drilled versus slotted

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

whats the difference?
i know that the drilled and slotted surfaces help dissipate gasses from braking but thats about it. the only other thing i know is the slotted disks retain more braking area than the drilled ones. are drilled disks more prone to warping or are they better at dissipating the gasses? formula 1 and rally cars both use slotted disks but why do enzos have drilled? this dillema is KILLING ME !!!

[cp01ae]

Most racing cars use slotted because it's thought that cross drilled rotors loose some strength and they are prone to cracking, fracturing, exploding, et cetera. The difference is with cross-drilled you have better heat dissipation, but less braking surface. Also, I suppose that by having a drilled rotor you could effectively alter the un-sprung weight of your car by having different drill patterns, and somehow gain an advantage that way. But I think you'll find that most racing cars use slotted as opposed to cross-drilled. I imagine the Enzo has cross-drilled rotors because they won't be subjected to the extreme heat that builds up durring a race. I'm not sure if Ferrari tells you not to use them for racing or what, it might void the wanrranty, but I know that the Masserati MC12 racecar does not use dross-drilled rotors (and it's essentially a race version of the Enzo) Definately something to look into. Hope this helps you out .

[Coventrysucks]

I would agree with cp01ae.

Cross drilled brakes dissapate heat better, but will start to crack and fissure around the holes sooner in intensive use, such as racing.

[Egg Nog]

Actually, drilled rotors do basically nothing, other than look good A few LeMans other racing cars use drilled rotors, but this is to save weight. It is known that these rotors are more prone to cracking, but considering that its for racing, they will routinely replace them anyway.

For road cars, they are for visual impact only. Note that the Ferrari 360 has drilled rotors, while the 360 Challenge and GT do not.

[cp01ae]

I'm quite surprized that some Le Mans racers use them, due to the fact that brake performance over the 24 hrs is very important. Those would be the cars that I'd think would shy away from the cross-drilled rotors because it could be the one extra problem that they don't need.

[fpv_gtho]

cross drilled rotors definately do look better than the ventilated discs, FPV for example offer their brembo brake package with the bright red calipers on cross drilled rotors with a whitish backing

[Nigel]

gas slotted rotors clean the pad surface by slicing the brake pad material which will allow the pad to bite harder to the rotor. This creates an increase of disc temperature, leading to temperatures greater than those experienced on standard discs.


Cross drilled rotors offer an enhanced initial bite, especially in wet weather. They give about 40% better cooling and 20% better stopping, and improved wet braking.