1 Slotted or Crossdrilled rotors.

These rotors both accomplish the same basic things. Contrary to popular belief, slots and drill holes DO NOT help cool the rotor. They simply allow the brakes to operate properly at a much higher temperature. When pads get hot, the resins and binders that hold the friction material together with do 2 things, either melt or "gas". If they melt, this will act as a lubricant and the brakes won't work, if they gas, the gas will tend to float the pad off the surface of the rotor, so all your pedal pressure goes into compressing this gas rather than forcing the pads against the rotor. Slotted and Crossdrilled rotors allow an escape route for these things. Crossdrilled rotors are mainly beneficial for high end racing where there is a lot of concern for the reduction of unsprung weight. Aside from that and the cosmetic aspect (face it...they look good) there is no reason to go with crossdrilled rotors. Slotted rotor maintain about 95% of the friction surface that the original rotor had while crossdrilling removes much more material leaving only about 70-80% of the original friction surface. A crossdrilled rotor also does not have holes passing evenly over the entire pad as do most slotted rotors, leading to uneven pad and rotor wear because the pad is contacting the rotor for a full 360 degrees at certain points and much less than that at others. Crossdrilled rotors generally wear out pads faster than slotted rotors as well. Another problem with crossdrilled rotors is that they sometimes develop stress cracks around the holes. When the drilling takes place, stress risers are formed because the "web" of the casting is disturbed. Slotted rotors do not have this problem....especially if the slots do not extend past the outer edge of the friction surface. Slotted rotors are better for the street.....Crossdrilled for the track if you are changing rotors after every race and they are not repeatedly heat cycled, which will most likely promote cracking.

#2 Everything you need to know about brake fluid.

DOT 3 and 4 fluids are classified as Hygroscopic..this means that they absorb water. This is a good thing. DOT 5 fluid is silicon based and does not absorb water. NEVER use DOT 5 fluid in an ABS system. The reason for this is that because is does not absorb water, the moisture that is introduced to the system ends up collecting in corner of the hydraulic system and corroding the hell out of whatever it touches. Hygroscopic fluids will absorb the moisture so that it is in very low concentration everywhere in the hydraulic system and will not cause any considerable corrosion if the system is properly maintained. Brake fluid does need to be changed at a minimum of every two years. As water is absorbed into the system....the boiling point of the fluid is decreased. When brake fluid boils, you get brake fade because it develops a gas in the hydraulic system. Gas is compressable while liquids are not. If gas exists in the system, your pedal pressure will go into compressing that rather than forcing the pads against the rotors and stopping the car. Additionaly, as water is absorbed into the system, the chances of component corrosion is greatly increased. I recommend that brake fluid be flushed once a year, or if the vehicle is race (not drag racing, but road racing) in an environment where the brakes are pushed past there limits, the system should be flushed after every race. For racing or high performance use, a performance brake fluid like MOTUL or ATE super blue is recommended.

#3 How do I change my own brakes?

Buy a repair manual....it will prove to be indispensable one day and they only cost about $12

#4 All about Stainless Braided Lines

Stainless lines are by no means a necessity for a brake system. They offer a slightly stiffer pedal, more wear resistance, and better bragging rights than standard rubber lines. Most quality stainless braided lines have a teflon liner inside a rubber hose with a stainless jacket over the top.....some DOT approved lines also have a clear vinyl cover over the stainless jacket. This is to prevent the stainless from cutting holes in whatever it might rub up against in the course of its duty. For a high performance brake system, stainless lines are a great addition to complete the performance package.


#5 Why do rotors "warp"

They don't. The vibration you feel in the pedal that everyone explains to you is a "warped" rotor is actually a thickness variation in the rotor. If a rotor was warped, it would simply wobble slightly side to side and the caliper (which SHOULD slide freely) will follow it back and forth and no problem will ever be noticed. Most brake vibration problems are caused by rust or dirt build up or a slight runout in the hub. The outside diameter of the hub is maybe 2 or 2.5 inches from the centerline whereas the outside diameter of the rotor is between 5 and 7 inches from the centerline, depending on the car, and possibly more or less, depending on the brake system. This means that .001" or .002" of runout at the hub will translate into .006" or more of runout at the OD of the rotor. This indicates a slight rotor friction surface "wobble". As the rotor wobbles, it will touch the pads slightly at one point on the inboard surface and at another point on the outboard surface. The pads will eventually wear the rotor slightly at these two points causing a thickness variation in the rotor. Instead of floating the caliper back and forth, a thickness variation will force the piston back into the caliper and then let it back out slightly, multiple times throughout one revolution of the rotor. As the piston moves into and out of its bore in the caliper, it moves the fluid into and out of the master cylinder, which is mechanically connected to the brake pedal. This is why a vibration is felt in the pedal. There is also another reason for the cause of brake vibrations...but for this one, I will have to give credit to the rocket scientist STEVE RUIZ of STOPTECH, our sister company for his exemplery explanation..check out this page

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/...otors_myth.htm

 

Tried talking to sales. Same result. Im probably getting the power slot rotors from jbodperformance since they are located in Toronto. I heard that EBC Green Stuff pads are good too so I'll most likely pick up a set of those to accompany the new rotors. Anything else I'd need? Also, would there be a negative result in just upgrading the front rotors/pads? (For my 2006 SS/NA which never had rear warping problems)

 

which dealer did she get the car from?

 

Dont think I should be posting that. Plus it doesnt really matter does it? It's GMs policy to machine their poop rotors.

 

Lots of people do front only brake upgrades. No big deal. Although it does look funny to have slots up front and none in back, lol. The guy above's info is pretty good in general, although I would argue about his recommend brake fluid flush intervals. It certainly is a good idea to keep up on your brake fluid's condition, though.

 

agreed!!! they gotta be getting hot to warp!
so one would think?

 

if they are constantly rusting it could cause them to feel like they are warped.

 

wow, this scares me... I am picking up my new car next week...

 

It's the same rotor minus one bolt hole. The rotor uses the same material and thickness. proven in both my cobalts. Just one's a 5 and the other is a 4. When you hold them up together they are the same thickness and length.

 

im on my 3rd set of rotors and pads... the stock ones went around 10k, the dealership turned them. then at around 23k or so i bought some rotors and pads from auto parts plus(i think thats the name of the store). Then at 34k i returned them b/c of the warrenty and had them replaced and now i have almost 3k on them and they are fine prolly for another 10k or so. Anyone that has the Slotted/drilled rotors have any problems?? is that what the GMPP rotors are?

BTW i have 06 2.4ss