RS3, RE-11, Star Specs, NT05

Brake ducts

Only as absolutely necessary, but typically no. I also drive around the pits for a few minutes afterwards.

I've never broken a rotor on-track, and in my mind, it's extremely unlikely that it could happen. A cracked rotor has a fairly distinctive shuddering/pulsing feel, but you won't feel it if you're braking hard; you can only feel it at "street driving" levels of braking.

Every rotor I've broken has been while the car is sitting, and cooling after a session.


I have noticed that after pairing up pad type and specific rotors, that my cracking has decreased significantly. I am currently using metallic pads on "hard" rotors. Many members here prefer carbotechs, but I used to break rotors pretty much every 6-8 sessions on track with them. I've broken rotors in as few as 2 sessions.

 

do rear rotors crack too?

 

Eventually, theoretically, but I've yet to do it.

 

I'm "smearing" my brake pads now but I'm not concerned with pad life--I just don't want to crack my rotors. Break pads can be replaced, you can't go back and make up for track time lost while replacing your rotors. I understand the goal of moving the car a foot at a time during cooldown, but I'm trying to understand the proven method of doing so. Maybe I should have put more emphasis on the using the brakes part, but that's my concern. I don't see any other way other than having another person move the chock while you move the car. The understanding I have from this thread is that people crack their rotors more often when using the brakes after the calipers have not cooled properly. I imagine it takes more force and duration to crack than you would apply just moving the car a foot, but I'd hate to crack my rotors while performing an action that's only purpose is to prevent the rotors from cracking.
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When the car is parked in the paddock after your track session, you should never apply the brake, just put a couple wheel chocks behind a wheel to keep it from rolling. You can simply lean against the car and pull out the wheel chock and move it forward about a foot and let the car slowly roll forward onto it, and repeat a few times. This allows the rotor to cool down without the brake pads sitting in one spot while cool down, therefor the rotor is able to cool down more evenly. Rotors usually crack when they cool down, if it cracks on track, the crack probably had already formed and just opened up and caused notice on track.
I have yet to personally see anyone crack a rear rotor.
I run Hoosier R6 and A6 or Toyo Ra1 tires
Braking style definitely plays a part. I run in deep, brake late and hard (straight lines) shed some speed, set for the turn and get back on the throttle as soon as possible, try to carry speed, the smoother your turn the less speed you scrub off.
Other racers I know that tend to crack rotors have purchased the RB rotors and have not cracked them.

 

I usualy crack them off the track when the cars cooling down or notice it on a cooldown lap. I use the cheap crap rotors.
It depends on the track if its hard on brakes like CMP I might crack one or two there in a weekend, other tracks not so much but they usualy go after 3-4 days.
I don't use ducts right now I didn't feel they make a difference, I usualy run 3-4laps in TT so I don't get time to overheat and fade the brakes.

I don't think I brake as hard as bryan but I am probably on the brake more so I think this transfers more heat into rotors or something.

 

Everyone in socal, myself included, had one of those "/facepalm" moments after we got brake ducts. They don't help with cracking, but what they do actually do is increase pad life by keeping the temp spikes slightly lower, and cooling them off faster between braking points.

Most people typically see 50-100% increase in brake pad life; the ducts pay for themselves after 1 set of front pads.

 

Do crack rotors depend on driving style? I brake very hard & for a short period. I don't crack rotors (at least not as often as some here). Having said that, I will probably crack my rotors at the next event. lol

Edit: I drive/coast around the pits for 10mins after each session. Not sure if that is helping the situation.

 

iLuveketchup is fast so maybe the extended cool down is helping prevent cracked rotors.

 

10 minutes of driving around to cool the rotor really gives the rotor a nice supply of cool air for a while and prevents the pad from sitting on one spot.

 

Thanks for the info RobRob, Psychoasian, and Brian. Although it disturbs me that Psychoasian is cracking rotors on EHP tires like I'm using, I'm still going to hold off and just keep an extra set of OEM rotors on hand. I'd love to get the RB two piece rotors, but if I'm going to have to swap out my calipers, I'll go straight to a package designed from the ground up like the Essex/AP one. I'll try Clyde's method of driving around for 5-10 min but I'm going to try stopping to set my tire pressure before cooling down in the paddock.