Question: Front Rotors

[Jerrys95vette]

I am thinking about putting slotted & drilled rotors on the front. However, while surfing the net for the best price, every place I find asks if I have HD or standard suspension. How can I find out what I have?

Also, are BAER rotors good?

Thanks CAC members

 

[Hib Halverson]

For 88-94 it makes a difference, but for 95 and 96, it doesn't because they all had the big front brakes so tell them HD.

 

[Antz81]

As Hib said, the 13" or HD rotor became standard in 95.

 

[BRUTE86]

Hi Jerry,
If changing the front rotors, I'm personally not too excited about fitting drilled ones. About 10 years ago it was the 'fashion' to have drilled rotors, on road cars [not competition cars].
However, I was surprised how many corvettes came into my shop with cracks in the rotors between the drilled holes.
It was found that driving hot discs through puddles of water, fatigued the material, as some areas cooled quicker than others. In racing off course, they replace the rotors so often that it is not an issue.
I totally agree with having slotted rotors, as they do help the gases escape. However, I would consider the type of pads you'll use.
Soft ones are good for normal driving, work when the brakes are cold, and are 'gentle' on the rotors, but they wear out quicker and could leave a dust residue on your rims.
Harder pads work better when they're hot, especially during competitions, but wear out your rotors quicker.
Baers do make excellent brake components.
Cheers,

 

[Jerrys95vette]

Great Rotor Info

BRUTE86,
Thank you for that information. I was wondering about that possibility, as I had hear that from other vette drivers.
I am a Sunday driver. I drive the car no less than once a week and try my very best to avoid driving in the rain or on wet roads. I live way-down-south and snow & ice are rarely a concern. I certainly would not take it out in that weather anyway. The rotors that are on it are stock and in very good condition and placing drilled and/or slotted is my assumption that the brakes might work better. The pads are relatively new, but yet I feel as if the braking is not sharp, but more soft or sluggish. If it is true that slotted rotors may improve my braking would it be worth the extra $80 to get Baer as opposed to the Stop Tech?
I am ignorant of the difference and would appreciate any advice you or other CAC members may have.
Thanks to all of you.

 

[BRUTE86]

Great Rotor Info

Hi Jerry,

To me you sound like [take this as a compliment] a caring and safe driver. The Corvette brakes, back then, were not really the best type if you drive the car hard.
In your case I believe what you have in brakes is good enough, providing your rotors are not worn [their thickness is not less than 18.4 mm, no deep scouring] and are not warped. If you feel more comfortable with slotting the rotors - go ahead.

However, your car being 20 years old, and since your rotors and pads are satisfactory, in my opinion, I would =

• replace the brake fluid [should be done every couple of years anyway] because any condensation in your lines will contaminate your brake fluid, and 'steam' up when the brakes get too hot, making your brakes feel spongy [as you are compressing the 'steam'] and less effective.
• replace the 4 rubber brake hoses, [being 20 years old, the brake hoses could be tired and can 'balloon' under brake application] with braided steel hoses. I have done this on my Corvette, and customers corvettes and never had complaints from customers. The brake pedal becomes firmer, and the ABS system will love you.
• finally, I replaced the bias spring in my master cylinder, as my car used to nose dive [even though I have HD front coil over suspension] when applying the brakes. The bias spring made the rear brakes do a bit more work, and the front brakes, a bit less. It suited my style of driving, it might not suit yours.

If your brake fluid is badly contaminated, I would get the master cylinder reconditioned as well.
Hope this helps, you should notice a difference in your braking; and good luck with it.

Cheers,

 

[Hib Halverson]

Here's the rest of the story with drilled/slotted rotors.

Back in the old days, racers found that drilling holes in brake rotors allowed hot gasses, expelled by the brake pads during very hard braking with brake rotors which were hot because of sustained lapping a race track, to escape into the rotor venting and then to the atmosphere.

It is true that, in the old days, when DIYs and race teams actually drilled rotors themselves, there were a lot of instances of cracking around the holes. But then racing brake disc makers learned how to do the drilling right. Then car companies–Porsche for example–even began to sell cars with drilled rotors.

In recent years, technology has advanced with brake pads for street high-performance and mild racing applications such that out-gassing is not a problem.

So, drilled rotors are really a solution looking for a problem. Well, ok...they've made a s*^t pile of money for companies who sell brake discs and are looking for a way to inflate the price.

Slotted rotors are a little bit different animal. When people learned that drilled rotor sometimes crack and, even if they don't, all the holes remove mass which otherwise could be used for heat sinking, folks got the idea to cut shallow slots in the rotor to allow the hot gases to escape.

But again for normal street use or even street-high-performance use, brake pads people use today do not emit enough gas such that you need holes or slots to allow it to escape.

Now, if you want the drilled rotors to give your car a "racy" look, join all the others who like that.

But, do you need drilled rotors for some imagined improvement in performance?
Not.

Just get your self a good set of replacement brake discs for that '95 and you'll be just fine.

 

[Jerrys95vette]

Thank you all so very much. I lean something every time I read your comments.
Taking the advice of changing my brake fluid, which I think is an excellent idea, what is the better/best brands of fluid I should consider?
DOT 3, correct?

Again, thank you so much for all the help.
I am so glad I joint CAC!!!!!!

 

[BRUTE86]

Great Rotor info

Thank you all so very much. I lean something every time I read your comments.
Taking the advice of changing my brake fluid, which I think is an excellent idea, what is the better/best brands of fluid I should consider?
DOT 3, correct?

Again, thank you so much for all the help.
I am so glad I joint CAC!!!!!!

Hi Jerry,
As far as brand of brake fluid is concerned, here in NZ we probably haven't got the brand selection you have in the US. However, because I change the fluid every 2 years [more frequent if racing], I don't worry about brand, but I go for the light coloured fluid [brake fluid colours come in green, blue, brown, light tan, and even red], because a quick look at the master cylinder you will be able to see whether the fluid is dirty [it goes darker in colour] or has water in it [you will see the water bubbles floating in the master cylinder].
As far as 'DOT3' is concerned, it's a US Department of Transportation grading. There is DOT2, DOT3, DOT4, DOT5 and DOT5.1. Do not use DOT5 as it is silicone based, ABS System unfriendly and cannot be mixed with the others. The rest are Glycol-ether based, and I'm using DOT4.
Hope this helps.
Cheers

 

[Jerrys95vette]

Where can I find a bias spring.
Every where I have looked sells the whole rebuild kit.

 

[BRUTE86]

Great Rotor Info

Where can I find a bias spring.
Every where I have looked sells the whole rebuild kit.

Hi Jerry,
I got my Bias spring from Ecklers, about a year ago;

• Phone # - 1-800-327-4868
• Website: EcklersCorvette.com
• Part #: 43629
• 1987-1996 with ABS
• Cost: $23.99 each

They also sell the Stainless Steel Braided Brake hose set [if interested] Part# 36995, 1994 - 1996 set of 4, @ $109.99
Best of luck.
Cheers

 

[94C4-Vette]

I have read all the posts above as I too own a 94 C4..... (all great information and spot on) and I toyed with the idea of changing out the rotors etc... After deciding on how I really want to drive the car, I found a high temp DOT4 fluid, rebuilt the calipers and thankfully, the pistons were spotless. I replaced the hoses with braided lines, replaced the pads with a high quality pad and that is it. Low buck investment I have to say these little improvements made a huge difference. I also drove the car from Illinois to the dragon tail, drove it hard and had no issues. I'm happy.
Now for some track time for the real test on the rotors.