It's getting time to replace the factory brakes so im looking for opinions on which route to go with. i have a 2006 screw that i pull a 6500# loaded wt TT about twice a month. which rotors would give better performance? solid or slotted crossed drilled and of course i would also be using a good quality pad. maybe ceramic? and in these financial times money is an object.

 

I stuck w/ just turning my stock rotors at the local auto parts store. I have found that w/ our big trucks the stopping power seems to be pretty good w/ the stockers. I know you could maybe decrease your stopping distance by a few feet but its about reation and good ole paying attention that keeps me from running into the back of someone at a stop light. I would go ahead and stick w/ the stockers if youre looking to go w/ a good quality pad. That will help you out right there and save you a bundle of cash. which can go to other things....like a gas fund

 

I would recommend Hawk Ceramic Performance pads with a good bedding in process. Have these on the wifey's Beemer and there is NO dust at all!! As far as rotors, I always prefer drilled over slotted over solid. Just don't go cheap and buy from some unknown EBAYER, as they are prone to cracking (drilled).

The most important thing to ensure proper performance is to properly bed the pads/rotors. See website below:
http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

 

I put slotted on my wifes Infiniti, yes the braking was improved ..BUT ...driving in say slow traffic touching the brakes we got a thump thump noise from the brakes became annoying to be honest ,I also have heard about drilled rotors cracking...its the luck of the draw i guess.

 

Not sure if this is true or not but I have heard that you have to have a special kind of maching to turn drill rotors.

 

We put the slotted rotors on our super duties and they last significantly longer than standard rotors.

 

Copy and pasted this from another thread so I wouldnt have to retype it. LOL

IMO, Ill take blanks on a DD vehicle any day; especially on a truck. The only time I ever ran slotted rotors on anything was on my mustang when I autocross raced. The whole point of a slotted rotor is to cut the glaze off the pads to keep it fresh. I have Baer Vented (hollow core) 13" Blanks up front with 11.5" Baer Vented rotors in the rear. It stops the exact same as my autocross slotted rotors. The only difference is your pads go a LOT faster with slotted rotors.

IMO, if your on the bubble of getting different rotors, save your money and get blanks. Spend your money on good pads.

 

not sure about who typed it but there is also the heat dissipation factor associated with slotting and/or drilling...less heat = less breakdown = longer life. Although you do loose (depending heavily on style of cutting), surface area which the more you have the faster you can stop. It does not increase friction coefficients but rather the effective area.

-off topic but same concept for top fuel drag cars' tires. Larger area = more area per unit force and the ability to handle more...4000hp? not sure but they're a lot.

-I think with safety standards these days they are using a pretty decent brake set-up, changing your fluid and running braided lines will give you significantly more stopping power due to the lines not "bulging under heavy braking and instead sending all the fluid directly to the caliper and onto the pistons.

 

Slotted and dimpled has always worked best for me.