Even Baer admits it right up front: The new EradiSpeed line of high- performance replacement rotors may not make huge differences in your car’s stopping distance as compared to good-condition standard rotors. In fact, Baer says “in our extensive testing, we have seen no improvement [in braking] to be had by simply cross-drilling stock rotors.” However, if your car is anything like our ’93 Mustang 5.0, you’ve driven it real hard at least once—which is sometimes all it takes to warp a stock disc-brake rotor, and warped rotors don’t stop well. We’ve seen it on late Mustangs a few times, anyway. And that’s exactly the dilemma Baer was out to counter with the EradiSpeed.
To prevent warping, Baer focused on placing the greatest mass of iron in the path of the friction surface to aid in heat-sinking, then designing efficient, directional vanes to flow maximum air through the rotors for superior cooling. The holes are drilled and slotted for appearance only (they don’t contribute to cooling), yet Baer claims this is the first rotor actually cast specifically to accommodate drilling without a loss in integrity. The internal vanes are placed to best support the friction surface, the material is designed to resist cracking, and countersunk holes prevent stress risers.
Also, even though the EradiSpeed rotors feature denser iron, they are lighter than production rotors because most applications use a machined billet hub. (A pair can save 7 to 15 pounds.) It’s anodized black to look trick, and the rotor surfaces are brilliant zinc-washed for rust resistance. In reality, the look was a big part of our incentive to upgrade our Mustang. The rotors are available for many performance-car and light-truck applications, and run about $500 for a pair, or in the $750 range for four wheels.
