1 piece rotors vs 2 piece rotors

[68vert]

Calling all you brake experts out there: what are the advantages of 2 piece rotors other than lightening up my wallet?

[JKnight]

The center of the 2 piece rotor is generally constructed out of aluminum, which makes for reduced overall weight of the rotor, which reduces unsprung weight. Lower unsprung weight will help ride quality and help the suspension to do it's job more effectively (I don't have the knowledge to expound on, or quantify this effect).

Rotational mass is also reduced, but since the rotors are near the center of rotation, I would imagine they have a negligible impact on this.

[John510]

what he said..... Plus they just look so much cooler in a 2pc.

[68vert]

Originally Posted by John510

what he said..... Plus they just look so much cooler in a 2pc.

They do look sweet. An additional $$$$ sweet? Thats a lot of beer and burgers $$. I was never that cool anyways.

[JKnight]

I like to look at upgrades like the 2 pc. rotor thing this way: If the difference in cost could delay me in finishing the project and getting it back on the road, or buying another critical part, then it's not worth it. For some project budgets (or lack thereof), the cost of the upgrade won't make or break anything, so go for it.

If it had more of a functional impact, it might be a different story.

[GregWeld]

The aluminum hats are for heat dissapation. Aluminum disapates heat much faster than steel.

[PhillySpeedNYC]

Not all 2 piece rotors are much lighter than steel single piece units. i work on alot of high end modern stuff which most cars have dual cast rotors with cast iron outer and a aluminum hub. When we weighed two piece rotors for direct replacements they were heavier by a good margin.

if weight is your ideal goal weigh the options literally

Most street guys who never see a track spend a good fortune for two piece rotors for cosmetic reasons as well. we see this often in the high end euro scene.