Drill Slots

[Blainer]

I was previously going to just buy drilled rotors for the front since the rear really dont need them... but last minute bought the drill/slots all the way around...I got the two fronts installed, then moved to the left rear and installed it ok...

Then I moved to the right rear and just like my 99 F150 4X4, but with rear drums, it is hard to get the right rear off. Loosening the pads by playing with the tensioner, beating, yanking - My 99's always ended up coming off, but to this day I have not gotten the Lightnings right rear off... I am almost ready to take my plasma cutter to it!

But, to my point... I do not like slotted rotors! One day I forgot and power braked it and the left tire locked up! On the slots! And only the right tire spun because it did not have slots! I ended up mad at myself!

Also, when I go over the intercoastal waterway bridge and I am coming down the other side and apply my brakes, I can hear the sound of the pads clicking as the slots passed over them... bouncing off the concrete wall of the divide.

Now I checked my front pads and low and behold they are gone... gone way to fast! The holes are rounded but the slots are not, they are sharp. I am going to go get the drilled rotors and new pads...I have been looking eveywhere and all the slotted ones I have seen have sharp edges best I can tell.

Any one else notice this problem, or maybe you know of a company the has rounded edges? (I am just going to get drilled!)

 

[2001SVTTRUCK]

What brand of rotors did you go with? Slotted rotors are better in my opinion because every set of drilled rotors I've seen end up getting hunderds of spider cracks around where they are drilled. I have EBC slotted and dimpled(drilled, but not all the way through) front and rear with the black zinc coating, Hawk ceramic pads front and rear. I do hear a "whushhhhh" sound inside the cab with the windows up when I brake from higher speeds but nothing like the clinking you described. Sounds like you might have had a pad seperate from the metal backing.

As far as the rear calipers go they always come right off for me. Just use a pry-bar or long flat head screw driver to compress the piston a little bit to clear any lip on the rotor from wear. Make sure you have the parking brake OFF when removing the rear rotors. They have a miniature drum with shoes inside the rotor that is used as the park brake.

 

[Blainer]

I will check EBC, I dont even remember my brand...? but all the others I have seen look practically the same. Zinc is the same as galvanizing... I havent heard of the cracking - is that because they put too many holes I wonder? It has been around for a long time, come stock on alot of Euro cars back when, and now on some US also. Yes I know they are parking brakes, I loosened the pads with the adjustment and usually when you hit it with the hammer they pop. I will look at it closer. It is definitely the slots that are making the noise, noticed it right away after I changed them... and the pads are fine except for wear. I have many things I am doing and rotors arent that high a priority right now. I am probably sticking the stock ones back on and get to it later... thanks