Everyone knows now essential a set of brakes are to a car. Without proper, functioning brakes, a vehicle is considered to be unsafe for operation. Given today’s stringent standards of rigorous tests and quality control, the risks of brake failure on a vehicle are considered almost negligible. So why then with so much research and development put into factory fitted brakes, what gives for an upgrade to this already amazing factory system?

Sure, these may suffice for the typical road drive, but the factory brake system faces its ultimate test; travelling the ends of Singapore during the peak hour periods. This may seem like a matter of keeping e safe distance, but the unexpected does happen from time to time; a sudden emergency brake situation, but one may find the brakes becoming suddenly unresponsive from the constant usage while on the journey. There are plenty of contributing factors; such as hardened tyres, overheated brake pads, thinning rotors, or even boiling brake fluids!

While most of the time, the responsibility lies on the grade of brake pads used, the other major half that endures the constant braking load are the rotors themselves. Given a certain amount of time with frequent usage, especially on an automatic car where brakes do all of the stopping work; these inadequate stock brake rotors will thin out rapidly due to the lack of heat dissipating properties. Some obvious signs of worn brake rotor include poor braking distance, even with a fresh brake pad change or fluid change and gleaming rotor surfaces, a clear sign of constant overheating.

As simple as they look, slotted brake rotors however, are a step-up above the standard brake rotors. Upon visual inspection, one instantly notices that the disc surfaces have diagonal shallow grooves on the surface. These deliberately spaced grooves should not be reason to fear, because they exist for heat dissipating purposes. As heat builds up as the by-product of friction between the brake pad and the rotor, the slots in the rotors help relieve the heat build-up oh the flat metal surface, expelling excessive gas end heat through the grooves as the rotor rotates into the atmosphere.

These are often the first choice for performance enthusiasts, who constantly subject their vehicles to stressing points, such as nigh speed braking, which result in tremendous stress on their brakes. Manufacturers of such brake rotors have already anticipated this outcome arid have therefore treated their respective slotted brake rotors for maximum heat resistance, to resist the high temperatures at which brakes constantly operate at. Without excessive heat trapped between the brake pad and rotors, the tendency of brake fading is drastically reduced, especially for the purpose of recording consistent lap times through predetermined braking points. Just like everything else, there are always pros and cons of such a product. The downsides to slotted brake rotors lie more on the economical side. Since these are slotted, the slots on the rotor surface will naturally wear the brake pads out a little faster than usual, though not at a shocking pace.

Depending on one’s usage and driving style, a slotted brake rotor setup maybe a more suitable option for some drivers, especially for those who own tuned rides and are looking for more additional braking power to match the upgraded “fire-power”. That does not discount the daily driver though, who wants additional braking assurance without the need for a forged brake-kit upgrade!

It is imperative that slotted brake rotors are mounted correctly, in the direction as advised by the manufacturer` Since these slots are angled for the sake of proper heat dispersal, it is important to mount them facing the right direction to irrigate gas and heat away. A wrongly mounted, reverse facing slotted brake rotor may not have adverse effects, but the brake pad Wear-rate maybe greatly increased, so watch out there!