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#1
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Drilled/Slotted Rotors
How important is it to have drilled and slotted rotors on the SVX? Are the OEM rotors like that, or are they normal? Whiel it's nice to have additional cooling on the breaks, if they're not necessary, i'm not a race car driver, and an extra 200+$ for them doesn't seem worth it. Thanks.
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#2
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It isn't, and the people who buy them are not, for the most part, race car drivers either. I mean no disrespect towards the people on this site, but the vast majority buy slotted and drilled rotors because they look cool, not because they've been proven to actually work better on the car.
Do they work 'better?' The best any of us could honestly say is maybe. As far as I know, nobody's actually tested how slots and/or holes affect stopping distance, brake temperature and longevity. I intend to buy new brakes for my SVX very shortly. I will either have them slotted or leave them solid. Honestly, I'm waiting on my own unscientific study to decide. My friend and I put slotted rotors on his car, which we will both be autocrossing this year, and I'm waiting to see how that affects the car.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
#3
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I put the eBay drilled/slotted rotors on my car, since because with the Axxis pads and s/s lines, they were still cheaper than AutoZone cheapies, and also because they were cad plated, so they wouldn't rust, etc.
(Just type "SVX" into an eBay search, they're all over the first page currently). Drilled and slotted rotors do help expel gasses from building up between the pad and rotor, and help keep the pads from aquaplaning on the rotors (a problem in some cars). Honestly on the street the better braking I notice is simply from having newer equipment and better pads, I don't attribute any of it to the rotors themselves in my case. Now, but actual "big" brake kits, etc, when used on the track, drilling and/or slotting will make a difference in heat dissipation, which will aid in braking distances as well as brake longevity. One last note: Drilled rotors crack, and slotted rotors are very tough on pads. There are a handfull of rotors out there where the holes are cast in, instead of drilled in after the fact, and this helps, but they're very expensive. Porsche OE rotors and Slot*It are the only ones I'm aware of. I don't know whether rotors which are "dimpled" instead of drilled are as effective at dissipating heat or water, or at crack resistance. Good luck!
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'92 Pearl White LS-L Touring SOLD 4.44 Swap, trans cooler, trans filter, trans temp gauge Color-matched rear body and spoiler, X-drilled and slotted rotors, Axis pads, s/s lines Raxles front axles |
#4
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Quote:
They would certainly want to try and sell you some drilled and slotted rotors, wouldn't they? Lets take a look at the temperature graph Even though this graph doesn't show you how hard the brakes were applied, from what speed, or what the time interval was between each brake application was, one thing is immediately apparent, on the first stop, drilled rotors make no difference at all. Subsequent stops show a small but growing temperature difference, we know that there must be some shortish time difference between the two stops, as a longer time interval would have allowed the solid rotors to have cooled down. By the time we get to the 15th stop there is a 200 degree temperature difference. How significant is that? Well lets look at the next graph The graph shows that there is a reduction in coefficient of friction of about 20% or so, whatever pads you have fitted, so there is some minor 'fade' but not enough to have you running out of leg muscle. The other graphs are of little interest, and tell you little worth knowing - one of them even has the axes mislabelled. Bearing in mind that the SVX already has ventilated discs at the front, and at the rear too, outside the USA, how much benefit do you think you are going to get from aftermarket rotors. Make up your own mind.
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I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to the state of Science, whatever the matter may be. Sir William Thomson |
#5
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Thanks for the input. I know the general principal about them, but short of auto-x or something similar, i can't see them being a big deal. I saw the package on ebay about the rotors, pads, and lines. it's 160 for 4 new rotors and all new pads, which i think will be good for the time being. Want to get some other stuff done on hte car before i do that. Anyone have any experience with larger than calipers on the car? For the mx-6/probe you could put 3000gt calipars and rotors on if you boared out the screw holes and just used other bolts, and there was a huge difference in stopping distance and over-all performance. Thanks though for the input. I think i'll put drilled/slotted on the back burner for the time being.
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#6
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Larger calipers will make a big difference, as will more aggressive pads.
I've been considering having a local race shop (ALMS supplier) develop a 4-piston kit using the OE rotor size.
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'92 Pearl White LS-L Touring SOLD 4.44 Swap, trans cooler, trans filter, trans temp gauge Color-matched rear body and spoiler, X-drilled and slotted rotors, Axis pads, s/s lines Raxles front axles |
#7
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For my 2 pennies, The SS lines have better response. That would be the best for in response.
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#8
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I put ART (Applied Rotor Technology) Cryogenic treated slotted rotors on quite a while ago along with metallic pads. They were less than OEM and have lasted a lot longer than OEM. They used to offer a discount to the group. Pretty sure they still do. The Cryogenic treatment is a whole story unto itself, but I feel it's worth while.. Pics in my locker.
http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...BABY/4388.html Last edited by SVX_MY_BABY; 03-08-2007 at 01:31 PM. |
#9
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The brakes on my teal SVX have required no attention in 40,000+ miles of routine work, with lots of very curvy roads and a few panic stops thrown in. You really don't need any sort of "performance" brake components for anything but sustained aggressive driving.
dcb |
#10
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If you want to improve your braking performance, the one thing that I would do without question is put a set of SS brake lines on. That did more for my brakes than anyother thing I have done.
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. Earl .... ... .... ><SVX(*> Subaru Ambassador [COLOR=”silver”]1992 Tri Color L[/COLOR] ~45K (06/91) #2430 1992 Dark Teal LS-L ~184K (05/91) #0739 1992 Claret LS-L ~196K (05/91) #0831 1992 Pearl LS-L ~103K (06/91) #1680 1992 Pearl LS-L ~151K (06/91) #2229 1992 Dark Teal LS ~150K (07/91) #3098 (parts car) 1992 White LS-L ~139K (08/92) #6913 1993 25th AE ~98K (02/93) #164 1993 25th AE ~58K (02/93) #176 1993 25th AE ~107K (02/93) #215 1993 25th AE ~162K (02/93) #223 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~124K (1/94) #2408 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~144K (10/93) #1484 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~68K (10/93) #1525 1994 Barcelona Red LSi ~46K (02/94) #2624 1994 Pearl LSi ~41K (12/93) #1961 1995 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~70K (02/95) #855 1996 Polo Green LSi ~95K (03/96) #872 1997 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~55K (08/96) #097 2003 Brilliant Red LS1 Convertible ~29K (04/03) #8951 1999 Magnetic Red LS1 Coupe ~33K (04/99) #6420 My Email | Old Locker | New Locker | Picture of 15 of the 19 |
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