Rotors Installed Backwards???? Help?

[chadski]

So,

Today a buddy who has a good amount of experience in auto shops and I installed my B7 A4 321mm Rotors (Drilled/Slotted), Stop-Teck SS Brake Lines and Pads on the Front to get rid of the puny 288mm OEM B6 set-up and terrible braking as well and New Zimmerman GeoMet Coated (not drilled/slotted) Rears With Pagid Ceramic Pads (recommended by my buddy who's the main Tech at my local Audi Dealership)....

After installing and bleeding and getting everything back on as well as using the OEM DOT 4 Brake Fluid, I just realized that I could have installed the Front Rotors on the wrong sides!

Directional is what I've read for Drilled and Slotted and I thought (by reading off A4mods.com) that the slanted patterns go Counter-Clockwise and the opposite way of what the wheel's direction in heading, meaning the curved drilled and slotted marks are actually moving forward and not "with the wheel's direction" if that makes any sense?

After reading diagrams on different set-ups and what not, I'm thinking I'll have to swap sides tomorrow. Luckily we got done late and he my buddy pretty much taught me how to do the full job....how critical is this and is this always wrong?

I hope this males sense and I will get pics up as soon as I can remember my Facebook password - pathetic, I know.

Any input would be GREATLY appreciated and would like to fix the issue before it could potential cause any problems. The brakes felt great and I took it easy to break them in but need to get it right and make sure I installed INCORRECTLY before doing the whole Front End again...

Thanks so much, and YES I FEEL RETARDED :-x

-Chad

**Stoked on the new full set-up though and looking forward to some niceeee braking quality regardless :)

[chadski]

After thinking about this in the shower, I realized how dumb of an approach I took at this.

From and INSTALLING PERSPECTIVE : of course with these Rotors they would be INSTALLED with the Curved Dimples/Drills/Slots facing Counter-Clockwise, so that when then vehicle starts moving, it will all be in sync and in moving in a fluid direction with the car.

After a quick read and last minute availability from my buddy saying get over here, grab your, parts and we'll knock it out....I just kept remembering the phrase Counter-Clockwise and this is why I believe they were put on that way.

Anyone know if there could be any damage caused or anything to take a look at before the switching sides of Rotors?

It will be easy now that it's all assembled, new SS lines in, and bled. So just get the New B7 Calipers off and switching the Rotors should take a solid 30 min. Is it bad to terribly bad to drive at all with the direction the front Rotors are installed currently? Gosh, we REALLY thought we nailed it and banged out a big job today...

Here are the photos..

FRONT B7A4 w/ S4 Anti-Rattle Clips/StopTech SS Lines/Meyle Drilled/Slotted Rotors/Ceramic Pads


REAR ZIMMERMAN GEOMET COATED w/ Stock Calipers and Pagid Ceramic Pads


Comparisons :))) (Minus S$ Anti-Rattle Clips)




Need your advice - ANY HELP, HELPS! Cheers and thanks again. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

-Chad

[evo_ski]

They are installed correctly it looks like. Here are my powerslot rotors installed correctly based on manufacturers part number and sticker.

[old guy]

It's the internal vanes that determine direction. If the internal vanes are straight the external drills and or slots do not matter.

Clicky click



From the link:

It is not possible to tell if a drilled rotor is installed properly, simply by observing the drill pattern. Different manufacturers use different patterns with spiral "arms" that appear to lean in either direction, regardless of the internal cooling fin orientation. For example, StopTech AeroRotors, used on their big brake kits, have a drill pattern that appears to lean to the front of the car. Porsche OEM rotors have a drill pattern that appears to lean to the back of the car. In both cases, the internal cooling fins are properly oriented, leaning backwards. But the drill pattern is opposite. This is why Porsche mechanics often install StopTech big brake kit rotors backwards, despite the big "L" and "R" stickers on the rotors! They're relying on the drill pattern, rather than the direction of the internal cooling vanes.

As with slotted rotors, one must check the direction of the internal cooling vanes in order to determine the proper orientation of drilled rotors.

[B6cool]

Agree with old guy it all depends on vanes. For example stop tech and brembo set up have the drill holes and slots moving in different direction.

[old guy]

If you aren't sure whether or not your rotors are directional it is very easy to check. Just insert a small screw driver into the vanes and observe the resulting angle. Obviously straight vanes are going to produce a 90° angle. If it leans toward the back of the car you have directional rotors that are correctly installed. It it leans toward the front of the car you have the rotor reversed.

[chadski]

This is why I LOVE this place! Thank you OldGuy and Evo!

The "vanes" are the in-between lines as you look straight down the Rotor from top view and if the Rotor is standing straight up correct? In my case, these Meyle vanes are showing completely STRAIGHT and not DIRECTIONAL or Slanted towards the Front or Rear and I will look further into the Manf. P/N's.

With this being said, I should be good to go?

Thank you guys!!! And this is GREAT news as I have a Million things to do around our new House today :)

-Chad

[old guy]

Yep. You are good to go

[evo_ski]

Glad OG posted that up. I was a bit mistaken. Glad you are good to go!

#i'monaphone

[chadski]

Just learned they are not Meyle but Zimmerman and R1 Concepts takes Zimmerman then Drills/Slots them after if chosen. Left a msg. to get the details and hopefully will be good to go! If not, it'll just be a little switch over and might re-bleed them one more time next weekend depending on how they are this week. So after talking with Audi_Nightrider (who sold them to me), learned I now have Zimmerman Front AND New Rears :)

Thanks Guys!

-Chad

[old guy]

For what it's worth I am running drilled Zimmerman rotors. They are non-directional. One side spirals toward the front. The other side spirals to ward the rear.