sawtooth brake rotors

[jlcustomz]

These days I don't average over 2000 miles a year on this vehicle and a lot of my downshifting to slow down is to enjoy hearing and feeling the LS engine, mostly with exhaust cutout open. Most of my driving is in an oversized overloaded older sprinter van, so I tend to not drive as to overuse brakes more than needed. Just kind of a driving habit for me. Still got my original front pads that were knew with the truck when I got it in 93', paper thin now though.
Obviously I'm considering this for cosmetic reasons only, which would be fitting on a batmobile looking custom. This would be absolutely stupid for actual high performance use.
I have drilled my own rotors on bikes in the past, chamfers on the holes partly has to do with crack control. But I do agree it's the common knowledge now that drilled rotors weren't all they were cracked up to be-pun intended. Many race applications now are flat only. The other consideration mentioned on another forum is balance. I can do really close to accurate work with more basic tools, good setup, & planning, but I'll check with a few cnc equipped local machine shops.
If I go through with this & they develop cracks I can get a couple more new rotors for not much over a hundred bucks & hang the sawtooth ones on the wall.

 

[MC96]

The circle track guys at wil-wood will argue with each other about whether or not slots do anything, but they agree to make them lighter use a scalloped rotor, not a drilled.

Like I said the one that I saw all cracked was a wil-wood, so not a cheap-o.
& that was on a big block at the syracuse mile.

 

[pontiacgp]

Drilled rotors will always crack due to the inconsistent cooling of the metal around the holes. EBC brakes do not sell cross drilled rotors, they have dimple drilled which is another form of a slotted rotor.

https://ebcbrakes.com/articles/dangerous-cross-drilled-rotors/

 

[melloelky]

that's good info,nice

 

[foxtrot]

I have quite a few years driving a standard. My current rwd DD is a standard and I downshift all of the time. In fact almost always downshift for all intentional stops, corners and ect. Hopefully I won't shorten the lifespan of the clutch too much..

This has always been my logic as well. Brake pads = easier to replace than clutch. Don't downshift unless you have to.

 

[jlcustomz]

Whether doing a little downshifting with trans or all braking for slowing down is just a driving style choice. Track race drivers & truckers all do a fair amount of downshifting for slowing down which can add to a more manual controlled feel on curves. Same as with taking off with a clutch, unless you're doing a lot of slipping it or being overly harsh, won't lower life much. Besides, I don't think any car guy with red blood in their veins can't appreciate the sound of a healthy v-8 decelerating, especially with my exhaust cutout open.

But all that is well beyond the original question here of doing a sawtooth pattern to a rotor which will not see hard use just for cosmetic reasons.
My thoughts so far from research:::

Only performance plus would be a tiny reduction in weight, not worth doing for performance reasons.
braking performance loss from surface area loss shouldn't be too bad and going to a 14" rotor from a 10.5" will be a huge upgrade
Largest concern anyone has come up with will be balance at higher speeds. I agree with that, but pretty sure I can pull I off.
I likely will use the powerstop rotors which have some holes drilled & slots. Prefer flat rotors, but want to make sure what I buy has lh & rh cooling vanes.
To a person only into performance, this would be considered just stupid. I go to a lot of local weekend car shows & all the average, non expert people , especially kids, can appreciate seeing something different between all the same ole stuff that many see most every damn weekend.. In person people that can do fabrication can appreciate the skill some things take.
There is no solid knowledge on something you never see. Whether I do it or not whenever I get to front brakes & suspension upgrade won't be for sure till it's done;; or not done.

 

[fleming442]

Go get'em, tiger!!!🙂

 

[joesregalproject]

I have quite a few years driving a standard. My current rwd DD is a standard and I downshift all of the time. In fact almost always downshift for all intentional stops, corners and ect. Hopefully I won't shorten the lifespan of the clutch too much..

If you are good at driving a stick it probably won't. Its not "wrong" to downshift in order to stop the car. I just prefer not to. Even if it wears a little faster, a clutch job isn't a big deal. A lot of people do it, but I personally don't see a reason to unless you have to. The only real reason to downshift in order to slow the vehicle is if your brakes are not adequate to stop the car in a short enough distance. Truckers and racers downshift a lot because often their brakes aren't powerful enough to stop an 80,000 lb truck or a race car going 100+ mph in a short enough distance. But in most daily driving situations (stoplight to stoplight, flatter hills) its really not necessary. That said, obviously it's necessary to drop a gear for other reasons, like going up a hill, passing on the highway, or to match your speed.

Kinda the same idea with people who double clutch a synchronized manual. The whole reason you have synchros is so you don't have to double clutch. It's like "What, are you saving your synchros for later?" They are putting less wear on the synchros at the expense of the clutch. Its a good skill to have, but why not just drive the car the way the manufacturer intended?

 

[motorheadmike]

I like the ones that look like daisies.

 

[pontiacgp]

Most circle track cars don't shift unless starting off or on a restart. On road courses the purpose to downshift is mainly to be in the right gear for exiting the corner. You only downshift after the brake has been applied so that you can get back into the gas, if you downshift to slow down to get into the corner you wont be driving deep enough into the corner and you'll be driving at the back of the pack all day.