Rotors are an integral component of any disc brake system. When you apply the brakes, your vehicle’s energy is turned into heat that the rotors absorb. It is important to keep them as cool as possible while braking in order to prevent brake fade and to maximize braking performance.

Venting:
All of our rotors are vented, meaning internal vanes inside the rotor help cool it by forcing air through the rotor. This helps dissipate the heat generated when you apply the brakes, thus reducing brake fade and increasing braking performance. There are 2 types of venting: uni-directional (or straight vane) and directional (or curved vane).

Uni-directional (straight vane) rotors do not have a specific left or right side. A uni-directional rotor can be used on either the left or right side of your vehicle. (If you have your uni-directional rotors slotted, then there will be a specific left and right rotor due to the slots.)

Directional (curved vane) rotors do have a specific left and right side. The vanes inside are curved to facilitate the maximum amount of air flowing through the rotor. These rotors need to be installed on a specific side of the vehicle so maximum airflow is achieved. If you put a left directional rotor on the right side, you will hamper the cooling effect that the venting provides. (Please note: for our kits that come with uni-directional rotors, there is no option to have directional rotors.)

Rotor Finish:

Standard Finish
Our rotors are available with 3 different finishes. Our basic rotors have just a standard finish. This is the basic finish from the factory.

Turbo Slotted and Xtra Life Plated
All of our kits that come with the standard finish rotors can be upgraded to include Turbo slotting and Xtra Life plating.

Our Turbo slots are milled with CNC machine precision. The slots, like the venting, help cool the rotors. When the brakes are applied, heat and gas are generated between the pads and rotors. As the rotors get hotter, this gas can actually push the pads away from the rotors, which results in brake fade. The slots provide a space for this heat and gas to escape, thus improving braking performance. The slots also clean the pads, removing any debris that might have accumulated. This too helps your braking performance. We Turbo slot both the inboard and outboard sides of the rotors.

In our Xtra Life plating process, we add layers of a protective finish to the entire surface of the rotor. This will help prevent the areas where the pads do not come into contact with the rotor from rust and corrosion, all while maintaining that “new” look.

Big Bite Cross Drilled, Turbo Slotted and Xtra Life Plated
Most of our kits that come with the standard or Turbo slotted and Xtra life plated rotors can be upgraded to our new Big Bite cross drilled rotors. These rotors include all the features of our Turbo slotted and Xtra Life plated rotors PLUS all the added benefits of cross drilling. Visit our Big Bite cross drilled rotor page for more details.