Drilled v Slotted.. Or Both..??

[Drewsuph]

I have a 91 320... Needs new rotors and pads.

Not sure which is better, cross drilled or slotted rotors..

Im planing on ceramic pads to go with them..


Looking at the turner motorsport Axxis (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=1154&SEName=axxis-ultimate-brake-pads-front-e36-no-m3-e46-not-330-or-m3-z3-not-m-z4-2530-not-30si) Ultimate brake pads..


Any help or info would be great.

Thanks.

[mobiletarget]

Neither. Only real gains are in the pads, screwy rotors are for showoffs. There's some slight cooldown benefits from drilled/slotted, but not worth the extra money unless you're a track rat with resources.

[Drewsuph]

So your suggesting just the OEM rotors and the ceramic pads ??



Just look at shipping to Australia from Turner for the pads and rotors..

Shipping was 700+... Crazy...

Think ill source them locally..

[mobiletarget]

Rotors are heavy and therefore expensive to ship. Pads should be FAR less of a headache.
And yes, that's exactly what I'd suggest. If you're doing ceramic pads, you won't even need anything other than OEM rotors. Just make sure you break the pads in properly.

[Drewsuph]

Break in for the pads..? What should i be doing??

Ive always just driven normally after having the brakes done at a shop.

Another question... With the ceramic pads.. will the rotors wear lots faster..??

Id rather not replace them every time i do the pads...


Thats why i thought the drilled or slotted would be better.. but I'm happy to believe they won't be beneficial.. Just what i thought..

[mobiletarget]

They might just do the break-in at the shop, but from what I understand, especially with ceramic pads, there's a break-in that should be done after installation. It isn't difficult, but I'm not exactly sure what the procedure is.
And no, if anything, ceramics will help your rotors last longer.

[DailyE36]

yo. im running OEM brembos rotors and bendix brake pads.

the rotors were only $200 for a set. and pads were $120
my next pads will be EBC green stuff.

i got the rotors and pads from a local shop. autobarn and all might get them in too.

with drilled rotors.. they can crack between the holes :(
im not sure about slotted.

[Zodiacbw]

Only down side to the greenstuff pads is brake dust. One of these days I'm going to put a synthetic sealant on my wheels and see if that helps.

[Rudolph320i]

slotted rotors are generally ok, the slots help remove the gasses the build up between the pad and rotor to improve braking. Im not a fan of drilled rotors, most rotors are vented and disperse heat anyway, so the holes are just less braking surface on the rotor.
Break in procedure for pads is usually just driving and riding the brakes a little for a few miles. Then a couple panic stops from speed. I never really bothered with it, except on a vehicle thats going to be used in autocross or driven hard.

[red88ix]

Only down side to the greenstuff pads is brake dust. One of these days I'm going to put a synthetic sealant on my wheels and see if that helps.

Try Armorall wheel protectant. Won't stop dust, but it comes off very easily and seems to take longer to build up.

[paniolo]

There is zero performance benefit to drilled or slotted on the street. They do look nice through open wheel patterns. You have to decide if you want to pay more for good looks.

Axxis is made in Austrilia ... you should be able to find a set locally.

[freddybeemer100]

I read a story online about the proper breaking in of brake pads. If not done properly you can actually leave deposits on the rotors which might cause a slight out of balance condition. The solution is a temporary installation of abrasive pads which will clean the rotors off.

Break-in is pretty important with pads.

I might go with slotted but not drilled -- too much chance of development of cracks.

[Drewsuph]

Hmmmm.. Thanks for the info everyone..!

I guess its slotted if i really want or just normal if there is no benefit.. (not like they will ever be glowing red)

Ill grab the Axxis pads and see how they are.

Ill also check out these cleaning/abrasive pads.. that could be interesting.


Last question.. Ive been told that the stock rotors aren't or shouldn't be machined, but instead replaced.. is this true..??

[xlDooM]

Rotors don't cost much. I'd just get them replaced. How much can you save on a $70 set of rotors by refinishing them? I don't suppose they get thicker again.

Edit: apparently they cost a hundred or so for a set. Point remains.

[Rudolph320i]

Id rather replace than mill down the rotors. Once you start removing metal the rotors warp easier.

[jopham]

If you are in Australia check out www.imparts.com.au (http://www.imparts.com.au)
I bought front and rear rotors, brake pads and brake sensors and brake fluid for my 328 convertible for less then $325 AUD and I am very happy with them.

cheers

johpam

[randomy]

I recommend Pagid pads for street use on E36 and E46 BMW. The ones that BAVauto sells with their own moniker form Pagid are very good. I use PF Z-rated pads at the track, these are also very good pads but too noisy for me to recommend for street use, and they also work best when heated up.

You must drive more carefully for the first 50 miles or so when you switch pads or rotors. Anyone who has done their own brake job notices the brakes are not as strong at first. This is because the pad is not mating to the surface of the rotor completely, it needs to work a few times and impregnate to rotor with the pad material before it will work to its full optimal characteristics.

[Thames]

Cross drilled tend to crack between the holes, and slotted rotors "refresh your pad" according to manufacturers, which really means they cause excessive pad wear.
A properly designed rotor functions as it should, and unless you're tracking your car, you won't be using your breaks enough to take advantage of anything else.

as for break in, it is usually a partial stop from a certain speed, then partial stop from a different speed, rinse, repeat.

basically it makes sure you don't have pad material built up in 1 area, but spread across the entire rotor. The key is not coming to a complete stop when bedding in, since the heat causes pad material to stick to the rotor in 1 spot, causing a shimmy when braking.

[Thames]

Cross drilled tend to crack between the holes, and slotted rotors "refresh your pad" according to manufacturers, which really means they cause excessive pad wear.
A properly designed rotor functions as it should, and unless you're tracking your car, you won't be using your breaks enough to take advantage of anything else.

as for break in, it is usually a partial stop from a certain speed, then partial stop from a different speed, rinse, repeat.

basically it makes sure you don't have pad material built up in 1 area, but spread across the entire rotor. The key is not coming to a complete stop when bedding in, since the heat causes pad material to stick to the rotor in 1 spot, causing a shimmy when braking.

[Ramroids55]

Neither cross, nor drilled. Unless you are tracking the car, both are useless.

[Drewsuph]

But is everyone saying the Ceramic pads are best..??

What makes them so different from the stock pads, if thats not a really dumb question.. Just the material they are made of.. ??

[Bacender]

A few of my mates driving around in subbies and skylines have ceramic pads. As far as i'm aware, they can squeal pretty damn bad.

They really need to be installed and bedded correctly or they'll give you an annoying squeal for their lifetime. Same goes for the rotors. You need to seriously clean (and possibly sand) the rotors to make sure you have no competing compounds.

IMO ceramic pads are only really good for people who hate brake dust. In that instance, you could save yourself the cash and get some good low dust pads from bendix or something.

[Bacender]

A few of my mates driving around in subbies and skylines have ceramic pads. As far as i'm aware, they can squeal pretty damn bad.

They really need to be installed and bedded correctly or they'll give you an annoying squeal for their lifetime. Same goes for the rotors. You need to seriously clean (and possibly sand) the rotors to make sure you have no competing compounds.

IMO ceramic pads are only really good for people who hate brake dust. In that instance, you could save yourself the cash and get some good low dust pads from bendix or something.

[randomy]

But is everyone saying the Ceramic pads are best..??

What makes them so different from the stock pads, if thats not a really dumb question.. Just the material they are made of.. ??

I'm not saying that. The compounds of different brake pads are for different uses. Ceramic has good cooling and heat transfer properties, your brakes will fade less with aggressive use, but their initial bite is not as great as a semi-metallic street compound and they need to be heated to work at their best. They are also noisy.

In my opinion, the best brake material is Carbon Metalllic, it is less compressible than other materials, offers the best braking force, last longer, is resistant to heat fade, but it can also be noisy.

If you want really good brake pads, or just to see what the properties of different compounds provides, check out the offerings from PF: http://www.performancefriction.com/motorsports/brake-pads/compound-descriptions.aspx

I use the Z-rated pads here: http://www.performancefrictionbrakes.com.au/technology.php?pageId=28

[choffa]

Pad bedding information:
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedintheory.shtml

Procedure:
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

Many more informative articles in the Technical Information section. Google "cross drilled rotor cracking" to get information on the problems seen with cracking.
http://www.ebcbrakes.com/cross_drilled_rotors/dangerous_cross_drilled_rotors.shtml

[Pdwight]

Vented :D

[xdgt03]

My experience from years of running SCCA Autox is that the rotors don't matter much. Whatever you can find cheap. I found absolutely no benefit to costly rotors like brembo. As for pads, that is where the real benefit lies. Of course this is also dependant upon your tires. However, EBC green or yellow stuff are great. I preferred Hawk HP Plus. These are very aggressive and when accompanied with summer only tires can dislodge eyeballs from their sockets. With all-season tires you can lock-up rather easily if you don't master threshold breaking. I liked the initial bite and the zero fade. However they tend to squeak under light breaking and will eat rotors (meaning there is no resurfacing at pad change). this also means there is metal and brake dust galore. But they are DAMN NICE imo. For the less agressive Hawk HPS are very nice. Low dust. No squeak. Long life.

As for rotors, here is the trick to keeping them from warping. After hard braking, release the brake pedal. In an automatic, once stopped, creep forward little by little. This means you have to leave space between you and the car in front. Never, ever hold the brake pedal down on one spot on the rotor. this creates a hot spot and will warp rotors almost immediately. Even with all the racing and regular driving I have done, I haven't had a warped rotor in 20 years.

[paniolo]

I was considering the Hawk ceramics UUC is pushing, but think I will give the Hawk HPS a go when I change pads in the next few months for street use. I currently have the Axxis Metal Masters. They are OK but don't seem to modulate as well.