Understanding How Brake Rotors Work

Regular car maintenance involves, among other included check ups, changing the engine oil, checking on the tire pressure, and checking on the car's brake system that includes the brake fluid, brake pads, and brake rotors.  Brake rotors or called brake discs are those parts where the brake pads clamp down on to stop the car's wheels from spinning. 

There are two types of brake rotors, drilled and slotted types, and with respect to the drilled brake rotors, they are distinguished by its holes drilled into the brake parts for reasons of, first, dissipating the heat created from friction when the brake pads grab the rotor, because if heat cannot escape or dissipate the brake's stopping power is reduced and, second, any gas build up or water entering into the brake parts can be quickly removed at the brake rotor surface, thereby, allowing for the brake system to perform well.  The other type of brake rotor, which is the slotted rotor, is used as a brake part choice for performance car driving like those in the racetrack, since the slots are carved into the face of the rotors with its vents located around the edge of the rotor, therefore, when the rotor spins, the heat escapes through the vents, making it possible to have faster removal of heat which results into a high brake performance.

The brake rotors in trucks and in heavy vehicles are made of larger size than those of from the cars and made of sturdier materials, such as cast iron or steel, this is because a lot of force is needed in stopping a truck and, therefore, the stopping and slowing down need a lot of friction from the brakes and when there is greater friction, there is bound to be more heat generated, so the brake rotor is purposely designed to consider the fast removal of heat generated from friction in trucks. Know more about brake rotor replacement.

The brake rotors in motorcycles operate similarly as those of cars, but differ in the sense that the front and rear brakes in motorcycles work independently, where the front brake takes a greater role in the stopping power, while the rear brake assisting to slow down the motorcycle.  And just like cars, street driven motorcycles are designed with drilled brake rotors, while motorcycles used for racing are installed with the drilled and slotted rotors.  Brake rotors in motorcycles are often custom-designed, making the bike stand out, such as having decorative drills or unique rotor shapes, since they are more visible in motorcycles.