Looks......


I have the slotted and from about 20 feet away you can't tell they are slotted. Drilled you can see from a distance.

 

so how does that answer the question? it doesn't. i've attached a pic of the brakes from my boss' vanquish. that particular pic is the day after he tracked his car. he never had any problems with his brakes... and he took that car to the track quite often.

 

On my GSX I had Brembo rotors, ceramic pads. Drilled and slotted. They looked awesome and with my day to day driving I experienced no cracking

 

Looks like it doesn't matter if you Get Brembos...

Here is a piece from a web site describing Brembo Rotors.

Cross Drilled Rotors have been considered by many professional race car drivers as a miracle product. Cross Drilled is the process by which Drilled holes are placed into unique areas of the Rotor which ultimately improves the quality of your brakes. When driving, stock Rotors can heat up to a very high degree and cause a failure to the brakes and to the Rotor itself. With the Cross Drilled design, your Rotors overpower the heat and keep the brakes in a newer and more reliable condition. Statistically through testing and research, these top quality Brakes have been established a 70% increase (opposed to stock Rotors) in intensive braking safety performance. This High Performance style has saved the lives of many drivers and brought contentment to many car-enthusiasts worldwide.

Slotted Rotors are the ultimate advantage to the concrete construction of Brake Rotors. Many Stock Rotors have a history and a tendency of cracking, bending, or just wearing out too quickly. With the Slotted option, the tendency of the Rotor has been known to endure a lifetime TWICE the amount of a Stock Brake Rotor. The Slotted design keeps the Rotors cool from the overheating gases and the excessive use of brakes. Not only has this option improved the performance of the Rotors but they have also improved the gripping functioning of the brakes when being pressed down on the Rotors. The flat OEM (Stock) surface of the Rotors makes it difficult for the brake pads to grasp on properly as opposed to the gripping of the Slotted Rotors which helps the brakes give the car a smoother and less enduring stop. Statistically, according to research and testing, the Slotted Design has a 40% more efficient and safer braking distance than stock Rotors.

 

You can't compare oem drilled rotors to replacement rotors. The oem are designed to take that kind of abuse. They are thicker and have pads matched for the best performance. But I have seen drilled rotors on a Porsche turbo cracked at the track too. Needless to say the guy was pissed when we showed him. At least he gets them replaced under warranty. Can you?

I'm not arguing that Drilled is a great design and far superior to flat, I am just saying if you want the best for the track go with slotted.

 

drilled.. slotted rotors can sometimes catch tiny rocks in them causing the rotor to be messed up.

 

yea but i dont think he wanted it for track...so it shouldn't matter. If you like the way drilled looks go for it I say. Unless you're planning on going 120 mph to the gas station and 140 to the supermarket FLYING down every turn having sh*t flyin out ur windows, than get the slotted. But everyday driving. Either one works.

 

Bottom Line!

 

With either drilled or slotted, do you have to make sure your breaks are warmed up for better grip when braking?

 

I used slotted only.

Drilled ones are mostly for looks and take away a lot of surface area.

 

I think that would depend on the type of pad.

 

No you don't. "Warming up" your brakes reffers to heating up the pad, don't get such an aggressive pad that needs to be heated up. Those suck on the street.


A good street pad will be able to stop well even when cold. Since on the street or the freeway you're not constantly braking, and sometimes you need to brake right after you start driving, the pad is cold. You don't want a pad that only works above 500F Thats not gonna be safe for the street.

 

truth be known cheep drilled rotors crack under normal driving conditions. drilled and slotted rotors are not as efficient as just slotted rotors.. the more of the rotor thast missing the less surface area u have to dissipate heat and gas.. there are two different type of slotted rotors. slotted all the way accross the surface and one that has eliptical slits [like cats eyes] partially accross the rotor. if u can afford carbon ceramic rotors and pads like porsche uses they are the way togo.. i have drilled and slotted cryogenic [frozen] rotors on my cobra mustang for 3 years now and they work great,except they get a little surface rust when not in use for more than 2 weeks.......

 

Yeah get both. You dont have to buy Brembo rotors.

Everyone has comments about cracking and warping but I have never actually known anyone it has happened to.

 

Thanks, everbody for your quick replies... you've provided great information and more to think about, but with so many opinions I don't think your responses lead me to a specific conclusion. Right now I'm leaning toward the drilled, because I'm not taking my car to the track, and I'm shallow enough to want the stares that go along with the drilled rotors (as if the calipers alone don't get enough attention on the street). Some of you mentioned having drilled without problems, so I'll probably go that route. However, I have a couple of months to waver back and forth a few dozen times before I pull the trigger...