Why can't brake rotors be made from stainless steel? What metallurgical properties of stainless steel make it unsuitable for use as brake rotors?
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R.i.K.
'98 WS6 TA (white, of course!), Hurst Billet/Plus shifter, BBK intake manifold, McGard “blue-ring” lug nuts (12x1.5), PowerSlot brake rotors, Hawk brake pads, Stainless steel braided brake lines, Pontiac arrow, Hotchkis strut tower brace, MBA MAF ends, Reflective Concepts lettering, MTI carbon-fiber look airbox lid . . . and one greying, somewhat eccentric owner. -
Hi, all my books on specific material properties are at work but I did a search and found this article which would be realy helpful.
http://www.burnsstainless.com/TechAr...s_article.html
It talks about SS used in headers but you can see why they wouldn't work for brakes. Specificly in its ability to retain heat and also that at elevated temps it actuly changes its chemical composition and actuly starts the process called intergranular corrosion.
At the bottom of the article it has a standard properties chart that shows a basic comparisons between different materials.
Hope this helps you, good article to read if you are wondering why Stainless is used in exaust components too.94 Formula Firebird, 355, heads port and polished, cc503 cam, 30# injectors, PCMforless Tune, B&M 2400 stall, K&N CAI, BBK Sorty Headers, Magnaflow Highflow Cat, Borla Catback exhaust with electronic cutout. -
Many thanks.Originally posted by Crazy CanukR.i.K.
'98 WS6 TA (white, of course!), Hurst Billet/Plus shifter, BBK intake manifold, McGard “blue-ring” lug nuts (12x1.5), PowerSlot brake rotors, Hawk brake pads, Stainless steel braided brake lines, Pontiac arrow, Hotchkis strut tower brace, MBA MAF ends, Reflective Concepts lettering, MTI carbon-fiber look airbox lid . . . and one greying, somewhat eccentric owner.Comment
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I would imagine SS rotors would chew though pads big time. Surfacing them would be a PITA too. Generally there is a balance between rotor wear, pad wear and heat in regards to stopping ability and pad choice. SS would be interesting.
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There are several industries researching the reality of using steel-clad aluminum brake rotors. It would cut the weight by more than half as compared to a traditional grey iron rotor.
I think the most important thing they are looking at is the finite difference heat transfer modeling to make sure that the aluminum composite that is chemically bonded to the steel will not separate and will not warp.Comment
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Brake rotors
Look at the rotors on a dedicated drag car. They are only about 1/4 inch thick and some are slotted or drilled. I ran mine for several years with many stops well in excess of 100, (did not use chute), and never had to even change the pads, and they were used when I got them. I do not know what they are made of it looks like forged steel, it dosen't look cast.
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Most of the Pro's have now gone to carbon fiber brakes. But they are of course $$$$$$$$. And a very unique property about carbon composites is that the hotter they get the less they wear.Comment
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