Drilled vs slotted vs D&S vs OEM

[Waffles_s4]

Been reading about the variations of rotors, and many say the drilled rotors can crack under heavy breaking and that the slotted rotors offer better overall value.

What do you guys think about drilled rotors, have you ever seen any crack, and do you actually brake hard in general?



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[JACKAL]

You are definitely running a higher risk of cracking when you have a drilled rotor if it isn't made well (chamfers on drill holes, location of holes relative to vanes, etc.). That said, I have D*S on the front of my car with 10k on them and no issues. Proper bed-in in important no matter what you choose for a configuration though. If you want the most peace of mind, I'd stick with OEM. If you want something for appearances, slotted is a less-risky option than drilled. Dimpled may also be something to consider as an alternative to fully drilled rotors.

[Envy187]

OEM's been amazing, especially through our harsh Canadian winters. Stopping power...longevity...aesthetics afterward once all the salt's off the roads, etc. I've had pals with slotted/drilled rotors and you don't want to see what they look like once the spring comes around.

If you plan on driving your car through all possible seasons, I'd recommend OEM.

[Waffles_s4]

You are definitely running a higher risk of cracking when you have a drilled rotor if it isn't made well (chamfers on drill holes, location of holes relative to vanes, etc.). That said, I have D*S on the front of my car with 10k on them and no issues. Proper bed-in in important no matter what you choose for a configuration though. If you want the most peace of mind, I'd stick with OEM. If you want something for appearances, slotted is a less-risky option than drilled. Dimpled may also be something to consider as an alternative to fully drilled rotors.

How did you exactly bed in yours?

My front disks look OKish, am getting the Akebono ceramics for less dust, but I also read the slotted and/or D+S can help a lot too with the dust. I am aware that braking power is actually more achieved with the brake pads at this point than a D+S rotor. Heat dissipation: am not so sure, I read many posts that say it def helps, where others mention it is actually worse than OEM.

Looks wise, well, who does not like the looks of the D+S rotors? They do look fantastic versus OEM.

[Waffles_s4]

OEM's been amazing, especially through our harsh Canadian winters. Stopping power...longevity...aesthetics afterward once all the salt's off the roads, etc. I've had pals with slotted/drilled rotors and you don't want to see what they look like once the spring comes around.

If you plan on driving your car through all possible seasons, I'd recommend OEM.

Please elaborate. Not sure why winters would make them worse..? The drillers and slotted are supposed to be better with water (not sure about snow though).

EDIT: also which brand did you get?

[Envy187]

Please elaborate. Not sure why winters would make them worse..? The drillers and slotted are supposed to be better with water (not sure about snow though).

I'm referring to what the salt & brine does to drilled/slotted rotors versus what they do to OEM rotors. As OEM ones are "full" and don't have areas for salt & brine to get in between, they don't rust as much and are not as fragile over time...retaining their longevity.

There's a reason you don't see drilled/slotted rotors often on everyday vehicles, let alone on vehicles in areas with winter the majority of the year.

[Waffles_s4]

I'm referring to what the salt & brine does to drilled/slotted rotors versus what they do to OEM rotors. As OEM ones are "full" and don't have areas for salt & brine to get in between, they don't rust as much and are not as fragile over time...retaining their longevity.

There's a reason you don't see drilled/slotted rotors often on everyday vehicles, let alone on vehicles in areas with winter the majority of the year.

But I also thought the drilled and slotted would actually help in terms of salt and other in that they wont let it get stuck between the pads and rotors. I will post pics of my OEM rotors which went through 4 winters shortly.

[Envy187]

But I also thought the drilled and slotted would actually help in terms of salt and other in that they wont let it get stuck between the pads and rotors. I will post pics of my OEM rotors which went through 4 winters shortly.

If you park in a garage most days/nights, I can see how having drilled & slotted would cause the the salt & brine to eat away at such rotors...but so long as you do your due diligence, keep your vehicle outdoors below freezing, and try to keep the rotors as clean as possible...you should be alright. Good luck!

[Waffles_s4]

Well here is a pic of my rotors, have not taken the pads apart to check.

Might try to resurface the rotors, but it looks like the pads are not happy and they messing up my rotors in the process.

Still debating to try and resurface or just slap new rotors with the new pads (or even get new rotors and resurface these to be spares)

20190722_145430.jpg


20190722_145414.jpg

[grovlet]

So a few thoughts from a guy who runs Slotted on all 3 of my cars - and 2 are DDs - driven EVERYDAY (even in winter).....

#1 - As noted Drilled is the highest concern for issues - slotted is just fine - I've never had any issue with cracks/or breakage at all over thousands of miles - just make sure to pick a well known rotor brand - so you don't end up with a knock off Chinese product....
#2 - As to rusting - simple - Choose a rotor that offers at least a "Zinc" coating as well as one that has painted / coated hubs and not just zinc coating the rotor surface
#3 - Technically a blank rotor has the most surface area - so likely the "Best" option as braking is all about surface area.... But a well designed rotor will dissipate heat well anyways (proper veining is important here) - but I do find slotted helps to create edges that seem to clean the pads - and it does also seem to help in wet conditions to keep water at bay too - Stopping power is not an issue at all - and I drive my cars like they're stolen all the time....

I suggest avoiding drilled - but slotted is just fine to give that little extra for appearances - as well as a good trade off for some added pad cleaning / water dissipation. All my cars have performance pads (Porterfield R4S is my choice) and stainless lines added as well.

I suggest Stoptech Cryo Treated Rotors - the Cryo Treatment adds protection to help keep temps down as well as keeping the rotors rust and dirt free for a long time - they still look almost new after 2+ years and 2 winters on my cars.

[Waffles_s4]

So a few thoughts from a guy who runs Slotted on all 3 of my cars - and 2 are DDs - driven EVERYDAY (even in winter).....

#1 - As noted Drilled is the highest concern for issues - slotted is just fine - I've never had any issue with cracks/or breakage at all over thousands of miles - just make sure to pick a well known rotor brand - so you don't end up with a knock off Chinese product....
#2 - As to rusting - simple - Choose a rotor that offers at least a "Zinc" coating as well as one that has painted / coated hubs and not just zinc coating the rotor surface
#3 - Technically a blank rotor has the most surface area - so likely the "Best" option as braking is all about surface area.... But a well designed rotor will dissipate heat well anyways (proper veining is important here) - but I do find slotted helps to create edges that seem to clean the pads - and it does also seem to help in wet conditions to keep water at bay too - Stopping power is not an issue at all - and I drive my cars like they're stolen all the time....

I suggest avoiding drilled - but slotted is just fine to give that little extra for appearances - as well as a good trade off for some added pad cleaning / water dissipation. All my cars have performance pads (Porterfield R4S is my choice) and stainless lines added as well.

I suggest Stoptech Cryo Treated Rotors - the Cryo Treatment adds protection to help keep temps down as well as keeping the rotors rust and dirt free for a long time - they still look almost new after 2+ years and 2 winters on my cars.

Thanks. In Canada it's hard to find a good selection, and sometimes we are limited to a few brands.

BTW, the slotted and drilled are practically the same price for ECS rotors as the slotted-only ones. Still doing more research though. I would agree slotted would be the best option, but I will miss the nice looks of the drilled ones. My cars are always garaged, summer and winter.

I checked the thickness of my pads, am assuming they were changed, and the old ones caused the damage in pics above. Previous owner probably ran them very thin for a while with zero maintenance. I will check the caliper boots and all.

[proxemus]

Run blank rotors. Cheap they don't break they don't reduce your pad life, oh did I mention cheap? Biggest thing that makes a rotor (good) is venting. Venting is key. Look at F1 disks. They have a billion small holes drilled all around so they can dissipate heat properly with out ( drilling or slotting) the rotor because that reduces brake contact with the rotor and reduces pad life. Unless your running a shit ton of autocross or doing insane braking just get what ever rotor you want I suggest Zimmerman, good rep pretty good venting ( some cheap ones have a lot of impurities in there castings if you look at the venting) Biggest thing that makes difference is pad selection pad selection changes everything. also ECS brakes suck.