HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEFT/RIGHT DRILLED/SLOTTED ROTORS

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRAKE ROTORS?

Brake rotors are essential components of your braking system. They provide points of contact for the brake pads when you engage the brakes. When you press the brake pedal, brake calipers near the wheels press the brake pads against the rotor to create friction. This force of friction helps to slow down your vehicle and bring it to a stop.

There are different types of brake rotors. It’s important to understand your options when choosing the ideal rotors for your vehicle. Brake rotors can be:

• Drilled: Drilled brake rotors have a series of holes drilled into the metal.
• Slotted: Slotted rotors have slots in the metal.
• Drilled & slotted: Drilled & slotted brake rotors combine drilled holes and slots.
• Smooth: Smooth brake rotors have a plain or smooth surface, with no holes or slot markings in the metal.

As you can see, the names of the different types of brake rotors describe the physical characteristics of what each style looks like. Even if you are unfamiliar with rotors, you should be able to identify the type of rotor you have on your vehicle just by looking at it.

WHAT ARE DRILLED & SLOTTED ROTORS?

PowerStop drilled & slotted rotors improve both the cooling and performance of a vehicle’s braking system. A feature and benefit of PowerStop slots are that they are beveled to reduce pad wear and noise. Additionally, our drill holes are chamfered to reduce pad wear and noise, and resist brake fade. The rounded slots eliminate moisture, debris, and gas, keeping a clean friction contact patch on the surface of the rotor for safe, smooth braking. The cross-drilled holes deliver maximum cooling and performance in extreme conditions. PowerStop applies zinc plating to drilled & slotted rotors—this offers superior resistance to corrosion and rust compared to standard uncoated or painted rotors.

While both drilled rotors and slotted rotors offer significant benefits, those benefits apply to different scenarios. Drilled & slotted rotors combine the best of both options.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DRILLED & SLOTTED BRAKE ROTORS?

Drilled & slotted brake rotors offer a number of important benefits, such as:

1. MAXIMUM ROTOR COOLING

Drilled & slotted rotors offer maximum rotor cooling for greater brake performance. 

When you apply your brakes, friction converts your vehicle’s kinetic energy into heat. Because of this, frequent braking leads to elevated temperatures.

When a braking system’s temperature is high, brake pad materials can burn and create harmful gases that eventually impair brake performance. Cross-drilled brake rotors can quickly expel these offset gases for maximum cooling and optimal performance.

2. BRAKE SUPPORT FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLES

Because of their generally higher weight, high-performance vehicles like trucks typically need more braking support to slow down and stop. Drilled & slotted rotors excel at providing smooth yet powerful braking performance for high-performance vehicles.

3. CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE IN WET CONDITIONS

Your braking system is affected when you drive in wet conditions. When moisture is present between the surfaces of your brake pads and rotors, it can diminish the amount of friction force that is generated by your braking system. This can reduce your vehicle’s stopping power.

Drilled holes and rounded slots in brake rotors allow moisture, gas, and debris to escape. This ensures that your rotors stay dry and helps you maintain consistent braking performance even in wet conditions. Zinc-plating guards against rust and corrosion.

4. MINIMAL BRAKE PAD GLAZING

When stuck in traffic or driving down an incline, drivers tend to apply their brakes more often.

This can raise your brake system’s temperature and cause the surfaces of your brake pads to harden (known as glazing). Eventually, brake pad surfaces start to mirror the brake rotor, and the pad material becomes incapable of creating adequate friction. Drilled & slotted rotors slow this process down and provide braking power you can trust.