I spent Saturday at Carolina Motorsports Park driving the EVO Lancer. I was having some overheating brake issues and eventually lost the brakes with the pedal going to the floor.

I have Performance Friction floating front rotors and pads. I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble. So I pulled off the rotors tonight only to notice that I put them on backwards. The cooling swirly vanes were swiring in the wrong direction and thus not forcing any air through the rotors. Needless to say, I switched them around and I will need new pads now because the pads are all cracked. I also removed the protective shields behind the rotors taking care to hose clamp the ABS wire to the hub carrier.

My question is...is it OK to switch the rotors around to their proper positions? Could I have done any damage to them? Namely to the hardware that allows them to float? Are they designed to only get forces in one direction? What do you think. My gut feeling tells me they're OK.

Anyways...here's some pics and a video too:

Video...CLICK HERE NOW!

Pictures....CLICK HERE NOW!!

 

I'm sure its fine. the rotors have to withstand the forces of acceleration and deceleration. Have you thought about getting mitsubishi's air brake guides?

 

You might want to insulate your ABS/wheel speed sensors if you have removed the backing plates. They are prone to melting...

As far as the rotors. You might want to email performance friction. The nice thing is that now you have floating they are cheaper to replace if you have to.

Good luck,

 

The vanes should not be so that they "grab" at the air. You're not trying to pump air in. You trying to pump it out. The vanes should be laid back as they enter the air so that it creates a centrifugal air pump to remove air fro the center of the rotor out. This is what cools the rotors. If you notice on cars that use a real brake duct, they aim the duct to the center of the wheel so that the cooling air goes from the center out. If you have turned it around so that the vanes are "scooped" at the approaching air then this is incorrect. You need to turn them back around.
Even with better brakes it is still possible to overheat them if they are being used too much. I know I have done it before from not taking the best lines and having to abuse the brakes to keep from missing the corner.

 

No you have me wondering. I have them the way you say is incorrect. I could have sworn every OEM rotor I've seen has the vanes scooped at the approaching air?

Check out the picture on Stoptech's site:

Click Here

They say to do it like you said.

 

Don't confuse the vanes with slots. On a slotted rotor, the slots could care less which way they are oriented. They have nothing to do cooling. The vanes that reside between the wear surfaces of the rotor are responsible for all the cooling. Everything I said only applies if your rotors have curved vanes. If your PF's have straight vanes, then you can turn the rotor how ever you like.