Different Types Of Brake Rotor Materials

Brake Rotors which are also known as brake discs are essential parts of your vehicle brake mechanism. When you hit the brake pedal, there is friction created between the brake pads and brake rotors, which eventually lead to bringing your car to a stop. If the rotor overheats, it can cause problems in the brake and risk yours and others life on the road. To decide which rotor is the best for your vehicle, here’s a list of different types of brake rotors available in the market:

  1. Cast Iron- This is one of the most common materials used for brake rotors. The two-piece design cast iron rotor is ideal for performance vehicles. However, these iron rotors are also the heaviest and hence affect the overall weight of your car and its balancing.
  2. Steel- Steel rotors have been preferred by many racers for their cars over the years. This is because, steel is light-weight, thinner, and can handle heat the best. The major downside of steel rotors is that they aren’t very durable compared to other materials and if warped up, they cause loud squealing noises on hitting the brake.
  3. Layered Steel- These are the best replacements for your steel rotors. Sheets of steel are laminated together to make them more resistant to warping than plain steel ones. But these rotors are limited in production and hence are not available for performance vehicle use.
  4. Aluminum- Though aluminum rotors have high heat resistance and dissipate heat quickly, they can easily melt down at lower temperatures. Hence, aluminum rotors are used widely in motorcycles, which are less heavy and easier on rotors when braking as compared to cars, trucks, or SUVs.
  5. High Carbon-These are just iron mixed with lots of carbon. High Carbon can take up a lot of heat and dissipate it quickly. They also prevent cracking of rotors under high stress, avoid squealing noises, and even reduce vibrations. But these are very expensive compared to other rotor materials.
  6. Ceramic- Most supercars like Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, etc use ceramic rotors in their vehicles. These offer the highest heat resistance capacity, great dissipation, and more consistent force and pressure when the rotor temperature rises. Ceramic rotors are the best brake rotors available today.

To select the best brake rotors for your vehicle, you can explore websites like Crossdrilledrotors.ca, which in stores a wide range of premium quality brake parts.