Drilled Slotted Brake Rotors

First used in small scale among the car-racing community vehicles, brake rotors took over a century to gain their due recognition and popularity. Today, disk rotors that enable the vehicles to reach smooth stops, have become a crucial part of the mechanism of almost all varieties of vehicles.

A disk brake rotor is a device connected to the axel of the wheel and serves the sole purpose of converting momentum into stopping power that’s exerted on the wheels, allowing them to stop without any hazard. This is held in place by a brake caliper which is typically mounted on a spindle plate. Brake rotors are of two types, solid and ventilated.

Drilled slotted brake rotors are one of the most popular and advanced types of brake rotors available today. Ventilated or slotted rotors are designed to ensure that sufficient amounts of fresh air are passed to the machine parts so that they don’t get overheated.

Slots in drilled slotted brake rotors, wipes the surface of the rotors and allows columns of air to get swept away through the slots. Drilled slotted brake rotors also prevent hydroplaning between rotors and brake plates. Hydroplaning refers to the loss of braking control when there is a film of water between the outer surface of the tire and the road. When hydroplaning occurs, vehicles can slide across the roads resulting in massive accidents.

Thus, hot gases emitted through the drilled slotted rotors openings help to improve the overall brake performance of the vehicle. They will keep the vehicle ever ready for braking. A typical drilled slotted brake rotor manufactured according to the proper standards would consist of zinc plated surface, scarper slots that works in reducing the stopping speed so that accidents are minimized at emergency situations, a double disk smooth surface and proper ventilation holes.

Scraper slots in drilled slotted brake rotors ensure that heat is well dissipated so that friction is increased when necessary. They also de-glaze disk pads, throwing debris away from the wheels. In order to ensure that drilled slotted brake rotors are at their maximum stability, they must be manufactured from high quality steels, preferably plated with zinc. This will not only ensure maximum stability, but also protect the rotors from corrosion.

The commonest complaint about drilled slotted brake rotors is that they either increase the chance of the occurrence of thermal cracks, or that there is no advantageous thermal reduction. The trick is to have the right number of drilled gaps and slots alternatively. Many studies have been conducted on this and renowned companies are already producing drilled slotted brake rotors that are ‘better than the rest’. As the demand for vehicles sky-rocket especially in developing countries, manufacturers are focusing more on how to make the vehicles safer to drive.