[Andi]

Toyota labels the front brake discs on the Supra as left and right, in a way that the spiral vents are curving "into" the direction of rotation, as shown at the bottom of this page:
http://www.mkiv.com/specifications/ncf/ncf93/ncf168.jpg

According to AP brakes, such discs should be installed with the cooling vanes running back from the inside to the outside diameters in the direction of rotation, as shown here:
http://www.apracing.com/car/brakedisc/identification.htm

Reg Riemer, MKIV Supra road racer and 4th placer finisher of the 2000 One Lap of America, agrees. Reg says from his experience road racing his Supra, that the front rotor warping problem went away when he reversed his rotors.

Wilwood brakes agrees with AP and Reg:
http://www.magnumforceracing.com/store4/wilwood_disc_brake_rotors.htm

So does Baer:
http://www.baer.com/rotors/
http://www.baer.com/faq.shtm

So does Bavarian Autosport:
http://www.bavauto.com/inst/UltimateRotorsM3.pdf

In fact, not a single site I've been able to find on the net agrees with Toyota on the front rotor labeling.

I guess this means I should reverse my front rotors? Heh..

Thanks,
Andi

[ August 19, 2001: Message edited by: Andi ]

 

[CMKIV]

very interesting!

good job Andi!

 

[Supraman16]

Nice job on the research, Andi. I talked to JC over at UPRD a couple months back and he also recommended that they should face backwards, opposite the direction of the rotation...Darshana S...

 

[wizard_of_oz]

This was discussed on the Big List about a year ago when Reg reported his problems.

The curved vanes on the Toyota brake rotors are different than the curved vanes on the AP, etc. brake rotors. The main portion of the curve in the Toyota vanes is towards the center of the rotor. Those curves are supposed to act like scoops, collecting air from the center of the rotor.

It's the inside curve that's important, not the outside curve.

 

[Eric]

I'm beginning to wonder on this one as well. Andi asked this same question on another forum, and Scott Griffith, who is very well respected in the Mustang track community (think Lance, only more so), said they absolutely were the reverse of how they should be. Scott is very knowledgeable about automotive engineering issues, and probably forgotten more about brakes than most of us know, so I think I'm going to try his suggestion of putting heat senstive paint on them and seeing what happens with rotor temperatures. I'm going to Buttonwillow in about 3 weeks, which is very braking intensive, so they should be a good workout.

 

[98QS6SPD]

Please keep us updated on this issue.

Thank You

 

[DOOPRA]

All,

what causes the rotors to warp is the "sudden" harsh change in temperature. like cold to hot. or hot to cold.

so therefore changing the rotation of the spiral vents might cause the brakes not to fade alot less than they did before but...

it should not cause you from warping your rotors?

i talked this over with a road racing buddy.

hows it sound?




Andi or Eric,

you guys switch them up yet? whats the verdict?