A rotor is a part of a disc brake that has a shape of a bowl and wide lip at the top. When brakes are applied, brake pads and calipers press against the rotors causing friction hence stopping the vehicle. The rotors absorb and disperse heat evenly to prevent overheating in the braking system. Checking your brakes regularly at a brake repair shop in Phoenix is vital.
Types of Brake Rotors
There are two major types of brake rotors: Drilled and Slotted brake rotors…
Drilled Rotors
Drilled brake rotors have holes. These holes may seem like they reduce the surface area for brake pads to stop the car, but they have some advantages. First, friction between the rotor and brake pads creates friction which produces heat. If the braking system can’t dissipate the heat, it causes brake fade which reduces the stopping power of brakes. Similarly, rotors can become wet after driving through a puddle or carwash. Wet rotors are slippery and hence difficult for a brake pad to grab. The drilled holes make it easy to lose water, heat and gas from the rotor surface. However, these holes tend to make drilled rotors weak.
Slotted Brake Rotors
They have designed into a flat metal surface. Slotted brake rotors are popular in high-performance cars. They are stronger than drilled brake rotors and durable. However, they wear down brake pads quickly. Drilled variety is more common in a production performance car.
Brake Rotor Consideration
Proper functioning of brake rotors depends on certain factors. The factors include:
Rotor Thickness
With time metallic rotor will wear out and if the wear is too much the car will not brake effectively. In fact, most manufacturers have a set wear limit. If this limit is exceeded, the rotors should be replaced to safeguard proper functioning of the brake system. The rotor should be thick enough to create a huge capacity to absorb heat and spread it efficiently through the system.
Rotor Surface
The rotor surface should be smooth and even with brake pads. Scored or scratched rotor sweep surface affects the smoothness and quality of the rotor surface.
Normal use can cause the rotors to wear. If the damage is not addressed, it can render the brakes ineffective or cause total failure. The good news is that you can easily tell the rotor is damaged.
Telltale signs of a faulty rotor:
Some signs of damaged rotors include vibration, fading, squealing noise and vehicle pulling tone side. Damaged rotors will shred brake pads as they rub against each other during braking. A faulty rotor will also be unable to distribute heat generated by braking friction evenly. This will result in overheating. The only alternative, in this case, is replacing the rotors.
You should ensure that your rotors undergo a routine check. It will save you money and time, so just do it!
Read more about your car’s brakes: