The Way to Improve Brake Performance on Your Chevy Corvette
Rather than relying on a single component, like cross drilled rotors, to improve your vehicle's braking ability, I'm confident you'll notice a greater improvement by focusing on more than just the style of the rotor. If you need or want more stopping power, your rotors need to be replaced with some that are a larger diameter along with appropriately remounted calipers. The diameter of a rotor determines how much leverage or torque it can create, bigger rotors have more leverage. Not only do larger rotors provide more brake torque, but they can also improve cooling efficiency. By increasing their size, you're also adding more mass and more surface area in the form of cooling vanes. Besides adding a larger diameter rotor, you'll likely notice the most improvement by making a pad compound change. Many drivers, even those who may only see light cruising time on the street, would be amazed at how influential a simple pad compound change can be to improving brake response and resisting fade in repeated stopping cycles.
When deciding which route to take with the brake system on your Corvette, first determine in what capacity the vehicle will be used and then decide what exactly you're looking for in terms of brake rotors. Regardless of your rotor style preferences, it's important to remember that a brake rotor is only as good as its ability to absorb and dissipate heat. If you prefer the look of cross drilled rotors, then when weighing your rotor options, if you like the look of the drilled holes, then you need to start with a rotor that was already heavier if you want to improve high temperature stability. Keep in mind that it's the overall mass or weight that is the primary influence here. A 12 pound cross drilled rotor can manage more heat than an 11 pound solid face rotor. While that's not to say using heavy cross drilled rotors is the best braking option, if you're set on outfitting your Corvette with the undeniably good looks of cross drilled rotors, you would be wise to err on the heavy side. Neither cross drilled nor slotted rotors will improve the performance of your brake system, though they could potentially prevent performance from being lost. The folks at Wilwood agree that slotted brake rotors offer the best of both worlds, style and performance, and are the rotor of choice. When it comes to selecting brake rotors that not only look great, but also perform well on both the street and the track, slotted brake rotors are the clear winner.
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