Disk Brake Rotors

Anyone owning a vehicle or having an enthusiasm about how parts inside car bonnets work, a disk brake rotor is a familiar gadget. It is indeed a vital part of a vehicle and thus, understanding how it works will only allow one to use the disk brake rotor more carefully. Disk brake rotors were first produced in commercial scale by the English, Birmingham, UK factory owner named Fredrick Lanchester and the sole purpose of this gadget is to ensure that vehicles stop smoothly.

Even though disk brake rotors were around since the late 1800’s, it was not until the mid 1900’s they were given the due recognition and used vastly. Even during this time, disk brake rotors were not considered essential by vehicles manufacturers. Indeed, they were mostly used in sport racing cars that needed smoother stopping. In fact, the poor road conditions in large cities all over the world during that period made the disk brake rotors less viable soon; hence, customers were not enthralled by this new gadget.

As the road conditions became better and vehicle manufacturing began to flourish making everyone want to own a Chevrolet or a Ford, disk brake rotors also became popular rapidly. It was in 1949 Crosley Hotshots that modern disk brake rotors first appeared. Later, Chrysler's Imperial came up with a new type of disk brake rotors. Dunlop, Citroën DS and Triumph TR3 also followed.

Today, disk brake rotors appear in all vehicles and the reason for this massive popularity is the fact that they offer better stopping that any other previous braking systems.

If you look close at the car wheel axel bolts, you will note a round hub that slips through it and end up at the axel bolt. The sides of the disk brake rotors are smoothed well, ensuring that the brake discs come into contact with them without any mishaps.

Like mentioned, the purpose of using disk brake rotors is to provide a reliable, sturdy steel surface for the brake disks to come in contact with and stop the vehicle. The rotor is bolted to the axel of the wheel and when the brake paddle is pressed, the wheel has no choice but to stop.

There are several types of rotors that are designed to suit the type and purpose of the vehicle. Better performing disk brake rotors such as those in racing cars have thicker plates. There are also the slotted disk brake rotors that allow air to pass in so that the machine parts can lower their risk of overheating. In order to ensure that the vehicle maintains the ability to stop smoothly at all times, maintaining the disk brake and their rotors at top conditions is crucial.