how are vented disc brakes better than regular rotors?

Question

i just asked a question but forgot to ask about that.

pedro ..i'm doing a 100 on the highway all the time and in the city its stop and go.. yeah i'm nuts haha
p.s i have a radar dector and a cb

jeffery haha.. i'm a crazy puerto rican in a hot rod lincoln haha.. i drive to fast most of the time.

Answer 1

The biggest problem with breaks is heat and is the brakes heat up, they loose their performance (heat is what cause break fading). Actually almost all discs are already vented by design. This is the primary reason discs perform better than drums, they dissipate heat better. Most discs are actually hollow in the center with a series of vanes that pull air through the disc as they turn. This cools the disc (and is why all discs are vented). What is meant by 'vented' discs is that in addition to the vanes, holes are drilled in the rotor to allow additional air flow. Performance is better but I'm not sure by how much. There's holes for more air flow but now less metal to distribute the same heat on. Also, the removal of metal shortens brake life. Think 5% less metal from the holes and figure 5% less brake life. Not alot but still could be a few thousand miles. The main reason I don't have them is in MN, the winter is hard on cars and breaks in particular suffer (metal + water + salt + heat = lots of rust). The edges of the break parts suffer the rust damage so the rotors tend to chew upo the sides of the pads. Everywhere there is a hole on a vented disc, there is another edge to rust (the rusting also plugs the hole). In general, they perform better but I'm not sure they're that much better than a good set of pads on a good set of rotors. That's what I always run ... even on my Firebird.
Bert

Answer 2

well drilled rotors cool better but if you are not tracking your car, you are wasting your money. The thing about racing on a track is that your brakes get hot for repeated stopping. If they get too hot, they will stop working! But if you take stock brakes, and brembos with drilled rotors and go 100 mph and slam on the brakes, you will stop in nearly the same distance. Because brakes are equal until you do heavy on and off braking that makes them hot! and by tracking your car I mean racing on a circuit, not dragging. I mean the brembos with slotted or drilled rotors look hot but 99% of people do not need them. Spend your 2-3 k on hot wheels, or something that adds real performance like a turbo.

Answer 3

A ventilated rotor normally has an air space between the two braking surfaces. As the wheel rotates, air is drawn from the center of the rotor through the space between the braking surfaces by the centrifugal force of the rotation. This airflow cools the brake. On most cars with disc brakes, the front brakes are ventilated while the rear brakes are not. This is because most of the braking and hence heat build-up occurs at the front wheels.

Answer 4

Te vented disc brakes have holes in the rotor to provide additional cooling. This helps keep heat down when you are put in situations like rally racing and you use the brakes a lot. It helps keep the brakes from fading due to heat build-up. Most people doing average driving do not need to use a vented brake.

Answer 5

Disc brakes lose their efficiency when they become too hot. Vented disc brakes get back to normal temperature faster than regular rotors. Consequently, they can be used much harder than regular rotors and this why they are used in car racing. Unless you really enjoy a sporty ride with your own everyday car (which may be dangerous), you don't really need vented disc brakes.

Answer 6

Hi

As discs and pads get hot, a heat vapour builds up between their mating surfaces which then gradually lifts the pads away from the discs and causes brake fade.

Drilled and vented discs gives the vapours an escape route which stops the pads from being lifted away from the discs and thus stops brake fade.

Simple as that!!

Cheers

Geordie

Answer 7

It's like the difference between the New York Mets? and Da' Bum's! You have to realize real talent. And the real talent is vented disc brakes? And the New York Mets! Winners!!!

Answer 8

your car comes with vented or non vented you dont have an option on that one if youre talking about the drilled raceing ones yes you can swap them any time but unless your racing and do a lot of hard breaking or do a lot of driving down steep canions riding your brakes you wont notice a differance

Answer 9

Brake rotors get VERY hot. You can actually warp your rotors by letting them get too hot and you will get a thumping in your brakes. Vented rotors cool more easily.

Answer 10

4 a regular person doing regular driving u dont need them...the dont heat up so bad while racing..