people also seem to forget that smaller rotors with less pistons and flat rotors can most often stop a wheel just as fast as a 10000 dollar setup, they both can lock the wheel. Big expensive brakes are just beneficial to do full blown stops over and over and not fade.
I used slotted rotors once and never again. They wore down the pads heaps quicker and you could feel the pad going over the slots thru the slightly pulsing brake pedal.
You get the lowest temp on a solid rotor because it works like a heat sink, but on the track at high speeds and heavy braking slotted is best because it allows the escape of gases and dust. This will give you more brake pad surface to make contacts which will make the car stop faster. Now on a everyday driver you go with either solid or for those that like to push it on the highway like I do drilled & slotted.
Bottom line: dots and slots add nothing but disc porn. They do nothing to improve braking performance. An ex colleague did his PhD on this and it's been proved by testing by a UK sports car manufacturer.
So basically for an everyday driver like myself, I’m sticking to my basic pads and rotors. No need for the fancy drilled and slotted stuff on my 2018 Nissan Murano. Just slap some good quality tires on there, with dependable, plain, quality, brakes and rotors. Thank you good sir.
For an everyday driver plus someone who occasionally tows a boat like myself, I'm upgrading to better & wider pads on my '16 F150. Just keep tires rotated & slap new ones on when needed. Sounds like drilled a/o slotted discs don't improve functionality enough to justify the extra cost.
@@caelenow2829 yeah, even with your knackered seals and metal to metal contact, total 15% increase in performance allows you full use of your pads instead of wasting that last 1mm. 🤣 I've seen bright yellow ones, I've heard these are good for a whole 100% increase, so good you can stop without discs or pads.
Good video. Best I’ve seen on the subject. Important point not discussed is that the cleaning effect provided by slots allows a more aggressive pad not used with street rotors due to grooving/off gassing-fade. Slotted rotors off gas fine and keep a smooth surface with aggressive metallics. Cryogenic treatment will also extend rotor life with aggressive pads.
I've just bought myself a full set of EBC drilled and slotted rotors and a set of EBC "Yellow stuff" pads for my Mazda CX-5. I reckon they have improved the stopping distance massively. I tow a 2 tonn caravan and can definitely tell the difference from the original OEM to EBC. Great video by the way! 👍🏻 😎🇬🇧
@@lexusgs4604 CX5 owner here. Outside the US where tongue standards are different these are rated for two tons. And with the turbo there’s 250hp and 320lb/ft torque from 1500-4000rpm…..so power wise, it’s better than many compact trucks
EBC sucks… we had slotted rotors and redstuff pads on a civic type r fk2. we were only driving „sporty“ on public roads (serpentines), didnt event brake too much. they went bad (overheated?) extremely quick, we were lucky to not have crashed. suddenly there was no more stopping power. the rotors had a blue colour to them when we checked them out. i also had the same ones on my 2016 WRX STI, even the stock rotors & pads had more grip… also the rotors deformed, didnt even do any sporty driving. if i brake at above 100km/h, the steering wheel is shaking. we have dba rotors & pads now, so far no issues & good performance
@@DerRusherI had good experience with EBC stuff . Just the Normal black stuff with their solid rotors. Direct OEM replacement. For street use (a bit sportier sometimes) There was an easily noticable difference compared to the OEM on my civic (8th gen. non-typeR) and I also replaced the OEM pads on my Mazda MX5 ND2 (with only 10k km) with Black stuff. And there IS a difference in the case of the MX5 too. Brake feels better and biting point much better now (there is actually one now) in my opinion. Maybe their other more expensive stuff doesn't worth the price, but I felt an immediate difference with their BlackStuff OEM replacement. I'm really glad I chenged them. BTW I'm not saying their black stuff or yellow stuff or whaterver are great products, maybe just on my 2 cars the OEM brake pads were really bad. On my 10th gen civc sport+ EU the OEM brakes are great for every day sportier use so there I will just continue to use the OEM ones.
Something that is pretty interesting is that the Porsche brake rotors that have a drilled appearance are actually cast that way from the factory. They're not actually drilled. This makes them stronger than the rotors that have been drilled. It's still just an appearance thing, though.
I admire what he has done with his video but it sadly does not leave a lot of room for originality now that he has covered the majority of engineering topics related to cars. 🤷♂️
I think his video would have been more complete if he had included the cryno treated (liquid nitrogen treated) rotors. They are available in basically all the variations of rotors mentioned. The greatest benefit of this treatment is the rotors are more durable and resistance to overheating.
For 2019 ford went to a flat rotors for the GT350 as they found that the drilled rotors did nothing for the car but eat the pads. The GT500 released with flat rotors Shortly after.
I've learned this when I started tracks days 15 years ago and save a lot because of this. Drilled is for looks and less reliable. If you are daily driving only in that car - get plain. If you are autocrossing or road coursing get slotted, good high temp capable pads and motul to prevent boiling.
I was told the holes also keep water from accumulating on the surface when driving through puddles of water 💧 as far as looks go cross Drilled and Slotted look the best 👌🏻 for me! I don't usually drive to work on a track but can go through puddles if water beating lil old ladies or guys that drive like them on daily streets looking way cooler than a mini van😛
Conclusion from this video: Aside from tires and brake pads, according to the rotor comparisons, the best design to help braking performance is the J-slotted rotor, "that gives you lot more pad bite." 7:33
Thank you, very genuinely explained. No marketing BS. My question still stays unanswered though. If I were to upgrade my OEM rotors just because they are undersized, so ends up warping with heat during downhill breaking. Very Common problem in Honda Odyssey’s. Should we stick with the plain rotors to avoid stress & cracking due to heat or go with drilled & slotted ones for better heat dissipation but prone to fracture under higher temperatures? Thanks in advance!
Upgrade your pads. If Brembo make their "Xtra" pads for your model, I would recommend them. Otherwise, Ferodo DS Performance pads. You could also consider Mintex M1144. All three are street legal. The "warping" you are experiencing is actually the oem pads making uneven deposits on the rotors. Leading to vibration that feels like warped discs. Fit new rotors when you upgrade the pads. Plain surface rotors will be fine and last longer...and be cheaper to buy. Focus your hard earned money on the pads. (Speaking from 22 years, 600,000 road miles and loads of trackday experience.)
Yeah, me too. Just purchased a set of "extreme duty" hybrid rotors. Putting them on next weekend. If the rotors last for at least 2 sets of pads, then I'll be going back to plain faced rotors
Sloted rotors keep the brake dust fron sticking to the outside of your wheels cross drilled help keep the tempature down on constant braking cools rotors faster besides looking great why would a 150k Porsche 911 have cross drilled and sloted if not for there performance besides looking great....
What about trucks pulling heavy load in the mountains ram 1500. I put drilled and slotted with raybestos hybrid pads and my stopping power increased by a good 40%.
Not a mention about water dispersal! I had a Honda 750 4 with Stainless Discs ( Rotors) absolutely F useless in the wet (changed them to drilled cast iron with the then in their infancy EBC sintered pads) like driving on a different planet...maybe we are blessed with a lot of rain in England but when you had to tweak the brakes every few seconds to keep the brakes hot and clear of water otherwise you put the front brake on and three or four white knuckle seconds later they would start gripping! Moto Guzzi had a brilliant anti lock brembo system with cast Iron drilled and slotted brake discs Twin ones at the front and single at the rear all drilled and slotted...absolutely first class.
To touch on something not explained: brake cooling. Slotted rotors do have a better brake cooling effect over plain rotors, but it does go hand in hand with thermal cracking and warping as explained. A slotted rotor will heat up faster which can cause warping and potentially cracking (cracking is rare and is usually caused but super hot metal being cooled very quickly causing the grains in the metal to contracted very quickly forming anywhere from a small microscopic crack to a larger crack, usually they’re hairline cracks) but the slots in the rotors circulate air cooling it more efficiently. To put in a visual explanation, say you heat two pieces of the same metal, one is say 1/4 inch thick and another is 1/8 inch thick and we put a fan on both pieces for cooling. The 1/8 inch thick will cool much fast because there is less mass. Now let’s take that same experiment and carve some grooves or slots into the 1/4 metal about 1/8 deep. The sections where the grooves are cut will cool faster and the cooling effect will start to spread throughout the whole piece. It will not cool as fast as the previous 1/8 inch thick metal but it will cool faster than the 1/4 inch thick piece. What basically is happening is you’re reducing the mass of a rotor and adding the variable of circulation into the mix so the rotor is sort of acting as it’s own cooling fan. Where it gets interesting is, yes a slotted rotor will heat up faster but it will also cool faster, where as a plain rotor will cool but retain more heat for long which will cause warping to occur quicker. Now this is based off Of very hard braking and constant use of brakes such as track use. In conclusion, if you have a daily driver then regular plain Jane brake rotors will suit you just fine, but if you do a lot of racing and driving on tracks, than a slotted rotor will be better suited for your vehicle. Side note: to crack any metal, even a brake rotor, you will have to heat it to the point it is almost red or is red and throw water or a cooling agent on it to cool it very quickly to cause a crack. If a crack if formed by regular driving then that rotor was not manufactured properly (a dud) or they are usually very cheap or very old rotors. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but a properly manufactured rotor should not crack under normal circumstances, but there are always outliers.
The real determining factor is the driver. Most drivers break too late and not hard enough. That’s why a more aggressive initial bite can make stopping distance shorter. Hawk pads and slotted rotors 👍🏼
Not bad. I would've liked to see some actual rotors instead of drawings on a white board. Car guys like to see car parts. : ) You were very knowledgeable for most of our braking concerns. I believe you left out my set of rotors and pads. Not all braking has to do with stopping from a high rate of speed or racing. I have the PowerStop z36 brake kit for my 2010 Xterra. Drilled and slotted. They are rated the best according to my research. This is a towing package as opposed to the z23 brake kit. I drive the Rocky Mountains and also go 4wheeling. My brakes are perfect for coming down the mountain at 70 mph, holding still on a steep rocky road or cleaning the dust while braking off road. Also if you replace the rotors, replace the calipers. I really like your point on tires. Get good tires. Hope you don't mind my feedback. I'm an educator. Keep up the good work! Very informative!!
@@thecarizon504 There is a channel called "Engineering Explained" that has a similar video with a whiteboard. Some people are saying you just did a copy of his video. I'm sure you did it yourself but the two videos are similar.
While working at Napa I was told by other countermen that ceramic pads glaze or "glass" over under extreme conditions such as towing heavy equipment with larger trucks (F-350s, GM 3500s, etc.). Is there any substance behind this claim? If so, ceramic probably wouldn't be the wisest choice for a car that sees some track time I'm assuming?
My understanding is that glazing happens at high temperatures, under heavy use as you mentioned. Metallic pads are supposed to be better at resisting fade/glazing at high temperatures. Ceramic pads are supposed to be better at keeping heat away from your brake fluid. There are also other complexities in choosing between the two, metallic are supposedly better when paired with slotted rotors, ceramics are better with plain rotors. Ceramic and metallic are sort of marketing designations, typically pads have a blend of metal and ceramic material. Really you want to select a pad from the manufacturer which was designed for track use because it will have the right blend to prevent glazing.
First thing I did on my '18 Equinox awd was install Nitto NT421Q's but the stock pads still don't have enough friction so I'm installing Hawk HPS 5.0 up front and EBC Yellowstuff in the rear. I'd rather out brake an accident than participate in it and I came up short two weeks ago in stock form hence the changes. I hope to have all of my parts in this week.
Thanks! Good to know. I purchased my truck with the hybrid rotors and only got about 30,000 out of the pads and they are looking rough. I also drive it in the winter and these aren’t very good because salt can build up in the holes and wear them out faster. Looks like I’ll be going back to OEM
fisrt thing i do in every car i buy is disconnect the ABS... that makes the car almost undriveable... every time you get up to threshold braking and start to skid a tire it lets the fucking brakes off and tries to send you thru the fence... id wager it cases a lot of accidents... and prevents few... anytime you hear someone say "the brakes went out" it means theyre a victim of ABS...
Its also good to remember any texture on the rotor such a slots and drills or dimples can cause more pad vibration this can lead to brake squeak or noisier braking overall. The quietest rotors are plan good quality. Top shelf with a decent set of pads. Also remember dust means they are working some of the pads with less dust also preform worse.
ive found basic ceramic pads dont work well cold and seem to slide (or fad) . dont like them and used organic pads untill recently trying ceramic/carbon and liking them.
The benefit of slotted it that it keeps your pad surface perfectly smooth/level which in turn keeps the rotors from getting any inconsistencies so you won't end up with that vibration or wobble that can typically happen when solid rotors heat up or wear over time. It keeps everything in fuller contact. You won't regret your choice.
Best information I've found on this topic. I'm in the market for new brakes for my high performance street car. Thinking I might go with blank rotors with sport pads and some stainless brake lines now. Can't justify the excessive wear with the slotted rotors. The car won't be seeing any track use. Thanks for the video!
I agree on the tires and pads being the most important ! .. and I also believe that slotted and drilled are quite reliable and dont offer too much worry about failure because every motorcycle I have bought came from the factory with drilled (Honda) or dual slotted discs (Yamaha) and they would not put them if they had fracture/failure issues. I also have not had issues with fast brake pad wear on eiter.. so I partly agree with you. Nice vid though, you are a good speaker.
You can't exactly compare motorcycle and car disks to be fair. Slotted and drilled factory rotors that are standard on some high end sports cars have been engineered to have high strength and resistance to cracking. Whereas aftermarket slotted and drilled rotors that you can buy for regular passenger cars are not always great quality and could be more prone to cracking than solid discs.
@@vxsr33 Fair enough. Quality varies for sure. So if one were to buy a brand with known good reputation it should be decent. And often original equipment parts are manufactured by third parties anyway so I would think this logic would be fine. Never had any issues at all with the ones I put on the 11' Pathfinder, they were still on it when i sold the vehicle. The pads were not great for bite, but thats an easy swap. I do regret using the companies' pads. Should have only purchased the rotors. I love that they did not rust.
This answer was a "duh dipshit" type answer... I didn't watch this to have someone say "your rotors don't matter" as... They STILL DO!!! Yes tires matter, but I'm looking for rotor information, not tire info. That's why I watched. No Thumbs up or Thumbs down from me... Suggestion: Next video... Just stick to the main topic!
i just changed out drilled and slotted for just slotted. I had the D and S rotors for 4 years. After inspecting them after I removed them, there was all kinds of fractures on the rotors around the drilled areas. Never going back to drilled.
Whatever you say. I will hold my ground on drilled or slotted break rotors. The best brands in my opinion is ATE, zimmerman and brembo. These once also have a coating of paint/metarial so it wont rust. Also one note: plan faced rotors WILL fade on track days after a few cornors or a long big downhill breaking on a hot summer day.
My breaks squeak bad I had the rotor and breaks switch 4x my calibers are fine. I take it to another place they tell me I need the upgraded rotors they said my rotors are getting to hot. I drive it 5hrs a day 5 days a week. I work my truck hard 2007 Chevy Suburban. Which one of those upgrades will help with break noise or does it matter? Any info is appreciated I'm searching videos now trying to find a solution.
Drilled and slotted discs are more prone to cracking due to thermal shock IMHO, ie if you drive through a big puddle when your brake discs are very hot and get cooled very fast, If you don't use the vehicle much and get glazing on discs and pads, the slotted can make the discs land pads ast longer I also do believe
Is this the same in wet weather performance? Because as you mentioned with slotted for example you are taking off a microscopic layer each time, surely that would do the same with any water to help contact with the pad and the rotor? Would that be accurate? Also how much higher (percentage) would the wear be? Would it be dependent on how sharp the edge is of the slot? Sharp vs smooth etc? Lastly what about straight slotted rotors vs angled / curved?
Let me get this straight and quick disclaimer to begin with. I do not use drilled or dimpled I personally don’t think they look good despite the marketing people say. I like slotted and for function and looks. Back to manufacturing. Think about this people..... You are paying extra money to have rotor material removed.
Great information -- having experienced brake fade when I was going way too hot under stress driving the cost is a good trade... brake pads are cheap where smashing your car because you failed to stop soon enough ... my ABS hardly trips on grippy surfaces with normal rotors as this is because my brake rotors are getting too hot... the only thing I not liking about the upgrade is the up front cost but if I keep up on my brake inspections and swap pads before they get burned up I'll easily get a fair amount of time on what I bought ... these are my cars 200k birthday present =)
wheels locking is the final word on stopping . wheels locking up really before tires would normally skid is also the issue and of course fading with heat . im running drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic/ carbon pads . never been happier , just have to see about the long run.
Got it right. Tyres are the key , 99.999999% of drivers will never use the brakes on their car to their fullest potential, the one time they do they will be very surprised, as will the person who has fitted drilled/slotted vented discs and super pads , because at 30 mph , when that child runs out they will find that it takes time for the pads to get upto temperature , this not a problem coming off the straight and into the hair pin turn at 130 mph because the pads will get upto temperature in a blink of an eye.
all i know is ive seen WAAAAY too many cars with cracked rotors if they are drilled. You get spider cracks and the rotors break.. pray youre not driving when they do and notice beforehand. You compromise the structural integrity of the rotor a bit. Unless youre rich and can afford to swap them out with new ones ALL the time and do so for racetracks and stuff then no.. you should pass on any drilled ones. Slotted are the way to go. Bit better than regular ones but hells no to drilled. And the ones thats drilled all over.. jesus fuck that.
Pads are more important than rotors. When I bought bad pads the break fade was bad, now with better pads the brake fade is still there but in a much lower level. So I didn’t need to chance all the system.
I like the teaching you did on this. Quite informative. However. As I drive a minivan on mountain roads, I found your video didn't cover real world driving. Not everyone has a car for the tracks. Can you update the information for those of us who don't have "performance " vehicles. Thanks.
If you're driving a minivan, go with OEM replacement parts. The manufacturer of your vehicle designed it to stop optimally with how they built it, so use the same thing. Otherwise, you may spend money that may not give a be worth it, or even make your vehicle brake less effectively.
Nowhere did I find anything till after I got them. Had I ever heard. That rust builds in the holes of drilled and slotted rotors. To the point it can sound like a bad wheel hub bearing. Now a year later I have to changed all my rotors. Just to get rid of the sound.
Remember -- The BRAKES stop the WHEELS -- but the TIRES stop the VEHICLE !!
a belt holds up the pants, but the belt loop holds up the belt.
And remember it's an engine (internal combustion engine)...."motor" is reserved for electric motors.
You're right
I've never thought about it that way. Nice!
people also seem to forget that smaller rotors with less pistons and flat rotors can most often stop a wheel just as fast as a 10000 dollar setup, they both can lock the wheel. Big expensive brakes are just beneficial to do full blown stops over and over and not fade.
8:45 the answer
XN FR you the fucking man
MVP
My hero
Ty
GOAT
how did you just talk for 10 minutes without having to do much editiing! You're a great speaker!!! Thanks for the information!
He talked very well, could be a very good teacher or reporter.
He "spoke" very well.
Agreed, he spoke well
I used slotted rotors once and never again. They wore down the pads heaps quicker and you could feel the pad going over the slots thru the slightly pulsing brake pedal.
That's a good thing, means it's doing its job properly. Just use better pads with the slotted rotas to reduce the pad wear.
What brand did you use? a reputable known brand or amazon specials?
@@toadamine if you want good pads you might wanna look at something like EBC Red or yellow stuff pads
Wow, he actually really knows what he's talking about & explained it very well
great video ... really annoying background music
You get the lowest temp on a solid rotor because it works like a heat sink, but on the track at high speeds and heavy braking slotted is best because it allows the escape of gases and dust. This will give you more brake pad surface to make contacts which will make the car stop faster. Now on a everyday driver you go with either solid or for those that like to push it on the highway like I do drilled & slotted.
Who cares
@@mikezappulla4092 obviously you because you responded. And, a lot of people, 😳🤔😂
@@mikezappulla4092 🤣🤣
@@mikezappulla4092everyone who watched this video presumably
@@mikezappulla4092 i do, he made a good comment unlike someone else...
What about drilled and slotted brake drums? 😏
Folks, unless you're driving a race car I'd stick with the plain rotors for all around safety and reliability
Bottom line: dots and slots add nothing but disc porn. They do nothing to improve braking performance.
An ex colleague did his PhD on this and it's been proved by testing by a UK sports car manufacturer.
this helped me tremendously in deciding. Thanks
So basically for an everyday driver like myself, I’m sticking to my basic pads and rotors. No need for the fancy drilled and slotted stuff on my 2018 Nissan Murano. Just slap some good quality tires on there, with dependable, plain, quality, brakes and rotors. Thank you good sir.
Haha yeah same conclusion. Great Video!
Same same. I've just bought Dba standard and bendix 4x4
For an everyday driver plus someone who occasionally tows a boat like myself, I'm upgrading to better & wider pads on my '16 F150. Just keep tires rotated & slap new ones on when needed. Sounds like drilled a/o slotted discs don't improve functionality enough to justify the extra cost.
Make sure you spray paint the calipers red. Although not mentioned in the video, the red color increases stopping power by 15%
@@caelenow2829 yeah, even with your knackered seals and metal to metal contact, total 15% increase in performance allows you full use of your pads instead of wasting that last 1mm. 🤣 I've seen bright yellow ones, I've heard these are good for a whole 100% increase, so good you can stop without discs or pads.
Great video. You forgot the Fred Flintstones breaking application.
You remind me of EE. good work
What a dumb ass
@@mikecastleberry9671 What a dumb remark.
haha yup.. nerdy guy explaining i see it.
Why would you say that's a dumb comment? This is exactly how EE started his channel and there is totally similarities. You have to start somewhere
Great video. The material was well presented. I learned something and that's always a good thing. Thank you.
Drilled rotors = heat dissipation
Slotted rotors= cleaner surfaces of water dust or a mix of both.
Hybrid = a mix of both
Enjoyed the video but please -- lose the music! I'm listening through earphones, and the music is really, really distracting.
That was packed full of info we could use. Thanks, I'm sticking with plain rotors and hi quality ceramic pads.
Stop buying slotted or drilled rotors and install a duct instead to use with plain rotors
I buy plain average rotors and top akebono brake pads.
Good video. Best I’ve seen on the subject. Important point not discussed is that the cleaning effect provided by slots allows a more aggressive pad not used with street rotors due to grooving/off gassing-fade. Slotted rotors off gas fine and keep a smooth surface with aggressive metallics. Cryogenic treatment will also extend rotor life with aggressive pads.
Well said! Totally agree
I've just bought myself a full set of EBC drilled and slotted rotors and a set of EBC "Yellow stuff" pads for my Mazda CX-5. I reckon they have improved the stopping distance massively. I tow a 2 tonn caravan and can definitely tell the difference from the original OEM to EBC. Great video by the way! 👍🏻 😎🇬🇧
You tow a 2 ton caravan with a cx5? Aren't those only rated for 1 ton? It must be extremely slow
@@lexusgs4604 CX5 owner here. Outside the US where tongue standards are different these are rated for two tons. And with the turbo there’s 250hp and 320lb/ft torque from 1500-4000rpm…..so power wise, it’s better than many compact trucks
EBC sucks… we had slotted rotors and redstuff pads on a civic type r fk2. we were only driving „sporty“ on public roads (serpentines), didnt event brake too much. they went bad (overheated?) extremely quick, we were lucky to not have crashed. suddenly there was no more stopping power. the rotors had a blue colour to them when we checked them out. i also had the same ones on my 2016 WRX STI, even the stock rotors & pads had more grip… also the rotors deformed, didnt even do any sporty driving. if i brake at above 100km/h, the steering wheel is shaking.
we have dba rotors & pads now, so far no issues & good performance
@@DerRusherI had good experience with EBC stuff . Just the Normal black stuff with their solid rotors. Direct OEM replacement. For street use (a bit sportier sometimes) There was an easily noticable difference compared to the OEM on my civic (8th gen. non-typeR) and I also replaced the OEM pads on my Mazda MX5 ND2 (with only 10k km) with Black stuff. And there IS a difference in the case of the MX5 too. Brake feels better and biting point much better now (there is actually one now) in my opinion. Maybe their other more expensive stuff doesn't worth the price, but I felt an immediate difference with their BlackStuff OEM replacement. I'm really glad I chenged them.
BTW I'm not saying their black stuff or yellow stuff or whaterver are great products, maybe just on my 2 cars the OEM brake pads were really bad. On my 10th gen civc sport+ EU the OEM brakes are great for every day sportier use so there I will just continue to use the OEM ones.
Shock absorbers are also often overlooked in their role due to resistance to anti dive etc
Thorough yet concise information. This was a great primer to see before I called around to get pricing on new rotors for my car. Thank you!!!
Something that is pretty interesting is that the Porsche brake rotors that have a drilled appearance are actually cast that way from the factory. They're not actually drilled. This makes them stronger than the rotors that have been drilled. It's still just an appearance thing, though.
I checked this out on my nephew's old '05 Cayenne. Interesting idea.
Bro! U made me take this ride and didn't even give us an answer? 😭😭😭😭 WHICH ROTORS?... And then a thumbs up I'll give lol
It's basically you get what you want or need.there is no answer
Well explained ! U earned a Sub.
Great video! You answered all the questions that I had and have saved me money and possibly headaches. Thanks so much.
Thank you so much very informative and very intelligent video I appreciate you taking the time out very important info thank you
Engineering Explained imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Is EE the only one allowed to preach in front of a white board?
No, just saying it’s a good method and well done.
I admire what he has done with his video but it sadly does not leave a lot of room for originality now that he has covered the majority of engineering topics related to cars. 🤷♂️
@@thecarizon504 I think your video was more concise and focused. Good job!
The Carizon
At least he can spell properly.
I think his video would have been more complete if he had included the cryno treated (liquid nitrogen treated) rotors. They are available in basically all the variations of rotors mentioned. The greatest benefit of this treatment is the rotors are more durable and resistance to overheating.
For 2019 ford went to a flat rotors for the GT350 as they found that the drilled rotors did nothing for the car but eat the pads. The GT500 released with flat rotors Shortly after.
thank you very much, 10 mins spend to consume gold like knowledge!
Mind Blown - I need to rethink my life now !!!
I've learned this when I started tracks days 15 years ago and save a lot because of this. Drilled is for looks and less reliable. If you are daily driving only in that car - get plain. If you are autocrossing or road coursing get slotted, good high temp capable pads and motul to prevent boiling.
Rogan how about make the slots on a plain one, obviously with an expert on it vs buy a slotted one ?
Do you think ppl are buying them for the science. Its all aesthetics for 99.9% of population.
The most important factor for rotors is corrosion. Coating the non-braking surfaces helps prevent corrosion of rotors.
I was told the holes also keep water from accumulating on the surface when driving through puddles of water 💧 as far as looks go cross Drilled and Slotted look the best 👌🏻 for me!
I don't usually drive to work on a track but can go through puddles if water beating lil old ladies or guys that drive like them on daily streets looking way cooler than a mini van😛
Well put mate 👌👍
Top tier autozone and Napa auto brakes serve me well, less brake dust and more stopping power
Plain. Cheaper to make, long lasting. Choose trusted maker, Febi Bilstein par exemple. Made in Germany.
Oh, yeah: it's boring.. :-)
Engineering explained 😂
Chris Navarro 😂😭
@@marcucito well hello there mister serious
Great value engineering explained lol he did good tho.
I just saved myself approx. $2 to $3,000. Flat rotors it is.
Yep!
Conclusion from this video: Aside from tires and brake pads, according to the rotor comparisons, the best design to help braking performance is the J-slotted rotor, "that gives you lot more pad bite." 7:33
Glad I subscribed to this channel so early. I think this channel is gonna take off. Great video.
excellent!. tires and pads. stock rotors are good to go.
Pfft…brakes are for quitters.
You look like the guy from Grandma's Boy who challenges Nick Swardson to DDR
😂😂😂
Thanks for the clear explanation!
Thank you, very genuinely explained. No marketing BS. My question still stays unanswered though. If I were to upgrade my OEM rotors just because they are undersized, so ends up warping with heat during downhill breaking. Very Common problem in Honda Odyssey’s. Should we stick with the plain rotors to avoid stress & cracking due to heat or go with drilled & slotted ones for better heat dissipation but prone to fracture under higher temperatures? Thanks in advance!
I second that question.
Upgrade your pads. If Brembo make their "Xtra" pads for your model, I would recommend them.
Otherwise, Ferodo DS Performance pads.
You could also consider Mintex M1144.
All three are street legal.
The "warping" you are experiencing is actually the oem pads making uneven deposits on the rotors. Leading to vibration that feels like warped discs.
Fit new rotors when you upgrade the pads. Plain surface rotors will be fine and last longer...and be cheaper to buy.
Focus your hard earned money on the pads.
(Speaking from 22 years, 600,000 road miles and loads of trackday experience.)
Excellent i learned a lot with this video i was about to order drilled rotor for my land rover but not anymore thank you.
Engineering explained?
Jerry Miller walmart version
Wish I would of seen this sooner I just got some drilled rotors lol now I'm worried about cracking.
Yeah, me too. Just purchased a set of "extreme duty" hybrid rotors. Putting them on next weekend. If the rotors last for at least 2 sets of pads, then I'll be going back to plain faced rotors
Sloted rotors keep the brake dust fron sticking to the outside of your wheels cross drilled help keep the tempature down on constant braking cools rotors faster besides looking great why would a 150k Porsche 911 have cross drilled and sloted if not for there performance besides looking great....
What about trucks pulling heavy load in the mountains ram 1500. I put drilled and slotted with raybestos hybrid pads and my stopping power increased by a good 40%.
you forgot to mention that you can determine the life cycle of the slotted rotors by their fade/wear of the slots themselves.
Thanks for breaking it down so easy and informative, no pun intended
Not a mention about water dispersal! I had a Honda 750 4 with Stainless Discs ( Rotors) absolutely F useless in the wet (changed them to drilled cast iron with the then in their infancy EBC sintered pads) like driving on a different planet...maybe we are blessed with a lot of rain in England but when you had to tweak the brakes every few seconds to keep the brakes hot and clear of water otherwise you put the front brake on and three or four white knuckle seconds later they would start gripping! Moto Guzzi had a brilliant anti lock brembo system with cast Iron drilled and slotted brake discs Twin ones at the front and single at the rear all drilled and slotted...absolutely first class.
To touch on something not explained: brake cooling.
Slotted rotors do have a better brake cooling effect over plain rotors, but it does go hand in hand with thermal cracking and warping as explained.
A slotted rotor will heat up faster which can cause warping and potentially cracking (cracking is rare and is usually caused but super hot metal being cooled very quickly causing the grains in the metal to contracted very quickly forming anywhere from a small microscopic crack to a larger crack, usually they’re hairline cracks) but the slots in the rotors circulate air cooling it more efficiently.
To put in a visual explanation, say you heat two pieces of the same metal, one is say 1/4 inch thick and another is 1/8 inch thick and we put a fan on both pieces for cooling. The 1/8 inch thick will cool much fast because there is less mass. Now let’s take that same experiment and carve some grooves or slots into the 1/4 metal about 1/8 deep. The sections where the grooves are cut will cool faster and the cooling effect will start to spread throughout the whole piece. It will not cool as fast as the previous 1/8 inch thick metal but it will cool faster than the 1/4 inch thick piece.
What basically is happening is you’re reducing the mass of a rotor and adding the variable of circulation into the mix so the rotor is sort of acting as it’s own cooling fan.
Where it gets interesting is, yes a slotted rotor will heat up faster but it will also cool faster, where as a plain rotor will cool but retain more heat for long which will cause warping to occur quicker.
Now this is based off Of very hard braking and constant use of brakes such as track use.
In conclusion, if you have a daily driver then regular plain Jane brake rotors will suit you just fine, but if you do a lot of racing and driving on tracks, than a slotted rotor will be better suited for your vehicle.
Side note: to crack any metal, even a brake rotor, you will have to heat it to the point it is almost red or is red and throw water or a cooling agent on it to cool it very quickly to cause a crack. If a crack if formed by regular driving then that rotor was not manufactured properly (a dud) or they are usually very cheap or very old rotors. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but a properly manufactured rotor should not crack under normal circumstances, but there are always outliers.
The real determining factor is the driver. Most drivers break too late and not hard enough. That’s why a more aggressive initial bite can make stopping distance shorter. Hawk pads and slotted rotors 👍🏼
well said, tires will almost win over other similar mods
Not bad. I would've liked to see some actual rotors instead of drawings on a white board. Car guys like to see car parts. : ) You were very knowledgeable for most of our braking concerns. I believe you left out my set of rotors and pads. Not all braking has to do with stopping from a high rate of speed or racing. I have the PowerStop z36 brake kit for my 2010 Xterra. Drilled and slotted. They are rated the best according to my research. This is a towing package as opposed to the z23 brake kit. I drive the Rocky Mountains and also go 4wheeling. My brakes are perfect for coming down the mountain at 70 mph, holding still on a steep rocky road or cleaning the dust while braking off road. Also if you replace the rotors, replace the calipers. I really like your point on tires. Get good tires. Hope you don't mind my feedback. I'm an educator. Keep up the good work! Very informative!!
Is this engineering explained from wish?
😂😂😂😂
No... just dont... This is an attempt to do an engineering explained but just with alot less actual engineering.
And what exactly do you mean by "Engineering"?
@@thecarizon504 There is a channel called "Engineering Explained" that has a similar video with a whiteboard. Some people are saying you just did a copy of his video. I'm sure you did it yourself but the two videos are similar.
While working at Napa I was told by other countermen that ceramic pads glaze or "glass" over under extreme conditions such as towing heavy equipment with larger trucks (F-350s, GM 3500s, etc.). Is there any substance behind this claim? If so, ceramic probably wouldn't be the wisest choice for a car that sees some track time I'm assuming?
My understanding is that glazing happens at high temperatures, under heavy use as you mentioned. Metallic pads are supposed to be better at resisting fade/glazing at high temperatures. Ceramic pads are supposed to be better at keeping heat away from your brake fluid. There are also other complexities in choosing between the two, metallic are supposedly better when paired with slotted rotors, ceramics are better with plain rotors.
Ceramic and metallic are sort of marketing designations, typically pads have a blend of metal and ceramic material. Really you want to select a pad from the manufacturer which was designed for track use because it will have the right blend to prevent glazing.
So thanks for watching buy tyres
Very nice and informative
how about a history note. in 1950-1952. chrysler had discs on the imperial. but it was internal disc not external.
First thing I did on my '18 Equinox awd was install Nitto NT421Q's but the stock pads still don't have enough friction so I'm installing Hawk HPS 5.0 up front and EBC Yellowstuff in the rear. I'd rather out brake an accident than participate in it and I came up short two weeks ago in stock form hence the changes. I hope to have all of my parts in this week.
Thanks! Good to know. I purchased my truck with the hybrid rotors and only got about 30,000 out of the pads and they are looking rough. I also drive it in the winter and these aren’t very good because salt can build up in the holes and wear them out faster. Looks like I’ll be going back to OEM
For trucks brakes you can try geobrakes.com they sell all oem brakes
@@limodxb9177no they dont...no x7 parts
fisrt thing i do in every car i buy is disconnect the ABS... that makes the car almost undriveable... every time you get up to threshold braking and start to skid a tire it lets the fucking brakes off and tries to send you thru the fence... id wager it cases a lot of accidents... and prevents few... anytime you hear someone say "the brakes went out" it means theyre a victim of ABS...
Its also good to remember any texture on the rotor such a slots and drills or dimples can cause more pad vibration this can lead to brake squeak or noisier braking overall. The quietest rotors are plan good quality. Top shelf with a decent set of pads. Also remember dust means they are working some of the pads with less dust also preform worse.
ive found basic ceramic pads dont work well cold and seem to slide (or fad) . dont like them and used organic pads untill recently trying ceramic/carbon and liking them.
Really nice video, wish I had saw before I purchased slotted for my daily driver pickup.
The benefit of slotted it that it keeps your pad surface perfectly smooth/level which in turn keeps the rotors from getting any inconsistencies so you won't end up with that vibration or wobble that can typically happen when solid rotors heat up or wear over time. It keeps everything in fuller contact. You won't regret your choice.
Best information I've found on this topic. I'm in the market for new brakes for my high performance street car. Thinking I might go with blank rotors with sport pads and some stainless brake lines now. Can't justify the excessive wear with the slotted rotors. The car won't be seeing any track use. Thanks for the video!
Exactly what i'm thinking too. Any updates after 3 years? lol
Excellent : informative
Very good information and make sense too.
I agree on the tires and pads being the most important ! .. and I also believe that slotted and drilled are quite reliable and dont offer too much worry about failure because every motorcycle I have bought came from the factory with drilled (Honda) or dual slotted discs (Yamaha) and they would not put them if they had fracture/failure issues. I also have not had issues with fast brake pad wear on eiter.. so I partly agree with you. Nice vid though, you are a good speaker.
Well said!
You can't exactly compare motorcycle and car disks to be fair.
Slotted and drilled factory rotors that are standard on some high end sports cars have been engineered to have high strength and resistance to cracking. Whereas aftermarket slotted and drilled rotors that you can buy for regular passenger cars are not always great quality and could be more prone to cracking than solid discs.
@@vxsr33 Fair enough. Quality varies for sure. So if one were to buy a brand with known good reputation it should be decent. And often original equipment parts are manufactured by third parties anyway so I would think this logic would be fine. Never had any issues at all with the ones I put on the 11' Pathfinder, they were still on it when i sold the vehicle. The pads were not great for bite, but thats an easy swap. I do regret using the companies' pads. Should have only purchased the rotors. I love that they did not rust.
This answer was a "duh dipshit" type answer... I didn't watch this to have someone say "your rotors don't matter" as... They STILL DO!!! Yes tires matter, but I'm looking for rotor information, not tire info. That's why I watched. No Thumbs up or Thumbs down from me... Suggestion: Next video... Just stick to the main topic!
He missed one big con on drilled rotors is that it loses a lot of surface area and are more prone to cracking
i just changed out drilled and slotted for just slotted. I had the D and S rotors for 4 years. After inspecting them after I removed them, there was all kinds of fractures on the rotors around the drilled areas. Never going back to drilled.
Whatever you say. I will hold my ground on drilled or slotted break rotors. The best brands in my opinion is ATE, zimmerman and brembo. These once also have a coating of paint/metarial so it wont rust.
Also one note: plan faced rotors WILL fade on track days after a few cornors or a long big downhill breaking on a hot summer day.
Hello I'm a ironworker, are the rotors tempered or hardened? If not so I can slot mine
Excellent Video,, very very informative
My breaks squeak bad I had the rotor and breaks switch 4x my calibers are fine. I take it to another place they tell me I need the upgraded rotors they said my rotors are getting to hot. I drive it 5hrs a day 5 days a week. I work my truck hard 2007 Chevy Suburban. Which one of those upgrades will help with break noise or does it matter? Any info is appreciated I'm searching videos now trying to find a solution.
Drilled and slotted discs are more prone to cracking due to thermal shock IMHO, ie if you drive through a big puddle when your brake discs are very hot and get cooled very fast,
If you don't use the vehicle much and get glazing on discs and pads, the slotted can make the discs land pads ast longer I also do believe
Is this the same in wet weather performance? Because as you mentioned with slotted for example you are taking off a microscopic layer each time, surely that would do the same with any water to help contact with the pad and the rotor? Would that be accurate?
Also how much higher (percentage) would the wear be? Would it be dependent on how sharp the edge is of the slot? Sharp vs smooth etc?
Lastly what about straight slotted rotors vs angled / curved?
Let me get this straight and quick disclaimer to begin with. I do not use drilled or dimpled I personally don’t think they look good despite the marketing people say.
I like slotted and for function and looks.
Back to manufacturing. Think about this people.....
You are paying extra money to have rotor material removed.
Great information -- having experienced brake fade when I was going way too hot under stress driving the cost is a good trade... brake pads are cheap where smashing your car because you failed to stop soon enough ... my ABS hardly trips on grippy surfaces with normal rotors as this is because my brake rotors are getting too hot... the only thing I not liking about the upgrade is the up front cost but if I keep up on my brake inspections and swap pads before they get burned up I'll easily get a fair amount of time on what I bought ... these are my cars 200k birthday present =)
Someone has EBC yellow stuff brake pads @ 9:12 :)
wheels locking is the final word on stopping . wheels locking up really before tires would normally skid is also the issue and of course fading with heat . im running drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic/ carbon pads . never been happier , just have to see about the long run.
How’s it been since this comment. I’m debating on some plain ones or some slotted and dimpled ones just can’t decide
This guy's never driven a yoga with that ending. It's like "must stop like a 3/4 ton with a box of rocks" is in the design specifications.
Thank you for explaining that really well👏🏽 I am sharing your video with my mates 😎
Good video thanks for the information
Got it right. Tyres are the key , 99.999999% of drivers will never use the brakes on their car to their fullest potential, the one time they do they will be very surprised, as will the person who has fitted drilled/slotted vented discs and super pads , because at 30 mph , when that child runs out they will find that it takes time for the pads to get upto temperature , this not a problem coming off the straight and into the hair pin turn at 130 mph because the pads will get upto temperature in a blink of an eye.
all i know is ive seen WAAAAY too many cars with cracked rotors if they are drilled. You get spider cracks and the rotors break.. pray youre not driving when they do and notice beforehand. You compromise the structural integrity of the rotor a bit. Unless youre rich and can afford to swap them out with new ones ALL the time and do so for racetracks and stuff then no.. you should pass on any drilled ones. Slotted are the way to go. Bit better than regular ones but hells no to drilled. And the ones thats drilled all over.. jesus fuck that.
Pads are more important than rotors. When I bought bad pads the break fade was bad, now with better pads the brake fade is still there but in a much lower level. So I didn’t need to chance all the system.
This seems oddly familiar....
He might as well named his channel "Engineering Described"
I like the teaching you did on this. Quite informative. However. As I drive a minivan on mountain roads, I found your video didn't cover real world driving. Not everyone has a car for the tracks. Can you update the information for those of us who don't have "performance " vehicles. Thanks.
If you're driving a minivan, go with OEM replacement parts. The manufacturer of your vehicle designed it to stop optimally with how they built it, so use the same thing. Otherwise, you may spend money that may not give a be worth it, or even make your vehicle brake less effectively.
@@Kenosha01 Agree. They are outside the design/use specs. :D
Nowhere did I find anything till after I got them. Had I ever heard. That rust builds in the holes of drilled and slotted rotors. To the point it can sound like a bad wheel hub bearing. Now a year later I have to changed all my rotors. Just to get rid of the sound.
You've just earned yourself a subscriber. Thank you.
Very well spoken and informative. Anyone could watch the video and be knowledgeable enough to make an informed decision.