Why is there an indentation or “cut” on the side of my brake rotors?  Some brake rotors have what appears to be an indentation or piece of the rotor material removed from the edges, similar to the photo on the right.  In any case, this "cut" on the side of the brake rotor is actually meant to reduce something known as rotating unbalance.  People may ask the question above or even claim their brake rotor is irregular or damaged altogether.  In actuality, this characteristic about the rotor does not mean there is anything wrong with the rotor, but that the part was balanced or mill balanced.

Advancements in technology has allowed for numerous methods to be introduced for improved braking performance.   Such methods have been mentioned in previous blog articles:  vented rotors, slotted or cross drilled rotors and other rotor types.  All of these are an effort to eliminate or alleviate excessive heat build-up and overheating of the brake discs or rotors. 

Today, there is a procedure available done to brake parts, more particularly brake rotors that many experts believe allows for handling stresses that rotors experience on a continual basis.  This procedure is known as cryogenic

There are generally two forms of a brake rotor or brake disc – solid and/or vented or ventilated brake rotors.  Solid brake rotors, as the name implies, is one solid disc.  Vented brake rotors are two discs conjoined at the middle by vanes or lined structures.  The purpose of vanes is to provide more cooling and heat dissipation of the brakes. 

Normally, only front brakes on cars are equipped with vented brake rotors.  The reason is because the majority of the work performed to stop your vehicle from motion is done by the front brakes.  Front brakes are more likely to overheat during