Help Choosing Break Rotors

**djeazyg** · 07-21-2010, 10:07 PM

I'm in the market for new break rotors. So much to choose from. I'm trying to go as inexpensive as possible without going to cheap. Also want a clean look behind my new rims. Would it be better to go with drilled and slotted or just slotted? I hear slotted helps keep break dust off the rims and I'm all for that but I hear drilled can crack easy. What do you guys recommend? It is a weekend car for cruising and the occasional light to light drag. Not a daily driver or a race car.

**Blackbird WS6** · 07-21-2010, 10:09 PM

brembo blanks

**SSTODD** · 07-22-2010, 07:57 AM

"BRAKE" rotors that are zinc coated will look great for a long time, my drilled/slotted still look shiny thru my wheels after years.

**djeazyg** · 07-22-2010, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by SSTODD

"BRAKE" rotors that are zinc coated will look great for a long time, my drilled/slotted still look shiny thru my wheels after years.

Yea....

BRAKE. I'll blame it on spell check... LOL

They say drilled rotors crack. Is that something to really worry about?

**SSTODD** · 07-22-2010, 11:06 AM

Alot of people say yes, but I only drive in the summer, no rain,snow and only have 19k miles after 11 years so I have had no problems and did it for looks as I do not rage on my car.

**Firebirdjones** · 07-22-2010, 11:14 AM

I haven't had a problem yet on either 4th gen with drilled and slotted and driven daily.

I went that route because the ceramic pads kept warping the stock rotors within 50 miles. After several replacements I went the drilled/slotted route in hopes of dissipating the heat. They have worked flawless for 15,000 miles now. I also got the zinc coated rotors and I'm glad I did. They still look new and I did the swap on both cars well over a year ago.

Check with RCconcepts. I think that is the name. Orion got me onto that place for their reasonable prices. I did drilled/slotted zinc coated rotors and ceramic pads all the way around for $220 shipped to my door on my wifes car. On mine I only needed the rotors,,,,and they did drilled/slotted zinc coated rotors all the way around for $180 shipped to my door. Just couldn't beat it.

**blue02Z** · 07-22-2010, 11:20 AM

I hear a nice alternative to drilled is dempled(sp)

**Deezl SS** · 07-22-2010, 11:44 AM

I have a set from R1 Concepts off ebay. They were $250 shipped for all 4 brakes and rotors. The rotors are D/S and Zinc coated. The pads are ceramic. They've been on the car for 2 years and still look and work awesome.

**c5z28** · 07-23-2010, 05:23 PM

Cheapest that aren't made in china (supposedly) napa's. Used as throw aways for track days by some of the vette people.

**Firebirdjones** · 07-23-2010, 07:52 PM

Pfff, it's all china made anymore.

I used to stick with Raybestos for that very reason, (paid twice as much for them too) but I started getting crap from them too. Which is why I gave R1 Concepts a shot per the recommendation from Orion. Just as Deezl has tried them.

I have to say I couldn't be happier. I have heard that several vette guys have also used them and are happy with the results.

**Mr. Luos** · 07-23-2010, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Blackbird-WS6

brembo blanks

This is what I will be using.

**Firebirdjones** · 07-23-2010, 08:05 PM

Ya I've seen those. A bit pricey though. $500 just for rotors to go around the car. More than I want to spend for a wear item that I have to replace every 30,000 miles.

Probably not a big deal for a car that is a weekend toy that is rarely driven, but for a daily driver I have a hard time justifying the cost.

**Blackbird WS6** · 07-23-2010, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Ya I've seen those. A bit pricey though. $500 just for rotors to go around the car. More than I want to spend for a wear item that I have to replace every 30,000 miles.

Probably not a big deal for a car that is a weekend toy that is rarely driven, but for a daily driver I have a hard time justifying the cost.

those cheap rotors (drill or not) crack and will crack WAY before you hit that 30k mark, unless your real hard on the brakes i bet you could get more then 30k out of the blanks PLUS there night and day diff when compared stopping distance to the others, i understand there not cheap BUT you get what you pay for

**Firebirdjones** · 07-23-2010, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Blackbird-WS6

those cheap rotors (drill or not) crack and will crack WAY before you hit that 30k mark, unless your real hard on the breaks i bet you could get more then 30k out of the blanks PLUS there night and day diff when compared stopping distance to the others, i understand there not cheap BUT you get what you pay for

15,000 miles in now and on 2 different cars. No problems.

Don't care about stopping distances,,,I'm not hitting rallies with either car,,,they are just drivers

I just needed rotors that were drilled and slotted in an effort to dissipate heat, and it's working. Couldn't run blank rotors on either car with ceramic pads. They would warp within 50 miles, warrantied them with GM twice. Then did 1 set of cheapy china rotors from the store, then 2 sets of raybestos and it didn't matter. Finally got tired of the pulsating brakes so I made the leap. Once drilled and slotted were installed they have been great. Just my experiences with them. Probably won't look back now.

**Mr. Luos** · 07-23-2010, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Ya I've seen those. A bit pricey though. $500 just for rotors to go around the car. More than I want to spend for a wear item that I have to replace every 30,000 miles

Last I checked they roughly $75 each for the fronts.

Cooling is really not a problem with our cars. Damn near any car these days.

**djeazyg** · 07-24-2010, 06:56 AM

Pulsating brakes suck. The rotors on mine were warped when I bought it 2 years ago. Just now getting around to fixing it because I'm getting new rims for the car.

I went with the R1 Concepts. $240 all the way around with ceramic pads. My Z really only runs on the weekends and I don't run it real hard. Like I said, maybe the occasional light to light drag against one of those "wet fart in a coffee can" cars just to shut him up but that's about it.

Thanks for the advise guys. Very helpful.

**Firebirdjones** · 07-24-2010, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. Luos

Last I checked they roughly $75 each for the fronts.

Cooling is really not a problem with our cars. Damn near any car these days.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong Brembo's, but cheapest I see them at is $225 for a pair. But I suck at searching for stuff on these things.

I would have thought cooling wouldn't be a problem either. Guess what it came down to is the type of pad you run. I preferred the ceramic pads, for their low dust and their ability to have maximum stopping power without having to wait for them to heat up. They are designed to produce heat quickly for that reason. Sometimes that causes problems.
It's the pads that GM uses on most all of the newer cars, including 4th gens when they were new. You could go with a semi metallic pad, they don't generate heat as quickly, but you'll also notice it takes a couple of good stops to build heat in them and get them working like they should. Something the OEM manufacture can't have on a new car that needs to stop quickly the first time every time. Metallic pads are more suited for road racing where you are constantly building heat in the brakes.

GM had alot of warranty claims on 4th gens for warped rotors. I know mine was in there twice for it, within 50 miles. It's just the nature of the beast when using ceramic pads. I couldn't find blank rotors that were happy with the ceramic pads. That is until I tried these drilled and slotted.
I'll be honest here, I'm not much for flash, and didn't care to be looking at stuff like that, even if it was visible through the wheel. But as well as these drilled/slotted have performed I don't think I'll ever go back on the 4th gens. There is definately some form of heat dissipating difference.
On my classic cars I have no problems at all running blank rotors on the disc brake equipped cars. So I can't honestly tell you what the deal is on our 4th gens.
Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that still drives cars with manual drum brakes and I don't have a problem with that, so to have issues with a 4 wheel dics setup warping rotors should be unheard of. I simply don't ask much from my brakes. If I thought for a second I could get away with running blanks again on the 4th gens I'd do it in a heart beat. But I've found something that works for now.

**0rion** · 07-24-2010, 08:56 PM

Counting FBJ's 2 cars I know of 7 cars running slotted/drilled R1concept rotors and none of them have had any issues. I think almost all of them track the cars too so there are a few high speed stops in there...qwkgto runs them on his GTO and is running 9's @140's. I know the saying "you get what you pay for" but I don't know if it applies with those rotors. 7 different cars is a pretty decent sample group IMO and for none of them to have any problems is a pretty good sign.

**Blackbird WS6** · 07-24-2010, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

Counting FBJ's 2 cars I know of 7 cars running slotted/drilled R1concept rotors and none of them have had any issues. I think almost all of them track the cars too so there are a few high speed stops in there...qwkgto runs them on his GTO and is running 9's @140's. I know the saying "you get what you pay for" but I don't know if it applies with those rotors. 7 different cars is a pretty decent sample group IMO and for none of them to have any problems is a pretty good sign.

i understand....i when i said "you get what you pay for" it was just a random, wasnt saying those brands where bad or whatnot....as long as you buy something that is proven and not some junk just b/c it looks cool (lol) then you should be fine

**0rion** · 07-24-2010, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Blackbird-WS6

i understand....i when i said "you get what you pay for" it was just a random, wasnt saying those brands where bad or whatnot....as long as you buy something that is proven and not some junk just b/c it looks cool (lol) then you should be fine

I agree and understand what you were saying and that statement is true some or most of the time. Just not sure if it fits for these rotors though. I went in skeptical but with an open mind when I bought mine and I can honestly say I've been very happy with them. When I bought them I paid $180 shipped for all 4. Basically half price or less of most rotors and cheaper than putting stockers back on. I've had mine on 2 or 3 years I think.