which is left/right?

[nemesis]

can someone tell me which rotor is for the left side and which is right? on the box it said the top is left and bottom is right. i done some research and it's the opposite way.

[Street Wolf]

Bottom is driver side

[Toofastgs]

^x2

[gtpinsc]

^x3

[nemesis]

thanks, i kinda figure that when i saw GeddyLee post pic of his rotor awhile back.

[GR8racingfool]

Yup, they are right, but you have to take into account, that not all cross drilled and slotted rotors are made to all go on the same way. Bear Brakes are backwards compared to others for example.

Easy way to remember for most every slotted rotor, the slots will "walk" with the forward motion of the car vs. "dig" with them being backwards.

So your drivers side, looking from the side will look like ///// if the cars forward direction is <----. The Passengers side \\\\\\ if the direction is ---->. Thats like the slots are "walking".

"Digging", and the wrong way would be:
drivers side \\\\\ with the forward motion <----
passengers side ///// with the forward motion ---->

Thats the best, easiest way I can describe that to others, online and over the phone when I get a call on this.

~F~

[offroadfury6]

another good way is whatever the instructions say which one is left or right, always picture yourself in the car, and that will be ur left side or right....

[Warhellride]

It's not the direction of the slots on the outside of the rotor that matter, but the direction of the cooling vanes inside the rotor. If the cooling vanes are straight, then they can be installed either way.

http://www.centricparts.com/98-000-0...tion-email.pdf

[GeddyLee]

WoW! Good info there War! Thanks for sharing!

[GR8racingfool]

I have never heard that before War. What I was always told, and others have confirmed, was the direction makes a difference on your pads more than anything. You have them reversed, and the slots will actually eat your pads to death. So, yes, you can run them anyway you want to, they will still work regardless, but they are directional, and should be installed the correct way.

Most all slotted rotors are direction for that very reason, and if the maker is nice enough, they will stamp a L or an R in the hat for you to make installment easy and pain free...also less confusing.

~F~

[Reptile]

Pretty good info there Warhellride. I have often wondered if the actual surface mattered on slotted rotors. I don't have them, so I never really looked to which way was correct. I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever do install them, then it's veins forward! Maybe we ALL have something to learn sometimes here, and that's why I'm glad this site is around.

Edit: While doing a little GOOGLE search here, I found a Brembo FAQ page. Most is relative to Brembo, but it's got some other good answers on it as well.

Brembo Frequently Asked Questions

Baer doesn't look like they put their rotors backward to me....every major brake manufacturer I've found have their rotors installed the same way in relation to the front of the car and if the rotors are directional cooled.

[Abrasive]

Vanes are the most important factor.


The slot direction can vary from manufacturer, so if you have straight vanes then I would contact them to be sure.

Brian's link to Brembo provided me the following info about THEIR rotors,

The discs should be installed such that the end of the slot nearest the outer edge of the disc contacts the pad first

This would mean that the rotor you pictured on the top would actually be the driver's side rotor (if they were Brembo's). Also, all of the pics Brian posted support the top rotor being the driver's side if you are going by slot direction only and not by the vanes.

[GR8racingfool]

Front left:


Rear left:


Front Vanes are straight, (too bad we don't have a vented rear rotor), rotors are stamped, L & R, so I guess they are unidirectional, I wont be having brake failure and drive of the road, hit a tree and die after all. Good to know.

~F~

[Reptile]

By all accounts, if you go by the pictures posted above, your rotors are on backwards.

The leading edge of the slot should point toward the forward motion of the rotor so that it gets a good bite on the pad.

[blueguy]

It all makes sense though and this is just me trying to understand it...installing the rotors in a "reversed" pattern would actually bite against the pad better resulting in BETTER stopping power vs. installed the direction the wheel turns causes the rotor to just "glide" across the pad when pressure is applied...

Brian or Jay...right...right? I think I get it

[Abrasive]

It all makes sense though and this is just me trying to understand it...installing the rotors in a "reversed" pattern would actually bite against the pad better resulting in BETTER stopping power vs. installed the direction the wheel turns causes the rotor to just "glide" across the pad when pressure is applied...

Brian or Jay...right...right? I think I get it

I don't know, I don't have them. If I did, unless the manufaturer or the vanes inside required them to be different, I would mount them as Brembo states which would be opposite of how Jason has his. But Jason said his were marked R and L, so his are right according the manufacturer and as I said, every manufacturer may have their own way of doing it.

IMO, if you look at this photo and imagine the rotor going in a forward direction. As the slot comes around, it makes contact with the pad almost flat and closer to 90 degrees. This is correct according to MOST manufacturers, but there are exceptions.


Now, the other thing to keep in mind here is that the slots main purpose is not to "bite" the pad. They do, and they do increase stopping power, but their main purpose is to "cut" the pad, or shave it in a sense. This prevents the pad from glazing during rigorous braking which would usually translate into brake fade. The holes keep the rotor cooler which also helps reduce glazing on the pad. Brake fade = bad, especially if you road race or autocross which is were you see drilled and slotted rotors used the most.



Now, I have a theory and this is only my opinion, so don't be too hard on me. Jason mentioned that mounting them like this Mustang picture eats up pads quickly. This is probably true. But, if you are a serious autocrosser using these slotted rotors to their full potential, you probably already expect to eat up brake pads like candy and want them to eat into the pad to keep them from glazing over and losing your braking. I think some of these companies purposely have you mount them the opposite direction to keep the number of complaints down about how fast they eat through brake pads on a street driven car. Furthermore, I also think they will work either way and I think you are going to get increased braking ability either way, but it is more dependent on what you want out of them. If they are straight vaned and you want the full potential out of them (and actually have a need for it), mount them like the Mustang above. If you want increased performance but don't want to replace brake pads every other month, then reverse them.

[GR8racingfool]

Just to humor myself, and waste the manufacturers time of my rotors with a stupid question I already knew the answer to...I asked them anyway.

All our rotors stamped L / R…Left is Driver side and Right is Passenger side.



But if you a have installed them the other way it really does not mater, we have done test and found that installing them any way will be that same stopping power.

/end of my thread discussion.

~F~

[blueguy]

Just to humor myself, and waste the manufacturers time of my rotors with a stupid question I already knew the answer to...I asked them anyway.


end of my thread discussion.

~F~

Thanks for stepping out on a limb there

[Abrasive]

Just to humor myself, and waste the manufacturers time of my rotors with a stupid question I already knew the answer to...I asked them anyway.



/end of my thread discussion.

~F~

Where did I say your's were wrong? I said some manufacturers are different than others. The response to your email proves that other than vane direction, the direction of the slots is user preference unless otherwise marked by the manufacturer, which your's were, which I said.

Not directed at Jason, but here's a little more of my opinion, like it or not. If you were so seriously into a sport that required full potential out of your drilled and slotted rotors, a Grand Prix probably wouldn't be your first choice of car. Also, if you're that into it, you're probably gonna drop the coin on a proven supplier like Baer, Brembo, Wilwood, etc. If you are going so fast at the end of the dragstrip that you think you need these, buy a parachute. I'll probably put some on my GTP at some point, but I'll be doing just for the looks more than anything, because they do look good, regardless of slot direction.

[nemesis]

can someone tell me which rotor is for the left side and which is right? on the box it said the top is left and bottom is right. i done some research and it's the opposite way.

you guys kind of confuse me now! just want to confirm, so the driver side is the bottom pic correct? my rotor wasn't stamp which is left/right. on the box it said the bottom rotor is left and top rotor is right.