J-Hook, Drilled, Slotted or Plain Brake Discs

Why discs have slots at all

Under hard braking the pad releases gas and particles. A thin layer forms between pad and disc and cuts friction. Slots and holes give that layer somewhere to go and refresh the pad surface. The price is faster pad wear and, with drilling, a weaker disc.

Plain

Maximum swept area, quietest, longest ring and pad life. Modern pads outgas far less than pads from 30 years ago, so a plain disc is perfectly fine on track. Some series require it in the rules.

Drilled

The holes save a little mass and help in the wet. The problem comes with repeated high heat cycles: stress concentrates around each hole and that's where cracks start. Looks good, works on the road. We don't recommend it for regular track use.

Slotted

Straight slots scrape the pad surface every revolution. Stable friction through a whole session, without the cracking problem of drilled discs. Wears pads faster than J-hook.

J-hook

Curved slots that clean the surface progressively rather than all at once. The result is smoother braking, less vibration and more even pad wear. Our pick for track.

Which one

• Daily driving and fast road use: plain or drilled.
• Track days: J-hook or slotted.
• Racing: J-hook, or plain if the rules demand it.

All four faces are available on FF-D3000, a two-piece disc built to your car's dimensions. The ring is replaced separately from the hat, so next season you can try a different face without buying new hats.