Choosing Rotors
Choosing the right rotors for your car
The obvious rational choice would be to replace your rotors with the same factory OEM rotors intended for your car. But if you are looking to go beyond this, here are a few things to consider.
When replacing brake rotors, it’s generally recommended to replace them with the same rotor type that came installed on the vehicle. Smooth rotors are well suited for standard, everyday driving, but if enhanced performance levels or appearance is important you should compare the three commonly available types – smooth, slotted, and dimpled.
The rotor’s ability to dissipated heat depends on its surface area and mass (diameter and thickness). Dissipating heat is improved by various venting techniques, with some rotors having a specific vent direction designed for only one side of the vehicle.
While smooth, slotted, and dimpled rotors will perform similarly under normal driving conditions, here are some differences.
Smooth rotors have the most surface area, act as highly effective heat-sinks, and are least prone to cracking. Smooth rotors may not be suitable for vehicles subject to extreme or repetitive braking. On the other hand, smooth rotors will not wear the brake pads as quickly as slotted or drilled rotors because there is less friction force on the brake pad’s surface and result in rotor wear that’s more even. The biggest advantage of smooth rotors is their resistance to cracking because the braking surface is smooth and solid.
Slotted and dimpled dissipate heat better than smooth rotors and exhibit better fading resistance. Their higher heat dissipation makes these rotors desirable for racing vehicles where braking demands are greater. Slotted and dimpled rotors have a slight pad “grip” advantage over smooth rotors when applying the brakes, which is most noticeable when braking is initiated.
Slotted rotors offer advantages over smooth rotors for driving in wet conditions, as they permit quickly removing water from the rotor surface for enhanced pad/rotor contact.
Who should decide the brake type – the vehicle owner or a technician?
If the vehicle owner is performing the brake job, they should replace with like parts – the same type that came on the vehicle. That way, the vehicle owner will be assured they are using the parts specifically designed and manufactured for the vehicle – in other words, they can’t go wrong.
If the work is performed by a qualified service facility, leave the decisions up to the technicians. They have the skill and knowledge to select the appropriate parts to do the job right. After all, that’s what they get paid for. And if something isn’t right, their warranty should cover any comebacks.
If the vehicle owner wants to enhance their vehicle’s braking performance by upgrading rotors and pads, it is best to let a qualified technician make those decisions. Based upon what the vehicle owner wants to achieve, whether is better wet braking performance, less brake fade under towing, or heavy load conditions, the technician has the knowledge and experience to know how different brake rotor and pad types work together and what kind of performance can be expected from them.
Whether the brake system upgrade work is done by the vehicle owner or a service facility, you can at least have technicians make the parts recommendations. After all, they’re the pros who know their stuff and they take pride in giving the best advice they can.
ULTRA HC® is the super-premium, highest quality brand of brake rotors at a great price. Our product technology is centered on true OEM form, fit and function. At ULTRA HC®, our engineers are focused not only on safety, but also quality and performance. The Ultra HC high carbon rotors pack in a lot of features and benefits with advanced metallurgy and dissipate heat quicker than regular rotors. They have a longer brake system life, high resistance to heat, quiet and smoother braking performance, OE internal vane design, machine balanced, extreme resistance to judder and high resistance to cracking. These rotors are made to the exacting standards with the finest materials. The right fit that matches OEM to make installation easy every time. In short, we stop your vehicle and last longer.