Cryo Treating Rotors - Worth it or Not?

Discussion in 'Track Days & HPDE's' started by countryboyshane, Aug 1, 2012.

  1. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    202
    77
    0
    Diesel Engineering
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Ratings:
    +77 / 0 / -0
    What are everyone's thoughts on the effectiveness of cryo treating brake rotors? I run Coleman 12.8" rotors on my front brakes and had them cryo treated when I originally installed my brake kit. The rotors lasted me about six track days using Hawk DTC-60 pads until the hairline fractures got bad enough on the rotor surfaces that I can catch my fingernails on some of them. I know I need to replace them before the next track day.

    I'm running Dunlop Direzza Star Spec tires and the car is '09 MINI S. I understand the science behind cryo treating but as far as it being worth the added cash I can't speak from experience. What are everyone's thoughts and experiences?
     
  2. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,424
    10,031
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,656 / 2 / -0
    I have cryo treated slotted Stoptech rotors. I haven't done any track days with them. From my experience they seem to last twice as long as the oem rotors. For me they are worth it.
     
  3. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    202
    77
    0
    Diesel Engineering
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Ratings:
    +77 / 0 / -0
    Hmmm, looking for someone who beats them up on the track all the time. Thank you for the input though.
     
  4. Alan

    Alan Active Member

    May 6, 2009
    353
    98
    28
    retired
    New Braunfels, Texas
    Ratings:
    +98 / 0 / -0
    I don't replace a rotor till it cracks through the edge. Surface cracking is normal.




    Talk to Todd at TCE. He has a custom order for me (Alan Wolfe) from Coleman. I believe they are both chemically and heat treated.

    These are the ONLY rotors I can keep on the car till they make min thickness. I have tried Coleman, Wilwood GT, Coleman Race, and others before Todd helped me out. Cracked them all.

    I run 12x1.25, but I believe Todd can get them in any size. But be prepared - they are ~ $200 each. I used to run the DTC-60s at the track as well, but now use the DTC-70.
     
  5. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    202
    77
    0
    Diesel Engineering
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Ratings:
    +77 / 0 / -0
    I have a handful of cracks on mine that are about 2mm away from the edge and are are quite thick. My next event is a 2-day so I don't want to be the sucker who pushed his rotors too far.
     
  6. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
    19,424
    10,031
    113
    Retired old fart
    Hooterville Ohio USA
    Ratings:
    +11,656 / 2 / -0
    Saving bucks on rotors could be quite expensive. Money spent on brakes is well spent. Just my 2 cents.
     
  7. BThayer23

    BThayer23 Well-Known Member

    Jun 12, 2009
    1,315
    154
    63
    Civil Engineer
    Durham, NC
    Ratings:
    +155 / 0 / -0
    Order new rotors and run the old ones till they really crack. Surface cracks are fine - they'll heal when the rotor heats up again. Just take a few slow laps around the pits after a session to cool the rotors slowly, like the Corvette guys do.
     
  8. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    202
    77
    0
    Diesel Engineering
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Ratings:
    +77 / 0 / -0
    I'm going to try a set that's not treated and give it a go. Some other local track rats have given me a mixed bag of opinions too. Some even work in the material sciences field and are on the fence but no one has done a comparison. I'm willing to test the waters. Everything else I've read is the same repeated story. "The last X times longer!" With regard to brake failure I'm more worried about fluid boiling and brake fade. Since I'm running Motul RBF600 and race pads I don't really worry about any of that anymore as long as things are bled close to show time at the track:D
     
  9. Alan

    Alan Active Member

    May 6, 2009
    353
    98
    28
    retired
    New Braunfels, Texas
    Ratings:
    +98 / 0 / -0
    I've done the comparison as I stated above.

    And for reference my car goes to the track 12 to 14 weekends a year, that's 24 to 28 track days a year. I was cracking the rotors in 3 or 4 weekends. Buying 3 to 4 sets of rotors a year wasn't acceptable, so I bit the bullet.

    I don't blame you for trying the cheap route. But if that doesn't work you know who to call.
     
  10. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    202
    77
    0
    Diesel Engineering
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Ratings:
    +77 / 0 / -0
    I'll have to post a high resolution picture of the rotor just so everyone gets an idea of the microfracture sizes and can zoom in on things. I think my idea of what's acceptable or unacceptable might be skewed from some of our more experienced members on the forum. Might be a few weeks since I'm out of the office a bunch this month.
     
  11. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

    May 6, 2009
    683
    159
    0
    Pipe Creek, Texas
    Ratings:
    +159 / 0 / -0
    One of Alan's early rotors after a weekend event, back when I thought this was bad.

    [​IMG]


    Then I saw one with a chasm all the way to the edge; a true failure.
     
  12. Alan

    Alan Active Member

    May 6, 2009
    353
    98
    28
    retired
    New Braunfels, Texas
    Ratings:
    +98 / 0 / -0
    Thanks k
    I went and found these on the old computer:

    This is a cracked Coleman Race Rotor next to a new Wilwood GT
    [​IMG]

    Cracked Wilwood 6903 close-up
    [​IMG]

    Cracked Wilwood 6903
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Detroit Tuned

    Detroit Tuned Well-Known Member
    Motoring Alliance Founding Sponsor

    May 5, 2009
    301
    319
    63
    evertyhing
    Metro Detroit
    Ratings:
    +319 / 0 / -0
    Shane is running the Detroit Tuned Big Brake Kit in the 17" kit and due to his track weekends we highly recommended to him to Cryo the rotors as they last twice as long. We have had several of our customers go thru many sets of rotors till they switched to the cryo set. They would last twice as long or longer depending on the person and there braking style. We recommend it for anyone that does even just a few track weekends a year or even a very aggressive street driver with a more aggressive pad.
     

Share This Page