Identification

• A brake rotor is a thin disc made of metal or a carbon and/or ceramic material on some extremely high performance vehicles. A drilled rotor is a brake disc that has holes drilled in it.
  
  

Function

• The main purpose of cross-drilled brake rotors is to reduce the amount of heat in the rotor. The holes are drilled through the rotor and help dissipate heat.
  
  

Effects

• The cooler the brakes are, the quicker your car can stop. Drilled rotors are particularly useful on cars that are driven aggressively and the brakes used repeatedly.
  
  

Appearance

• Cross-drilled rotors make a vehicle look more sporty. They were originally developed for race cars and look great on cars with an open-spoke wheel design in which you can see the brakes.
  
  

Lighter Weight

• One of the minor benefits of cross-drilled rotors is that they reduce the unsprung weight by a small amount. A vehicle's unsprung weight is the weight carried by the hub.