I own an '02 maxima, its needing brakes soon and was just wondering if vented/cross drilled roters are okay for every day use or not and will they increase longgevity on the roters. And the same question for the ceramic brake pads.
Thanks
Mr Christie
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1175258075.817821.213280 @p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
Honestly, I can't understand the use of drilled or vented brake rotors in non-racing applications. Vented rotors work well in race cars because they are moving and have lots of air flow over the rotor. Much of the braking is done with the intent to slow but not stop the car (except for the times that you must stop). Since the car keeps moving, the rotors get cooled by the air flow and the drilling/venting helps cool the rotors.
Street driving is different. Your greatest use of the brakes is to bring the car to a complete stop (IE: at a red light). Since the car is stopped, there is no air flow over the rotors to help cool the rotors. The best way to keep the rotors from overheating is by shear mass. Drilling the rotors removes mass.
So unless you install somthing like auxillary cooling fans to blow air over the rotors when the car is stopped, I don't see the point.
No point in this car; the rotors are already too small (not enough mass). Drilling out more metal is the wrong answer.
Ceramic pads are fine. But I'd get a pair of Brembo aftermarket rotors, no slots, no drills, and be done with it. The Brembo rotors are cast with much more ventilation than the OEM are, in any case.
Drilled look cool, but that's where the cracks start when the rotors get under a lot of stress.
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