Slotted Brake Rotors - Their Advantages And Disadvantages

By installing performance rotors and brakes on your vehicle, braking performance will increase significantly. Of the most common designs available, slotted brake are perform quite well. You will find that most racing vehicles use slotted rotors brake as they offers great combination of reliability and performance.
Slotted brake rotors have carved slots within their rotor surface to move away brake pad debris and dust that is generated from the brake pads. These slots also serve to expel water away from the rotor surface.
As opposed to using a combination slotted and drilled rotor, exclusively slotted rotors are preferred by drivers that aggressively use their brakes over a long period of time. A brake system equipped with a slotted rotor is beneficial, as they are more durable than stock, and have a greater capacity to retain heat.
Slotted rotors give the driver the added benefit of having some additional brake pad bite, or grip, as well. When the leading edge of the brake pad hits these slots, they will add some additional friction to the mix, albeit it is minimal.
When using a slotted type of brake rotor with an aggressive brake pad, the results can be quite impressive. The amount of friction created between pad and rotor will be greater than any other combination, but will cause the pads to wear thin quickly. The amount of brake pad dust will also be increased; so if tire cleanliness is a concern, this should be taken into consideration, as tires show dust very obviously.
A slotted rotor can be a great upgrade over stock for any type of performance driving, as they often have a greater diameter, thereby further increasing the stopping power of the vehicle.
A larger diameter brake rotor will increase braking torque for every increase in size overall. A stock rotor typically runs about 11 inches in diameter on a passenger vehicle, but a performance brake rotor with slots can run up to 14 inches in size. If you are looking to maximize braking performance, it is recommended that you install the largest slotted rotor your wheel clearance will tolerate.
You can determine what your brake rotor clearance distance is by looking online at others that already have completed this upgrade. If you are having problems identifying a brake rotor upgrade for your particular vehicle type, then shop around to find the largest matching slotted brake rotors available, and expect the distributor has done their homework