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Cross Drilled rotors?

Sandwich

Sandwich

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Car needs new rotors, and presumably pads. I usually do my own brakes, but the local shop quoted me 4hundo to replace my brakes with nappy ultra premiums, which are at least corrosion protected. Pads are ceramics. The work is $90, parts are the rest.

Looking at tirerack, and poorcustomerservicepartsplaceonline.com, I can get a drilled set of rotors, corrosion treated, cryogenic treated, for about $110ea. $70 for non-drilled. Pads would probably be Hawk or similar street performance pad, which all come in around 60-$75. The car is a 4200lb pseudo sport SUV with awd (FX35). The rotors were turned and pads replaced about two years ago, and have always been ****ty. I've been looking to upgrade to something with a little more bite, as the current setup is pretty "wooden" and "vague".

So what gives, are cross drilled rotors (these appear to be chamfered and not just drilled by a 13 year old who visited a hardware store) worth a $40 premium over basically the same rotor minus holes in it? Is it slotted or nothing? Should I save my money for beer?
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
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Holes = surface area = heat dissipation, same as "wave" vs standard rotors (the edge of a wave rotor is up to twices as much due to the shape). Anything that creates more surface area to allows heat to leave the metal is good. But simply drilling holes in rotors will not make them work better.

If the rotors are designed correctly, drilled rotors have more surface area AND are lighter due to less material. Is that worth more to you?
 
B

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
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I didn't notice a difference at all when I had slotted rotors except that they looked cool and pads wore more quickly. I'd go for the standard rotors.
 
kazlx

kazlx

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Aug 7, 2006
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Waste of money. Either put the stock stuff on there and keep the money in your pocket, or upgrade to brakes that will actually make a difference.
 
buildyourown

buildyourown

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Feb 9, 2004
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Cross drilling is a scam. Slotting can help but only in extreme conditions (racing, watercrossing)
Fresh quality pads and clean rotors combined with a complete system bleed will yield the best results for your money.
Replacing the soft lines on an older vehicle can also make a huge difference.
 
stoney

stoney

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buildyourown said:
Cross drilling is a scam. Slotting can help but only in extreme conditions (racing, watercrossing)
Fresh quality pads and clean rotors combined with a complete system bleed will yield the best results for your money.
Replacing the soft lines on an older vehicle can also make a huge difference.
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kazlx said:
:stupid:You'd get more for your money going to braided lines. Although, probably still not much.
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These. Lifetime pads are something you should be scared of though. The stopping power on those is amazing... Oh wait. If you want to up your brake performance, braided lines, a fresh bleed, and performance pads (Hawk HPS for example) are a great way to do it.
 
Westy

Westy

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Nov 22, 2002
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The cross drilling is supposed to vent gasses that can form between the pad and disk if **** is getting really hot. This is one the ways brakes can fade under heavy use. Unless the brakes on the car are undersized or you are towing heavy things down steep mountains this is probably not what is happening on your car and the crossdrilling alone will probably not help much.
 
JustMtnB44

JustMtnB44

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Sep 13, 2006
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I tried slotted rotors once on my allroad and they made a horrible fluttering sound along with a vibration that could be felt throughout the car. I took them off after 10k miles. No problems with stock rotors and Akebono pads that I am running now.

If I was going to upgrade anything it would not be pads and rotors because any difference is marginal at best. I would take the go big or go home approach and upgrade calipers, rotors, ss lines, everything and do it right. But I don't think that's going to happen unless I stumble upon the parts for cheap.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

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Yeah, I know the right way to increase stopping power is by throwing money at my car as fast as possible, but the $3600 or so that it's going to take to get a big brake kit, plus hoses, plus installation at ~8 or so painstaking hours, I think I'm OK with upgrading pads and rotors. MAYBE hoses but that's when stuff starts getting painful. Yes, I have done it, and yes, under perfect conditions it takes a lot less time...but I don't own cars that stay on the showroom floor for their entire lives.

I think the brakes on my car are a little undersized. Not vastly, but it's a 4200lb car with 12.6" rotors and 300hp. It moves quick and I'd like it to stop quick. More bite and less fade would both be welcome, though fade is a rarity. I am not autocrossing, so I want something with good initial bite that doesn't have to be warmed up.

I've tried dimpled and slotted rotors on my UrQ in the past, and it made a HUGE difference. I also added green stuff pads. The combo improved braking immensely on a vastly underbraked car, and the VVVVVVVvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv sound when slowing down was neat.
 
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DirtyMike

DirtyMike

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I ignored most everything in the thread when I saw four bills for using Napa house branded parts......

Thats a ****ing rip

Sorry, I will use premium wagner, premium centric etc for that price.... 189.95 for the brakes themselves, rotors at 89.95

$370 for prmium parts VS 400 for **** parts... Sorry but the napa house pads are crap, I wont put those on my own vehicle... corrosion resistant??? Yeah for when it is in the package, that **** always burns off..... Drilled rotors??? Save the money.... No need.

Give me some exact specs.. year make model awd rwd etc.... I will tell ya a good set of parts to make the brakes work great without spening a **** ton of money

Oh and I will give you what I pay for those Napa pads as well
 
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stoney

stoney

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kazlx said:
Centric rotors, EBC/Hawk pads. Done.
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Tirerack has brembo blanks for about $10 less than centrics. Pads aren't too back either.

Also, Sandwich, why are you going to a shop. Brakes are stupid easy.
 
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Sandwich

Sandwich

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DirtyMike said:
I ignored most everything in the thread when I saw four bills for using Napa house branded parts......
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It's a 2007 Infiniti FX35, AWD. Thepartstrain/partsbin type catalog places have centric solid rotors @ $65 and hawk pads for about $80.

blackohio said:
wait you've got an ur quattro and no pics have been posted of it?
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Had. Had two. And an S6, and a 200TQA. Now I have none, and am happier for it. I can post a few photos that I do have if you want.

The Joker said:
Tirerack has brembo blanks for about $10 less than centrics. Pads aren't too back either.

Also, Sandwich, why are you going to a shop. Brakes are stupid easy.
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Sloth. I've done pads, rotors, calipers, rear calipers, emergency brakes, new hoses, porsche calipers, banjo bolts, stainless lines...I know that brake fluid is not flammable (at least with a blow torch) and lying in it while bleeding a clutch apparently doesn't (immediately) give you cancer. I think it's those reasons that makes me want to let somebody else do it!

It's only $90 for the labor, $100 for the rotors, and $88 for the pads. Ceramic pads and napa "ultra premium" rotors, which they say are coated similarly to centric parts. i want something that has a coated or plated vane and hub, to help resist corrosion for at least a little while.
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

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Sandwich said:
It's a 2007 Infiniti FX35, AWD. Thepartstrain/partsbin type catalog places have centric solid rotors @ $65 and hawk pads for about $80.



.
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Those napa brake pads cost me, 22.94


Do not waste the money on the hawks, they are good... if your racing all the damn time..... Spend about 48 dollars on the centric oe formulas.... you will like how they perform A lot better than teh hawks, there is no coating on teh pads... that is total bull ****, they centrics and perfect stopped are scorched, there is no coating on them. That just means they wear in faster.... the napa pads are nothing like these in any way.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

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blackohio said:
Im a firm believer you are not happier now not owning the URQ's. Did you have a standard urq or s1? A urq sport is on my bucket list of cars to own.
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just a regular jUrQ. A Quattro sport comes in around 80-150k used, and there are somewhere around 3 in the US. Maybe more, but they are undoubtedly never taken on the road. You will likely never own one, but you could probably build one for significantly less money than it would cost to buy a genuine one in any decent shape. Plus, SportQs are supposedly terrible handling cars, especially compared to the standard wheelbase urq. I didn't race european goat paths, so the urq was fine for me. And yes, the maintenance nightmare that it was, I am happier without it. Would love another one in the future, when I have my retirement squared away and the kids through college, but not as anything more than a hobby car/garage queen.

Scrub said:
Some shops will not turn/resurface cross drilled or slotted rotors. just an fyi
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Fine with me. I personally think resurfacing rotors is a dreadful idea, as replacing them isn't that much more money, and you aren't messing with factory specifications on rotor thickness.

DirtyMike said:
Those napa brake pads cost me, 22.94


Do not waste the money on the hawks, they are good... if your racing all the damn time..... Spend about 48 dollars on the centric oe formulas.... you will like how they perform A lot better than teh hawks, there is no coating on teh pads... that is total bull ****, they centrics and perfect stopped are scorched, there is no coating on them. That just means they wear in faster.... the napa pads are nothing like these in any way.
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uh, what? The coating goes on the rotors. EBCs are anodized, Centrics are "e-coated", which I think is french for anodizing of some kind. http://www.centricparts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220. Nappy uses "onyxguard", whatever that is (I'm guessing that they are literally the same product).

As for pads, hawk makes a lot of different compounds. The HPS is a street semi metallic and the PC is a ceramic performance compound. I'm leaning towards the ceramic as this is a street car that needs a boost, not a race car I drive on the street.
 
stoney

stoney

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Sandwich said:
As for pads, hawk makes a lot of different compounds. The HPS is a street semi metallic and the PC is a ceramic performance compound. I'm leaning towards the ceramic as this is a street car that needs a boost, not a race car I drive on the street.
Click to expand...
Having recently swapped between OEM ceramics, hps, and HP+, the difference between the ceramics and hps is clearly noticed.
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

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Sandwich said:
uh, what? The coating goes on the rotors. EBCs are anodized, Centrics are "e-coated", which I think is french for anodizing of some kind. http://www.centricparts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220. Nappy uses "onyxguard", whatever that is (I'm guessing that they are literally the same product).

As for pads, hawk makes a lot of different compounds. The HPS is a street semi metallic and the PC is a ceramic performance compound. I'm leaning towards the ceramic as this is a street car that needs a boost, not a race car I drive on the street.
Click to expand...
That coating on the rotors does now last..... It can only handle so much hot and cold and it goes away. I have run the gambit on different rotors... only thing that has made a difference for me is now many supports/fins you have inside the actual vented area. Seriously sending the extra cash for the rotors with a coating like this is a waste of cash when rotors half the cost will do the very same job.

I am just amazed you were quoted a price that hi in the first place for a job using the Napa parts to begin with..... Seriously offering you an inferior product at a premium price...........
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

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Sep 27, 2001
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DirtyMike said:
I ignored most everything in the thread when I saw four bills for using Napa house branded parts......

Thats a ****ing rip

Sorry, I will use premium wagner, premium centric etc for that price.... 189.95 for the brakes themselves, rotors at 89.95

$370 for prmium parts VS 400 for **** parts... Sorry but the napa house pads are crap, I wont put those on my own vehicle... corrosion resistant??? Yeah for when it is in the package, that **** always burns off..... Drilled rotors??? Save the money.... No need.

Give me some exact specs.. year make model awd rwd etc.... I will tell ya a good set of parts to make the brakes work great without spening a **** ton of money

Oh and I will give you what I pay for those Napa pads as well
Click to expand...
You're the only :monkey: on the board whose automotive opinion is worth a tinker's damn. Keep up the good work.
 
HardtailHack

HardtailHack

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I am also a lover of braided lines, the difference over even a new standard flex line can be pretty amazing. Sadly in Australia braided lines need to be compliant with the Aussie Design Rules meaning they need rubber boots bonded to the braid at the fittings. My last custom braided lines were $330 wholesale but they were still worth it in my opinion.

If you decide to get the EBC's make sure you go the low dust ones, the stock Greenstuff's make a crazy amount of dust.

Pretty sure a lot of the coatings on the rotors is just a thin gal coating.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

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The Joker said:
Having recently swapped between OEM ceramics, hps, and HP+, the difference between the ceramics and hps is clearly noticed.
Click to expand...
Have you tried the HPS vs. the Hawk PC ceramic? I'm leaning towards that pad as it's supposed to offer a boost in performance without the dust cast off by the semi-metallics.
 
stoney

stoney

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The dust from the HPS pads isn't that bad. HP+ is horrible though. I'll try the Hawk ceramics next time, but I really like the bite for emergency braking from the HPS pads. It's not as strong as the HP+ (obviously), but it is pretty substantial.
 
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