The Correct Direction to Install Performance Rotors on Your Car or Truck

Did you just get some shiny new performance drilled and slotted rotors for your vehicle? Did you know there is a correct way for them to face? Check out this video to learn which way the slots on your brake rotors should face, and why!

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⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[AAuto]

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[KingZoneOne]

This is the only time I've ever seen rotors suggested to be put on that way. Most aftermarket high performance rotors (including Powerstop, which is what I have) are labeled and instructed to be put on the way you say not to.

What dictates the direction they should be? The internal vanes or the holes and slots on the surface.

[jackzhao]

Depends on the rotors you buy, don’t just blindly do this to all rotors, power stop’s direction is the opposite of this

[speedingAtI]

There is a serial number that ends with L or R that tells you which side it is on. I just checked mine and it's exactly the opposite of what you said.

[SeeSawMacaw]

I love Sue. She helped me nail the front brake job on my F-150. Learned a few things. Here though she’s off the mark. It doesn’t make a difference for the drill holes or for slots which end before the outer edge of the rotor. If the slots open up at the outer edge of the rotor then she’s got it exactly backwards.

If the rotors have directional cooling vanes then what you have is actually a centrifugal air pump and so it becomes most important to pay homage to that and ignore the slots and drill holes. Viewed from the top, the vanes should angle backwards. If they don’t then you are spinning your centrifugal air pump backwards and in a manner which creates high pressure on the outer edge of the rotors. In turn that impedes air flowing from the inside to outside as well.

[ounkavy]

I Install mine base on which way the directional veins point, which is suppose to be towards the back of the car. Im sure its not base on which way the drill or slot point because that doesn't matter. Different manufacture make different rotors. If its Non directional then its just preference which ever way makes you smile. So when you see other peoples rotors pointing the opposite of your it doesn't mean its wrong because there's no way to tell unless you look in the veins to see if its directional or not.

[thrdsak]

It was a great explanation between the cooling vanes. It's a HUGE HELP.

Thanknyou!

[radster]

Thanks for the short sweet informative explanation.

[konstantinusstoyanov]

Informative, that I didn't know, thank you

[RoccoDemonikDeLuca]

Everyone else, including my own certifiers, say you're exactly wrong because your way pushes the gases down the slots and into the hub area. They're supposed to push gasses and dust AWAY from the hub. Unless there is a directional air wall. Then you Mount them according to the air wall so that the rotors grab wind and cool the rotors. Usually this design is only found on cross slotted rotors but, I have seen D&S rotors with a directional air wall.

[JzimmaSRT]

I knew this when I got my first SRT8 and the factory rotors when how you described!

[mrblackbond]

That’s funny.. PowerStop has a video saying the slots are angled toward the rear of the car going the direction most people would assume is correct (not the opposite).

[williamsebastian]

Great job explaining why the grooves needs to cut in to the pads!

[thomasfraser]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know and had a 50/50 chance. Naturally I got it wrong!

[PGLos]

So I bought these and they're screeching REALLLL bad. Any idea why? I bought the pads and these exact rotars but it makes a loud grinding noise and vibrates when I brake.

[menelson]

Love the 1A Auto DIY videos, quick, concise, and professional. Thank you for your hard work.

[charlesharper]

Thanks folks. I have a set of these rotors on my 04 Toyota Sienna. They work great.

[CatchmeifyoucanStockton]

About to be 1 Auto parts company about to go out of bussiness given people false information! I cant get over you saying you want them to cut into pad😂😂😂😂

[konglee]

But I seen race cars installed them both ways...?

[luisalfredo]

El Rotor tiene una numeración que te indica con L/ Left y R/ Right y se encuentra en el borde del rotor, por ejemplo, 31346L / 31346R