R1 Concepts Brakes Review in 2023 [Updated]

The invention of wheels was a major breakthrough for our human civilization. It opened a new door of possibilities and initiated the era of wheeled vehicles. And, as these vehicles evolved into more powerful machines, capable of moving with great speed, there was a natural need for a way to keep it in complete control of the one driving it.

Moreover, there was a need for something that would stop the vehicles where it was necessary, as well as to ensure a safety mechanism that will also stop it in times of emergency.

The final form of this safety mechanism is the “Brake”. The quicker this brake can stop the vehicle, the safer it becomes. It is the last line of defense for the passengers inside the vehicle that can save them from losing their lives. The more speed the vehicle has, its brakes also must be powerful enough to control it according to the wishes of the driver.

Therefore, It cannot be denied that brakes are essentially the most important part of a vehicle, be it cars, trucks, or bikes. In fact, every year the average number of car accidents in the USA is an astonishing 6 million. More than 90 people die in these car accidents every day.

Although there are many reasons for these accidents, an alarming number of these accidents are caused because of not having a good braking system in the vehicles. So, you must put greater importance on the brakes of your car and make sure that you own the best brake available in the market.

When we are talking about the subject of good brakes in the market, the most prominent brand that comes to mind is probably the R1 Concepts. They produce some of the best performing breaks available.

Expert Recommended!

About R1 Concepts

R1 Concepts prides itself on having over 15 years of automotive brake knowledge. Their headquarters is situated in Los Angeles, California in the USA.  R1 Concepts claims to be the leading manufacturer and retailer of award-winning automotive braking systems. Since the time they were first established in 1930, R1 Concepts have developed one of the most comprehensive brake catalogs in the automotive industry. 

Moreover, in order to keep up with the trends of modern technology, R1 Concepts always tries its best to produce the best-performing brakes. They use technology with computer-aided design, manufacturing methods, and quality control to improve their product performance and quality as well. As a result, the brakes produced by them are always one of the best in the market.

R1 Concepts, furthermore, claims to provide the best customer service in the automotive industry. They have a history of giving support to millions of customers for over a decade.

Here I am going to discuss a few of R1 Concepts’ best-performing products that I have used before. I hope that this information will be of help to you.

r1 Concepts Brakes Review (Top 3 Series)

1. The eLINE Series Silver

The eLINE Series Silver Brake Rotors are one of the best products that R1 Concepts has to offer. It is reliable as well as durable. The goal behind manufacturing this product is to provide customers with high-quality stopping power at a comparatively low and affordable cost.

R1 concepts used their state-of-the-art technology to make sure that the eLINE Series Brake Rotors will last longer and cost less. All of this is for the purpose that the customers won’t have to choose between performance and budget and get it all in a single package.

Firstly, to manufacture the brakes of eLINE Series Silver Brake Rotors, R1 concepts have used fine grade G3000 Grey Iron. Therefore, these rotors are of good quality and it also ensures a perfect balance of strength, stability, durability, and reliability. These three traits allow these brakes to serve you for a long time. 

Secondly, the durability of the product is also ensured by the zinc coating over the entire surface of the rotors. It saves the rotor from rust and corrosion. As rust buildup is zero, the rotor remains strong for a long time and serves you with the best performance it can ensure. 

Thirdly, the surface finish is a double-disc grind which comes with some more brake rotors. This feature allows the brake rotors to hold the rotor firmly and gives it more stopping speed. Besides, the double-disc grinding surface keeps the sound very low. Thus these rotors ensure a safe braking experience with a quick and quiet response. 

Features:

This series offers four types of brake rotors,

1. Blank
2. Cross-Drilled
3. Diamond Slotted
4. Drilled and Slotted. 

• Blank is the similar performing replacement of your OEM rotor that comes with your vehicle. The blank rotors other known as the replacement rotors are not drilled or slotted. They are similar to the original rotors that come with most new cars and R1 Concepts offer the same quality as that same old OEM rotor. It promotes faster and has more even brake pads bed-in. The blank rotors from R1 Concepts are all-purpose and are great for everyday activities. All of this at a fairly affordable price too!
• Cross-drilled rotors from R1 Concepts’ eLINE Series Silver offer the maximum performance in stopping power, durability, and performance. The cross-drilled performs better as a replacement. The reason is the drilled holes in the rotors enable it to lose temperature easily. Cross-drilled rotors are also great for your everyday activities as well as things like street performances. 
• R1 Concepts’ diamond slot technology is perfect for off-roading, rally, towing as well as regular daily activities. The diamond-slotted rotors can get rid of the brake or road debris, resulting in an increase in pad life through the prevention of pad glazing. Furthermore, the diamond-tipped ends are gone if the rotor indicates that rotor replacement is necessary.
• Drilled and slotted rotors, on the other hand, are a combination of drill marking and slot marking. These kinds of rotors offer the benefits of both kinds of rotors.

The eLINE Series Silver comes with a one-year warranty, so you don’t have to worry about any unwanted mishaps. If you are thinking about replacing brakes that are not heavy on the pocket, then eLINE Series Silver is a really great choice.

Product Details: 

• Item Weight: 73 pounds
• Product Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 14 inches
• Exterior: Silver Zinc Plated

---

2. The eLINE Premier Series

The rotors of the eLINE Premier Series are also manufactured using the same G3500 grey cast iron. This ensures a balance of durability, performance, and reliability. R1 Concepts also ensures protection from rust by using special zinc electro-coating over the entire surface of the rotor. Only the blank rotor is excluded from this anti-rust coating though. Moreover, this coating also comes in silver, black, and gold as well. There is a possibility that some of this anti-rust coating may wear off over long-term use, the rest of the rotor will remain protected nevertheless.

These brakes come with OEM specifications. As a result, the vent count is similar to the OEM rotors. The double-disc grind production ensures a much quieter braking performance.

All these special features are guaranteed to give your brakes a longer life and overall improvement in maintenance and replacement cost.

Features:

Furthermore, the brakes of this series come in four different varieties as well,  

1. Blank
2. Cross-Drilled
3. Diamond Slotted
4. Drilled and Slotted. 

• The blank rotors other known as the replacement rotors are not drilled or slotted. They are similar to the original rotors that come with most new cars and R1 Concepts offer the same quality as that same old OEM rotor. The blank rotors from R1 Concepts are all-purpose and are great for everyday activities. All of this at a fairly affordable price too!
• Cross-drilled rotors from R1 Concepts’ eLINE Premier Series Brake Rotors offer the maximum performance in stopping power, durability, and performance. The precision drilled holes are counter-sunk to prevent cracking, and it also ensures a much smoother pad brake-in as well. They are effective against the warping of the brake rotors as well. These are also great for your everyday activities as well as things like street performances. 
• R1 Concepts’ diamond slot technology is perfect for off-roading, rally, towing as well as regular daily activities. The diamond-slotted rotors can get rid of the brake or road debris, resulting in an increase in pad life through the prevention of pad glazing. Furthermore, the diamond-tipped ends are gone if the rotor indicates that rotor replacement is necessary.
• Drilled and slotted rotors, on the other hand, are a combination of drill marking and slot marking. These kinds of rotors offer the benefits of both kinds of rotors. They are also effective against the warping of brake rotors.

The eLINE Premier Series Brake Rotors come with a one-year warranty as well.

Product Details:

• Item Weight: 50 pounds
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 13 inches
• Exterior: Black Zinc Plated

---

3. The Carbon GEOMET Series

Carbon GEOMET Series is manufactured while aiming at high-performance driving. The rotors of this series use Geomet coating instead of the usual Zinc coating. 

Unlike the eLINE series, the Carbon GEOMET Series uses a high-carbon alloy as the main material for the construction of the rotors. The Carbon, Molybdenum, and Chromium together give it the necessary strength to endure any kind of driving style and condition. This ensures a balance of durability, performance, and reliability. Its tough structure makes it perfect for track, off-roading and towing as well. Moreover, it also reduces the noise coming from the brake quite a lot too.

This special Geomet coating keeps the brake safe from any kind of rust and corrosion, while also ensuring reduced installation time. Once constructed, R1 Concepts brake rotors are then fine-tuned to bring them to precise and exacting specifications.

R1 Concepts offers brake rotors that have been machined to the tightest tolerances, resulting in increased contact between the brake pads and rotors, and reducing initial break-in time. This gives the Carbon GEOMET Series an edge over its other competitors in the market.

To offer a more effective braking performance, R1 Concepts has introduced a brand new technology as a result of their years of research. They call it Split-Core Technology. This technology helps dissipate the heat generated in the brake evenly and at a faster speed. This spit-vane casting makes the rotor much stronger than average as well.

 Features:

Similar to the eLINE series, the Carbon GEOMET Series also offers brakes in four variations-

1. Blank
2. Cross-Drilled 
3. Diamond Slotted
4. Drilled and Slotted

• The blank rotors, other known as the replacement rotors are not drilled or slotted. They are similar to the original rotors that come with most new cars, and R1 Concepts offers the same quality as that same old OEM rotor. The blank rotors from R1 Concepts are all-purpose and are great for everyday activities. All of this at a fairly affordable price too!
• Cross-drilled rotors from R1 Concepts’ Carbon GEOMET Series offer the maximum performance in stopping power, durability, and performance. They are effective against the warping of brake rotors. These are also great for your everyday activities as well as things like street performances.
• R1 Concepts’ diamond slot technology is perfect for off-roading, rally, towing as well as regular daily activities. The diamond-slotted rotors can get rid of the brake or road debris, resulting in an increase in pad life through the prevention of pad glazing. Furthermore, the diamond-tipped ends are gone if the rotor indicates that rotor replacement is necessary.
• Drilled and slotted rotors, on the other hand, are a combination of drill marking and slot marking. These kinds of rotors offer the benefits of both kinds of rotors. They are also effective against the warping of brake rotors.

R1 Concepts’ Carbon GEOMET Series comes with a one-year warranty too. So, if you want to have heavy-duty brakes that meet all of your needs, you may consider buying the Carbon GEOMET Series.

Product Details:

• Item Weight: 35 pounds
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 8 inches
• Exterior: Genuine Geomet Coating

---

Amazon Recommended!

Pros and Cons of Brake Rotor Pattern

In this discussion, we have talked about four different brake rotor patterns. Each of these rotor patterns has its own advantages, as well as some limitations. If you don’t have sufficient knowledge about these patterns, it may lead to many confusing situations. So, you have to have some ideas about the different types and also the pros and cons of the rotor patterns.

Firstly, the blank or smooth brake rotors have a plain and smooth surface without any patterns. The blank rotors are similar to the OEM rotors that originally came with the new car. These are installed for maximum effectiveness in any driving conditions at a comparatively minimal cost. But, the blank rotor is not that suitable for any kind of aggressive driving.

Secondly, the slotted rotors have slots that look like lines in the metal. These types of rotor patterns are very suitable for heavy trucks, SUVs, tow trucks, and off-road vehicles. 

The slotted lines in the rotor allow any kind of accumulated dust to be wiped away easily from the rotor surface and ensure proper braking. On the other hand, slotted rotors have a relatively shorter life compared to other types of brake rotors.

Thirdly, the drilled brake rotors have a series of holes drilled into them. These types of rotors are perfect for rainy climates, as it delivers more friction and bite compared to blank or slotted rotors. But, they too are not without limitations; they tend to wear out unevenly and are prone to develop cracks due to the extreme heat and temperature. Therefore, drilled rotors are definitely not to be used in race cars.

Finally, the drilled and slotted brake rotor is a combination of drill patterns and slot patterns. They offer the benefits of both types of rotors. They too perform well in the rain. Unfortunately, the drilled and slotted brake rotors are also not suitable for extreme driving.

Signs of Warped Rotors

Driving your car with possibly warped brake rotors is one of the most dangerous things you can do on the road. Those warped rotors are nothing but accidents waiting to happen. Therefore, it is imperative that you have the proper knowledge about various signs, which will help you realize that it is time to change those brake rotors.

Firstly, the most common sign you should keep an eye out for is the vibration in the brake pedals. You will most likely feel that vibration when you apply pressure on the brake pedal.

Secondly, sometimes you may hear unusual noises from your brake rotors when you are braking the car. This happens because the brake rotors are contacting the brake pads unevenly, thus sometimes producing a low-pitch groaning or some kind of rhythmic thumping sound.

Thirdly, you should be careful when you feel an unusual vibration from the steering wheel. This requires attention because the brake rotors and brake calipers of your car are attached to the same spindle the wheels are attached to. So, sometimes vibrations from the warped rotors get transmitted to the steering wheel.

Finally, if the wheel bearing of the car gets worn out, and the car frequently wobbles. This, in turn, can lead to warped rotors as well.

Avoiding Warped Rotors

First and foremost, when you find out the signs of your brake rotors being warped, you must take steps to change them immediately. It is always better to install a high-quality rotor that is durable and guaranteed to give you the best performance.

Both the cross-drilled rotors and the cross-drilled and slotted rotors are great choices in such cases. You can consider buying the Carbon GEOMET Series, as it is manufactured with a Carbon, Molybdenum, and Chromium alloy and is made for even the most extreme kind of driving.

It also has Split-Core Technology. This technology helps dissipate the heat generated in the brake evenly at a faster speed, which keeps the rotors from warping. This spit-vane casting makes the rotor much stronger than average as well.

You should also be aware that if the brake rotors have been warped for a long time, it is highly possible that this may have also damaged the brake pads too. If the brake pads have been worn out unevenly, then it can even cause damage to both the old or newly installed brake rotors too. Be careful to choose the right type of pad that matches your needs.

Different torque from one lug nut to another can cause the brake rotor to warp too. Therefore, it is important that you should tighten the lug nuts periodically. You can use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts of each wheel in a crisscross pattern. 

Moreover, you should try to avoid driving through puddles of water. The cold water cools down the hot brake rotors too quickly, which has the possibility of distorting the brake rotors.

Complimentary Products from R1 Concepts

R1 Concepts does not limit itself to manufacturing high-quality brakes, and they also produce various complimentary products that ensure you have the same sense of trust in all the areas of the braking system. 

Their products include ceramic pads, performance sports pads, semi-metallic pads, super heavy-duty pads, optimum OEP pads, brake calipers, brake drums, brake sensors, big brake kits, brake hardware kits, and brake shoes. All of this is so that your time on the road remains worry-free and without any sort of mishaps.

---

Frequently Asked Questions About R1 Concepts Brakes

1. Question: Does this kit include brake pad clips and shims?

Answer: This kit does not come with clips or shims.

2. Question: How many lug holes are there in the eLINE series?

Answer: There are six lug holes.

3. Question: Do these install with the slot pointing toward the rear of the vehicle?

Answer: Yes, the holes point to the rear.

4. Question: Is there a warranty by R1 Concepts?

Answer: Yes, it comes with a one-year warranty.

---

R1 Concepts Drilled and Slotted Rotors Test and Review

---

Final Opinion

In the end, it is essential to have durable and reliable brake rotors in the car that can give you that sense of safety and trust. Besides, there are many brands in the market that manufactures brakes, but very few have the technical knowledge and the passion for continuous development.

R1 Concepts believes that stopping faster means stopping safer. They have spent a huge amount of time and effort in pursuit of producing the best brakes that can keep you out of harm on the road or in any kind of extreme situation. 

Therefore, I believe that you can put your trust in the brakes from R1 Concepts.

---

Related Post:

Timken Wheel Bearing Review