Drilled, Grooved or both?

[Choongmu]

Hi all,

Time has come to replace the discs and pads all round and im on a bit of a budget. I would like some performance orientated on the front (but nothing too silly) and not bothered about the rear as i know it makes little difference.

I've been looking at these below on ebay and wonder what benefits/downsides there are to drilled vs grooved discs?

I've only been looking at the set of matched rears as at the price advertised i'd be hard pushed to get some drilled front discs and pads and then something like a mintex rear brake box (roughly £70). So for this price i might just as well get the drilled/grooved rears too.

Anyway any views/opinions/facts would be gratefully received.

i know from searching that many have bought grooved from these guys at crn and are happy with them.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360354282290&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110611125574&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170565737115&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

cheers

[billy2981]

Take it you only want them for looks?

Tbh mate stick a good set of plain discs on and some good pads.

Grooved discs in my experienc, drone like hell and the cheap ones off ebay that I got first didn't last that long as the groovs were shallow. They use the pad a slight bit more too I believe.

Drilled thru can crack

Dimpled make a ticking noise.

I have EBC grooved and dimpled and under braking they tick like a goodun due to the gas build up in the dimples. My rears are new too so and can't afford to replace them all and I like them to match.

Plain discs and some good pads will be fine I'd say

Billy

[Sean-Vrs]

I'm currently running grooved discs and I hate them, noisey as flip!

i'll soon be getting some standard discs on!

Edited 21 April, 2011 by Sean-Vrs

[Flybikeslee]

blanks are more than fine, running groved because they came with my porkers, no complaints about them tbh...never usually a fan either

[SNH]

I'm running the crn grooved discs all round and no complaints, no noise or droning either

[morrellski]

Plain discs and some good performance pads will make much more of a difference to stopping power. I'm running standard discs and tarox pads and the stopping power is huge compared to standard.

[snow_muncher]

The edges of the grooving must be chamfered, else you'll get droning

[dannyboy759]

Dont bother with nasty looking groved or cross drilled discs!

Go for OEM or plain Pagid ones from GSF!

Had a lot of experience with cross drilled and grooved and id stay well away unless you want you car to end up looking like its crashed into the front window of Halfords!!

Just looked at an Alpina BMW yesterday which had groved on the front and cross drilled on the rear and it just looked sooooo wrong

[Flybikeslee]

some don't look too bad

[billy2981]

They not bad but you need to spend a fair bit to get good ones.

I had ebay grooved on mine and the original pats that came with the car wor them out lol

I chamged to them to stop the mooing from the rear which they did but they also created a slight drone inside. I only changed the pads in end as one had come off the backing but there was lots of life in them really. The disc was a different thing tho lol. Put it this way there tere on grooves after, only light dayk lines were they had beed cut ouit lol

[dannyboy759]

The reason behind grooved discs is to shed mud and water for applications like rallying or if like droning on braking and wearing out your pads twice as quick!

You get no significant braking advantage with them!

Cross drilled ones are slightly better in some respects as they do let a number of gases out from between the pad and the disc.

But the reason why discs are cross drilled is to save weight!!

Once again there are no significant braking advantages on cross drilled either!

I’ve used both on various Grp N & A cars and under prolonged load with getting hot and cold, expanding and contracting can cause both types of discs to crack leading to unpromptue replacement, like wise this can’t happen on road cars to!

So the only real question is!

Which ones look better, are better value for money for what they do and which ones look less chavy?

Answers on a postcard to.... lol

[dannyboy759]

some don't look too bad

Just looking at the pic you put up on here!

What calipers are you running?

Are they fronts or rears? rears arent they?!

And what pads are you using?

[skud vrs]

I had tarox g88 discs they looked pretty good but dam did they drown.

Replaced them after 6months with oem discs and tarox pads.

What a difference the car stops now plenty of bite and not had fade as yet.

If I was you I would stick with a good plain disk and up rated pads.

[Choongmu]

Cheers for all the advice.

I've seen some plain ebc discs that I guess are ok or shall i just call gsf as I'm sure they'll be cheaper.

Have also seen some black diamond predator pads that seem to get good reviews. Any ideas?

[dannyboy759]

I had tarox g88 discs they looked pretty good but dam did they drown.

Replaced them after 6months with oem discs and tarox pads.

What a difference the car stops now plenty of bite and not had fade as yet.

If I was you I would stick with a good plain disk and up rated pads.

Spot on thats what id go for!

But stay away from EBC, bunch of muppets and why pay more for a disc from them?

Just go to GSF or Euro and get the Pagid ones, they are top quality discs and many of the big Germany companys like BMW use them as OEM!

[STSKODA]

some people have said the brembo high carbon discs the GSF sell are very good, and they seem well priced too if that is the easiest place for you to get parts

[Choongmu]

I have a gsf ob the way to work so easy to pop in. Checked on the website for prices/options but as per anything now it seems you have to create an account.

Think I'll go for the plain discs and predator pads then for the front. And same discs but mintex pads on the back.

[mountie66]

The reason behind grooved discs is to shed mud and water for applications like rallying or if like droning on braking and wearing out your pads twice as quick!

You get no significant braking advantage with them!

Cross drilled ones are slightly better in some respects as they do let a number of gases out from between the pad and the disc.

But the reason why discs are cross drilled is to save weight!!

Once again there are no significant braking advantages on cross drilled either!

I’ve used both on various Grp N & A cars and under prolonged load with getting hot and cold, expanding and contracting can cause both types of discs to crack leading to unpromptue replacement, like wise this can’t happen on road cars to!

So the only real question is!

Which ones look better, are better value for money for what they do and which ones look less chavy?

Answers on a postcard to.... lol

That first statement is not true!!! There are NOT used to disperce mud or water,they accually collect it in the grooves that is why you will not see alot of rallyt drivers use them they tend to use slotted ones as it throws the mud out....They are soley for 1. to throw brake dust out so the pad says clean and has a good surface to ride on..2.to fook your brake pads up real fast.3.friction there is alot less ..

[OllieH]

If solid is good enough for Jensen then its fine by me..........

Ok maybe I wont go the whole hog with the carbon composite disc

[billy2981]

The BD pred pads listed for our cars are not the right ones tho.

Pp312 iirc?

You need 279 iirc that are off an A4 audi. The wear indicator is not the right one tho so just cut your old one off at the end of the rubber sheath trim the sheath back and teist ythe 2 wires together. Seal it up with lecci tape and plug it in again.

No light on dash.

Also keeps the crap out the plug

Billy

Ps I had BD pred pads. They were ok.

I again had to change them as one of the pads again came off the backing plate.

That's 2 sets of pads on the car and twice its done that.

I am hoping its down to the fact I hardly use the brakes even with all the driving I do. And the fact that the force on the pads is not even all the time as the piston needs to slide? I hope the LCR brembos don't do that.

[Flybikeslee]

Just looking at the pic you put up on here!

What calipers are you running?

Are they fronts or rears? rears arent they?!

And what pads are you using?

fronts dude, mintex jobbies, stops on its nose

[tuplavee]

I have just put up these few months ago. No noticable noise increse, no noticable braking power increase. Though snow has just melted from the roads so havent yet tried heavy brakings

Edit: forgot to say, those are ATE Powerdiscs, 350£ including ATE cheapish pads. I think OEM Discs were ATE also?

Edited 24 April, 2011 by tuplavee