Discovery II Talk about the Land Rover Discovery II within.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Drilled/Slotted Rotors or regular

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 05-21-2012, 01:20 PM
pgk's Avatar
pgk
pgk is offline
Three Wheeling
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Drilled/Slotted Rotors or regular

Is there any benefit to getting drilled/slotted rotors on my 1999 DII? Should I bother or stick will the OE style rotor. Thanks!

Phil
 
  #2  
Old 05-21-2012, 02:20 PM
Disco Mike's Avatar
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 25,707
Likes: 0
Received 100 Likes on 82 Posts
Default

Depends on how well you want to have your truck stop, how long you want the pads and rotors to last. By the way, my rotors have around 102,000 miles on them and are still in specs.
Have you ever replaced your rubber brake lines, that is a must. I have DBA, slotted and drilled rotors and run Akebono ceramic pads and I fell safe to say there is not another D2 out there with some other combination of pads and rotors that will stop faster.
Spend the money and do it right, you will love the change. By the way stay away from the slotted and dimpled rotors, EBA, they can't stand up to the DBA rotors.
 
  #3  
Old 05-21-2012, 03:56 PM
Snafu / Disco Fries's Avatar
Recovery Vehicle
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NNJ
Posts: 1,037
Received 8 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

My simple answer to the question is "no". On a truck like this, there is really no advantage to having drilled and slotted rotors. If you are going to do something, I would say slotted, but would prefer OEM and then having better pads, SS lines and good fluid.
A few things:
1. My experience with drilled and slotted rotors has all been on cars for the track. I race my heavy pig of an Audi S4...and that has OEM rotors. It stops me lap after lap from 140MPH on the front straight to 60, and then through all the corners and has very little fade. The only reason to get drilled and slotted rotors would be for a race environment, as the heat can be dissipated faster. The downside is though, that unless you are buying uber expensive rotors (which don't even exist for something like the D2), the drilling decreases overall strength and can lead to failure and cracking. The good news is, I don't think you will ever be on the track or in an environment where you would crack a D2 rotor, drilled or not!
So, being you do not need to worry about fade, all you have are the rest of the disadvantages including increase pad wear, increases noise (potentially) and higher expense. On top of that, the tests they have done on stopping distance do not improve it, but usually increase distance in the 60-0 panic stops due to less surface area for the pad to hit. Now, you repeat that test non stop 10 times in a row and the drilled might start to come out ahead.
I have some pictures from friend's cars at the track that split drilled rotors before if you want to see. Again, while I'm not an expert I have had many different cars I run at the track, and each time I went to drilled I went back. Yes, cars like Porsche will have them factory, but the $15K systems area bit different than what we have.
But hell...they look cool at least so if you want it go for it.
Here is some basic info as well:
HowStuffWorks "Drilled Brake Rotors"
So, I am sure you would be happy with the look, and
 
  #4  
Old 05-21-2012, 09:12 PM
Spike555's Avatar
Team Owner
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 26,212
Likes: 0
Received 95 Likes on 72 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Snafu / Disco Fries
My simple answer to the question is "no". On a truck like this, there is really no advantage to having drilled and slotted rotors. If you are going to do something, I would say slotted, but would prefer OEM and then having better pads, SS lines and good fluid.
A few things:
1. My experience with drilled and slotted rotors has all been on cars for the track. I race my heavy pig of an Audi S4...and that has OEM rotors. It stops me lap after lap from 140MPH on the front straight to 60, and then through all the corners and has very little fade. The only reason to get drilled and slotted rotors would be for a race environment, as the heat can be dissipated faster. The downside is though, that unless you are buying uber expensive rotors (which don't even exist for something like the D2), the drilling decreases overall strength and can lead to failure and cracking. The good news is, I don't think you will ever be on the track or in an environment where you would crack a D2 rotor, drilled or not!
So, being you do not need to worry about fade, all you have are the rest of the disadvantages including increase pad wear, increases noise (potentially) and higher expense. On top of that, the tests they have done on stopping distance do not improve it, but usually increase distance in the 60-0 panic stops due to less surface area for the pad to hit. Now, you repeat that test non stop 10 times in a row and the drilled might start to come out ahead.
I have some pictures from friend's cars at the track that split drilled rotors before if you want to see. Again, while I'm not an expert I have had many different cars I run at the track, and each time I went to drilled I went back. Yes, cars like Porsche will have them factory, but the $15K systems area bit different than what we have.
But hell...they look cool at least so if you want it go for it.
Here is some basic info as well:
HowStuffWorks "Drilled Brake Rotors"
So, I am sure you would be happy with the look, and
What he said.
And with that I just ordered 4 slotted rotors and ceramic pads off of e-bay, $250 shipped, I went slotted only because they were cheaper than the OEM style rotors.
I had no choice in pads, this kit came with the ceramic pads, I am not a fan of ceramic pads because they are very hard and tend to eat rotors if you brake hard, I dont brake hard.
 

Last edited by Spike555; 05-21-2012 at 09:14 PM.
  #5  
Old 05-21-2012, 09:39 PM
Al Blue4.6l's Avatar
Three Wheeling
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 56
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Baer used to have a really great FAQ on their site about it, but here's one i found from Wilwood a while back:

Q: What's the difference between slotted and drilled/slotted rotors? Which rotor will be best for my application?


A: PSlots or grooves in rotor faces are partly a carryover from the days of asbestos pads. Asbestos and other organic pads were prone to “glazing” and the slots tended to help “scrape or de-glaze” them. Also, cross-drilling and/or slotting the rotor for racing purposes was beneficial by providing a way to expel the gasses created when the bonding agents employed to manufacture the pads began to break down at extreme temperatures. This condition is often referred to as “outgassing.” When it does occur, the driver still has a good firm brake pedal, but a significant reduction in friction. Normally this only happens at temperatures witnessed in racing. However, with today’s race pad technology, “outgassing” is no longer a concern with pads designed for racing.
So in the final analysis, drilling and slotting rotors has become popular in street applications for their pure aesthetic value. Wilwood provides rotors slotted, drilled or plain. For most performance applications, slotted is the preferred choice. With certain pad material, slotting can help wipe away debris from between the pad and rotor as well as increasing the coefficient of friction between the rotor and the pad. A drilled rotor provides the same type of benefit, but is more susceptible to cracking under severe usage; however, for street and occasional light duty track use, they will work fine. For more severe applications, we recommend slotted rotors.
http://www.wilwood.com/TechTip/TechFaqs.aspx#RT
 
  #6  
Old 05-21-2012, 09:56 PM
llesra's Avatar
Rock Crawling
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Colorado
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

just get a plain rotor. no real advantage with slotted and/or drilled unless you want your rotors to look "cool". i had a set of akebono pads on the range rover and hated them. they didn't feel like they stopped very well. i changed them out to hawk pads a few weeks later and im much happier with that combo.
 
  #7  
Old 05-21-2012, 10:35 PM
Snafu / Disco Fries's Avatar
Recovery Vehicle
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NNJ
Posts: 1,037
Received 8 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

I have the Akebono pads on the Disco now and no real complaints. They have been on I guess 30k and still have life left. I'm a fan of the Hawk pads in general though. I've used them on 3 track cars and they have been great. I swap out the pads to the track compound, and use the HPS for daily use.
By the way, no matter what you get,be sure to bed the new pads correctly.
 
  #8  
Old 05-22-2012, 07:43 AM
Disco Mike's Avatar
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 25,707
Likes: 0
Received 100 Likes on 82 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Snafu / Disco Fries
My simple answer to the question is "no". On a truck like this, there is really no advantage to having drilled and slotted rotors. If you are going to do something, I would say slotted, but would prefer OEM and then having better pads, SS lines and good fluid.
A few things:
1. My experience with drilled and slotted rotors has all been on cars for the track. I race my heavy pig of an Audi S4...and that has OEM rotors. It stops me lap after lap from 140MPH on the front straight to 60, and then through all the corners and has very little fade. The only reason to get drilled and slotted rotors would be for a race environment, as the heat can be dissipated faster. The downside is though, that unless you are buying uber expensive rotors (which don't even exist for something like the D2), the drilling decreases overall strength and can lead to failure and cracking. The good news is, I don't think you will ever be on the track or in an environment where you would crack a D2 rotor, drilled or not!
So, being you do not need to worry about fade, all you have are the rest of the disadvantages including increase pad wear, increases noise (potentially) and higher expense. On top of that, the tests they have done on stopping distance do not improve it, but usually increase distance in the 60-0 panic stops due to less surface area for the pad to hit. Now, you repeat that test non stop 10 times in a row and the drilled might start to come out ahead.
I have some pictures from friend's cars at the track that split drilled rotors before if you want to see. Again, while I'm not an expert I have had many different cars I run at the track, and each time I went to drilled I went back. Yes, cars like Porsche will have them factory, but the $15K systems area bit different than what we have.
But hell...they look cool at least so if you want it go for it.
Here is some basic info as well:
HowStuffWorks "Drilled Brake Rotors"
So, I am sure you would be happy with the look, and
I doubt he is going to be racing his D2 any time soon.
You are basing your information on you past with racing care, like the Audi, which has a huge set of calipers and even larger rotors and master cylinder the any Rover. Rovers need all the help we can give them, they have always been terrible when it comes to braking except the early D1's from the factory with the old aspestice pads, problem was, once they wore out, you could not buy them here in the States.
DBA has been making quality replacement rotors forever, and they will outstop/give better stopping power, then any standard rotor.
So for anyone with over sized tires and lift, be it on or off the road they work better and will out last any OEM rotor with out braking at the drill sites or slots as you mention.
Sure, you will pay around $100 a piece for them, but you will get less then 1/2 the measured wear and stop better. Yes, you will be required to run stainless lines and synthetic DOT 4 to disapate some of the additional heat generated.
So for me it has been an easy way to help me compensate for the factories poor brake ste up.
 
  #9  
Old 05-22-2012, 08:33 AM
Snafu / Disco Fries's Avatar
Recovery Vehicle
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NNJ
Posts: 1,037
Received 8 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

I agree on the DBA rotors Mike. I've used them on many of my rides. They make a quality part.
 
  #10  
Old 05-22-2012, 09:39 AM
drowssap's Avatar
Baja
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Boston Strong
Posts: 9,298
Received 317 Likes on 311 Posts
Default

i went with drilled and slotted along with Akebono Euro pads and new stainless brake lines and it made a world of diffrence. The conbination got rid of the "old Disco double step" needed to come to what I consider a safe stopping distance.
The Akebono pads are wearing fine after 10-15k miles. Are drilled and slotted needed probably not, will a drilled and slotted rotor cool off quicker than a solid rotor, yes. Do rotors stopping a 2.5 ton truck get hot yes. it's your choise.
Just do not use drilled and slotted rotors with regular pads, the rotors will eat up a standard pad.
 


Quick Reply: Drilled/Slotted Rotors or regular



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:39 PM.