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I've been running Stoptech 2 piece rotors for years but wonder if I'm changing them too frequently. These have 12-15 weekends on them and I'm thinking they need replacement. I bite my nails to nubs but feel a few of these cracks would get snagged if I tried.
Are they done or do they have a bunch of life left in them?
I used to run parts store rotors until a crack went all the way to the outside. I think my Stoptechs on the car now are worse than that. Those little heat checks can't be any more abrasive than the slots cut into the new rings you'll eventually have to buy.
I change mine about every 3 years which is around 18 events. Our tracks aren’t that hard on brakes IMO but I’d say some of those cracks that are darker would have me a little concerned.
The Stoptech rotors are pretty high quality and generally last a long time. There are several factors that can affect their life like how hard they are used, how good your cooling is, what pads you run, etc. Thermal shock is the hardest on them and can cause the cracks to grow.
Those rotors are still fine to use as is. They might last several more years or just a couple of events. The general guideline is to toss them when a crack extends to the edge. When that happens, the internal stresses inside the rotor can cause the rotor face to distort in an offset and create a step. This step will be felt in the pedal and even the steering wheel every time it hits the pad. This can very rapidly shave the pad down or even cause a wheel to lock. Again, the quality of the Stoptech rotors usually means this step will be pretty minor. Cheaper rotors can quickly form a huge step or even have the rotor come apart.
Those look old enough that it would be wise to bring spare rings to the track and have everything you need to swap so you don't ruin an event if a crack grows to the edge. It's always a good idea to inspect between sessions to catch things before they go bad on track.
Also, between events it's good to inspect for wallowing out of the holes between the hat and the rotor. A couple of people have had issues with that and if left unchecked it can take out both the rotor and the hat or even result in complete brake loss at one corner.
Richard P.
Thanks for the feedback so far. Cooling seems pretty good and I've never had brake fad/problems. Pads are Carbotech XP10's which are not very aggressive. I have spare rotors AND rings already mounted so a rotor swap at the track would be easy. As for "hard on brakes", how do you define that? VIR has 2 straights where I hit about 136 mph and both end in 45 mph turns. We are there 3 times per year each for 3 day events. Another track we visit twice has a single straight very similar so ALOT of hard braking zones.....however both of these are long enough that cooling seems to be sufficient.