Re-drill Cross drilled rotors?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
2007 C350 Iridium Silver
Re-drill Cross drilled rotors?
Hi all,
I'm a newbie to this forum but I have learned a wealth of knowledge so far. I've done a search for my question but have not been bale to find an answer. It's time for my front brakes to be serviced ( I have 23k on OEM pads and rotors) and they are cross drilled. My local delaer is telling me that I don't need the rotors turned but that they do need to re-drill the cross drilled holes because of brake dust build up. Does this sound right? I've never heard of such a thing and I'm hoping to get some feed back from all the informative people here. I appreciate your responses. Also should I stay with OEM replacement pads or do dealers carry other brands that don't produce so much brake dust. This is the first vehicle I have had that has produced so much brake dust.
I'm a newbie to this forum but I have learned a wealth of knowledge so far. I've done a search for my question but have not been bale to find an answer. It's time for my front brakes to be serviced ( I have 23k on OEM pads and rotors) and they are cross drilled. My local delaer is telling me that I don't need the rotors turned but that they do need to re-drill the cross drilled holes because of brake dust build up. Does this sound right? I've never heard of such a thing and I'm hoping to get some feed back from all the informative people here. I appreciate your responses. Also should I stay with OEM replacement pads or do dealers carry other brands that don't produce so much brake dust. This is the first vehicle I have had that has produced so much brake dust.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 18,677
Likes: 9
From: OC
a quarter mile at a time
I've never heard of re-drilling the holes.
Dealers probably won't use anything but OEM pads but there are aftermarket options you can buy, and get put on by any brake shop.
Dealers probably won't use anything but OEM pads but there are aftermarket options you can buy, and get put on by any brake shop.
Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 101
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97 J30\71 220 gas 4-speed
I'd think the dust would clear out by being poked with a piece of wire. I've not heard of having to "re-drill" crossdrills. However, it would make for a tidy bit of profit for the dealer.
There is the dust hazard to consider, if you believe in that sort of thing. Or, laws about it. Hell, Brakleen should flush the dust out.
There is the dust hazard to consider, if you believe in that sort of thing. Or, laws about it. Hell, Brakleen should flush the dust out.
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Bay Area, CA
'04 Mars Red C230K Sport Coupe (not Coup-EH)
.............um...................not exactly. There's a debate about how effective the drilled and slotted brakes are for cooling purposes (feel free to reignite that debate here) but their original purpose (giving rapidly expanding gasses given off by brake pads somewhere to go) has become much less important with modern brake pads.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: North Carolina
98 Black C43 , 12’ ML 350 Blutec
.............um...................not exactly. There's a debate about how effective the drilled and slotted brakes are for cooling purposes (feel free to reignite that debate here) but their original purpose (giving rapidly expanding gasses given off by brake pads somewhere to go) has become much less important with modern brake pads.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
............yes...............(I omitted the um, because I don't stutter) the cross drilled rotors are a fashion statement on street cars. The pad compounds on race cars are quite different, and removing heat is important if you wish to be competitive at high speed for extended duration on the track. The holes do allow surface generated gases to be removed more quickly, but the primary purpose is to allow airflow to remove heat from the system. Race cars often have an additional air ducts to allow more air to flow in the brake area. You won't find those ducts on most street cars.
What can be of use to street cars is slotted rotors. The slots are thin grooves the radiate from the center of the friction area to the outside. These act like a blanchard grinder to lap the pads as you drive. Lapping causes a better flatness to the pad by removing the "high spots." This results in greater contact of the pad for more stopping power with the same pedal effort. Some people complain that lapping causes faster wear of the pads. I rather have brakes that work to the best of their ability, than to worry about less than a millimeter of pad thickness over the life of the pad.
Drilled rotors have a cosmetic problem in that they tend to crack around the holes, and it looks like it is about to break. In reality cracks less than an inch long cause no harm, nor degrade the braking in any way.
As for redrilling the holes, I have never seen that mentioned in the service lit. for the car. Cleaning the rotors is suggested. I use brake cleaner or alcohol and a bristle brush.
What can be of use to street cars is slotted rotors. The slots are thin grooves the radiate from the center of the friction area to the outside. These act like a blanchard grinder to lap the pads as you drive. Lapping causes a better flatness to the pad by removing the "high spots." This results in greater contact of the pad for more stopping power with the same pedal effort. Some people complain that lapping causes faster wear of the pads. I rather have brakes that work to the best of their ability, than to worry about less than a millimeter of pad thickness over the life of the pad.
Drilled rotors have a cosmetic problem in that they tend to crack around the holes, and it looks like it is about to break. In reality cracks less than an inch long cause no harm, nor degrade the braking in any way.
As for redrilling the holes, I have never seen that mentioned in the service lit. for the car. Cleaning the rotors is suggested. I use brake cleaner or alcohol and a bristle brush.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Las Vegas, NV
I drive a Toyota Hybrid...
that's what i am trying to say, unless you are going over a 100 most of the time then you will really need it, but for C230 like ours, just some good ceramic pad will do good enough since rotor never increase your braking power unless they are BBk
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
2007 C350 Iridium Silver
Thanks for all the input. I'm sorta mechanically challenged, so do I need to take of the wheels to clean out the holes? Or is dust build up that fills the holes really nothing to worry about regarding brake performance and safety?
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From: So. Oregon Coast
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort RIP
Oh thats choice! And how much do that want to "redrill" the rotors?
Sounds more like it's you that'll be getting drilled.
Thats the lamest thing I've ever heard!
Are they going to adjust the muffler bearings too?
Recalibrate the butt dyno?
Run away! Go somewhere else, and get some ceramic pads while you're at it, and you won't be doing them every 25K miles, and no dust to "drill" out.
I'm quite happy with the Akebono pads. Quiet, stop fast, last long (50K so far and still look new), and no dust!
Do a search and you'll find tons of info.
Jordan, sorry to inform you, but in Cali, if you're 18, and they're 17 (or younger), you're legally a perv, and can be prosecuted and put on "Meagans List" if you uh...you know...
No drilling any rotors
It sux being 18 for that reason....the "legal" 18 year old girls are all dating 21-23 year olds....
Sounds more like it's you that'll be getting drilled.
Thats the lamest thing I've ever heard!
Are they going to adjust the muffler bearings too?
Recalibrate the butt dyno?
Run away! Go somewhere else, and get some ceramic pads while you're at it, and you won't be doing them every 25K miles, and no dust to "drill" out.
I'm quite happy with the Akebono pads. Quiet, stop fast, last long (50K so far and still look new), and no dust!
Do a search and you'll find tons of info.
Jordan, sorry to inform you, but in Cali, if you're 18, and they're 17 (or younger), you're legally a perv, and can be prosecuted and put on "Meagans List" if you uh...you know...
No drilling any rotors
It sux being 18 for that reason....the "legal" 18 year old girls are all dating 21-23 year olds....
Hi all,
I'm a newbie to this forum but I have learned a wealth of knowledge so far. I've done a search for my question but have not been bale to find an answer. It's time for my front brakes to be serviced ( I have 23k on OEM pads and rotors) and they are cross drilled. My local delaer is telling me that I don't need the rotors turned but that they do need to re-drill the cross drilled holes because of brake dust build up. Does this sound right? I've never heard of such a thing and I'm hoping to get some feed back from all the informative people here. I appreciate your responses. Also should I stay with OEM replacement pads or do dealers carry other brands that don't produce so much brake dust. This is the first vehicle I have had that has produced so much brake dust.
I'm a newbie to this forum but I have learned a wealth of knowledge so far. I've done a search for my question but have not been bale to find an answer. It's time for my front brakes to be serviced ( I have 23k on OEM pads and rotors) and they are cross drilled. My local delaer is telling me that I don't need the rotors turned but that they do need to re-drill the cross drilled holes because of brake dust build up. Does this sound right? I've never heard of such a thing and I'm hoping to get some feed back from all the informative people here. I appreciate your responses. Also should I stay with OEM replacement pads or do dealers carry other brands that don't produce so much brake dust. This is the first vehicle I have had that has produced so much brake dust.
Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; Jun 21, 2008 at 04:03 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Sacramento/San Gabriel/Riverside
01' C32o
Jordan, sorry to inform you, but in Cali, if you're 18, and they're 17 (or younger), you're legally a perv, and can be prosecuted and put on "Meagans List" if you uh...you know...
No drilling any rotors
It sux being 18 for that reason....the "legal" 18 year old girls are all dating 21-23 year olds....
