking
• Upfront and competitive pricing
• ASE-certified mobile technicians will service your car using high-quality equipment and replacement brake parts
• A 12-month 12,000-mile warranty on all repairs

How Much Does A Brake Rotor Replacement Cost?

The cost of replacing your brake rotor usually depends on the vehicle model and make. With that being said, you can expect to pay anywhere between $230 and $500 for a brake rotor replacement.

For a more accurate estimate, fill this online form by entering the year, make, model, and engine details.

Keep Your Rotors In Check

Slotted and drilled discs (rotors) are an effective way to enhance brake grip, combat brake fade, and help you drive in wet weather conditions.

However, because of its potentially shorter life and inability to be resurfaced, you’ll need to ensure that your performance rotor stays in check.

If you notice any symptoms that indicate your brake rotor is damaged, consider having your drilled and slotted rotor inspected and replaced ASAP.

Best Slotted Rotors For Trucks

And if you want to get your brake rotor repairs done right in your driveway, the easiest way to do so is to get in touch with RepairSmith.