What's the big deal with cross drilled or slotted rotors? This is from the Baer website:
...there are some companies which sell cross-drilled rotors as an actual performance upgrade, in our extensive testing we have seen no improvement to be had by simply crossdrilling stock rotors.
In racing, crossdrilling was designed to alleviate a problem known as out-gassing. In some of the older pad compounds, when the pads reached elevated temperatures consistent with performance or racing use, the binder (that's the material that holds the friction material in place) boiled off, producing a gas. This gas would build up between the rotor and the brake pad, effectively keeping the pad from directly contacting the rotor. The holes provide a relief path for these gasses, as do slots, so the pad can once again contact the rotor. Crossdrilling was NOT designed to facilitate cooling.
Although Baer offers crossdrilling as an option on their systems, it is offered as a cosmetic option only.
