Power Stop Brakes Review
It’s one thing to have going power, but something else entirely to have stopping power. We often focus on having the fastest car on the track, but the truth is that power without control is useless, and in few places is this especially true as in cars.
No matter what kind of car you drive, and what kind of speed it can go at, you should have the brakes to match it, or you’re going to fret reaching speeds that are too high. That’s why you should think very hard about the kind of brakes you buy for your vehicle.
Performance brakes are among the most important things you could possibly get for your vehicle.
This brake kit comes with kits for both the front and rear tires of your car and also has slotted/drilled rotors as well as ceramic brake pads.
It’s an excellent set of performance brakes for those that use their cars for their daily commute and want a brake kit that can handle the frequent use.
Main Features
- Custom-matched components
- Rotors are drilled and slotted
- Made of stainless steel hardware as well as ceramic brake pads
- Shims are rubberized to reduce braking noise
Smart Design
These brakes are the crème de la crème of performance brake kits. The components are well matched and designed to work together like magic, giving the everyday driver the kind of braking power and control that they are unlikely to get from anywhere else.
Your wheels are going to look shiny and new no matter how many times you drive around, thanks to ceramic brake pads.
Lees noise
Ceramic brake pads are also known to produce higher frequency sounds than the human ear can hear, which means you can expect your braking experience to be quiet.
The performance rotors are slotted and drilled to add to their heat dissipation capabilities, which increases their performance.
Finally, the entire kit is made of stainless steel and ceramics. It also comes with ceramic lubricant to make installation super easy.
- Quiet braking
- Easy installation
- Rubberized shims
- Rotors can be a bit difficult to install
There isn’t much difference between the K2303 and the K5803 when it comes to the specs. These great brakes are made for your everyday driver. However, while the K5803 is made for regular commute vehicles, the K2303 is made for the sportier vehicles that we use regularly. As such, it is a bit stronger on performance. Don’t mistake it for the kind of performance brake kit you could use for a racing vehicle; however; this is still a brake kit for the everyday driver.
Main Features
- Rubberized shims
- Drilled and Slotted rotors
- Carbon Fiber ceramic pads
- Stainless Steel hardware
High Quality Set of Rotors
The main feature that stands out on this particular brake kit is the fact that the brake pads are made from ceramics mixed with carbon fiber. That ensures they have that extra grip they need for when your sporty vehicle is going at those high speeds.
Everything else is what you would expect from a Power Stop Z23 Evolution brake kit:
- The kit is built for both the front and rear tires;
- the rotors are drilled and slotted to improve heat dissipation;
- the kit comes with ceramic lubricant for easier installation, the shims are rubberized to reduce noise, and the ceramic brake pads ensure you don’t have to worry about dust while braking.
- Dust free braking
- Carbon Fiber mixed with ceramics in the brake pads for a firmer grip
- Rubberized shims minimize noise
- Tend to warp after use for over 3000 miles.
What the Customers are saying
They’re a great set of brakes and the best use of my money yet.
If you want a great performance upgrade over your SUV or truck and also want brake without having to worry about dust, then this is the perfect brake kit for you.
Main Features
- Carbon fiber ceramic brake pads
- Rubberized shims
- Stainless steel hardware
- Drilled and Slotted rotors
Simple installand Great Stopping Power
This particular brake kit has been specially built with trucks and SUVs in mind. It’s a Z23 Evolution brake kit with all of the extra kick you would want for your larger vehicle.
All of the components are still custom matched, just like with the rest, which means they are going to work perfectly together to deliver the very best braking power to you.
The ceramic brake pads will also ensure dust-free braking while the premium rubberized shims will ensure braking devoid of noise.
- Dust free braking
- Noise-free braking
- Increased heat dissipation due to drilled and slotted performance rotors.
- Tends to warp under extreme use
What the Customers are saying
The kit looks great and is perfect for an upgrade. It was easy to install and has the best quality I have seen in its class.
Also to consider: Nakamoto Rotor and Brake Pad Kit
While this isn’t a Power Stop brake kit, it happens to be in the same price range, though slightly cheaper, while offering much of the same performance.
It comes with ceramic brake pads, drilled and slotted rotors, and shims, though the shims aren’t rubberized.
While it isn’t as great as a Power Stop, it is still professional grade and would be an excellent choice for those with a tight budget.
FAQ/Buying Guide
Contents:
Why are Performance Brakes so important?
There are lots of things the right performance brakes can do for you, depending on your unique situation:
They give you safety on the Road
When it comes to safety, nothing literally screeches safety as loudly as your brakes. They are the most crucial part of your entire safety system. You might be using your vehicle for those singular road trips you love so much, or for your daily commute; it really doesn’t matter.
Whatever use you apply your vehicle to, you’re going to need brakes that are not only reliable but consistent with that reliability. Now, you can get that with stock brakes, sure, but you’re probably going to be grateful for the extra friction that rotors and performance brakes can afford you. It means you can stop your car to a sudden halt with a much shorter stopping distance.
That means it’s going to be much safer for you to drive on any kind of road, including those perilous highways. Another major advantage that you’re going to get from performance brakes is longevity.
Performance brakes can take the heat without leaving the proverbial kitchen and are likely to last far longer than stock rotors and brakes. Ultimately, you’ll replace them much less frequently, meaning you’ll get a lot more value for your money.
They give you better Performance when Racing
When racing, the first thing you’re likely to think of is how fast your car is, and there really is nothing wrong with that to be sure. You do need a pretty fast car if you want to stand a chance to win a race.
However, what is even more important than speed when racing is control, and the ability to brake with precision on the tightest turn. Racing vehicles need to be able to control the torque that comes with very high speeds.
That kind of stress needs to be reined in if you’re going to come out on top, which means you’re going to need lots of friction.
The thing about the kind of friction generated by racing is that it can generate incredible amounts of heat. That kind of heat means your average stock brake or rotor is going to perform at a diminished level and probably end up warped or completely damaged after a short time.
What you need is a performance brake that has been designed to handle just the kind of stress and heat that are experienced when racing. These brakes have been engineered in such a way that their heat dissipation abilities are much better than those of stock rotors and brakes.
The ultimate result is that you get more control over your vehicle and a much better chance of coming out on top in the race.
They are less liable to Brake Fade
This is something that is well known among race car and big rig drivers of all types. It is something that concerns them on a daily basis, and it is popularly known as brake fade. To put it simply, brake fade is a phenomenon where the intense heat generated by racing and other kinds of high-intensity driving make the brakes so hot that they are unable to stop.
It’s fairly straightforward to understand where brake fade comes from with a bit of high school physics. We all know from the First Law of Thermodynamics that energy is neither created nor destroyed; it merely converted from one form into another. When your brake pads stop your vehicles, they grate against the rotors and apply the force of friction, which converts all of that kinetic energy the wheels had into heat. Your vehicle slows down, and your brakes get hot. Nothing complicated about that.
Now, when you happen to apply your brakes frequently and use them heavily, such as when you’re driving a heavily loaded vehicle down a steep hill or when you’re racing, your brake pads, as well as the rotors on which they act can get very hot. They can only take so much heat, in fact, before they can’t take anymore. When they’ve had their fill of heat, then they can’t absorb anymore, which means they can’t keep converting the kinetic energy of your tires into heat, which means they lose the power to stop your wheels.
Another thing is that your brake pads are held together by a special resin which begins to vaporize at these extreme temperatures. When the resin vaporizes, it forms a gas that finds its way between the brake pad and the rotor, creating a sort of film that prevents contact between your brake pads and the rotor. Your brake pads, therefore, cannot stop your wheels. All of these lead to the phenomenon known as brake fade.
Brake fade is pretty serious and can be quite dangerous. However, you are certainly going to get it less with performance brakes than with stock brakes.
That’s because the kinds of materials and designs used in performance brakes ensure high heat dissipation abilities, optimal control, and maximum friction. Your vehicle should be able to brake just fine at whatever level of performance. That’s really why they’re called performance brakes to begin with.
Brake Pads
This kind of brake literally bites down on your rotors to make them stop. They are made from different materials and designs to go with the needs of different drivers. They include ceramic brake pads, semi-metallic, and organic brakes.
Brake Rotors
Brake rotors are also called disc rotors or brake discs and are basically what your brakes make contact with when stopping your wheels. They are also made to dissipate as much heat as possible and also to provide as much friction as possible. They are mostly made out of cast gray iron and come with all kinds of designs for the needs of different drivers.
Big Brake Kits
The idea behind big brake kits is fairly simple: they come with especially large rotors so the brake pads can bite down on the rotor farther away from the axle than in normal brakes. This gives them more leverage to stop the wheel. Also, since the rotor has more material as a function of its size, it has much more heat dissipation capability. Big brake kits are also good to have when you have oversized wheels.
Brake Lines
In the average car, a brake line made from soft rubber will do. However, in high-performance cars, they simply won’t do. Rubber can easily be punctured in an off-road vehicle and also gets stretched with intense and frequent use. The better performance brake line here is the stainless steel brake line. In these brake lines, the soft rubber is wrapped in thin steel strips braided together. It’s much stronger than rubber, meaning it won’t easily be punctured or stretched.
Why Power Stop?
For all the above, Power Stop has an answer. Power Stop is a brake kit manufacturer that has been dealing in performance brakes since 1995 and has offered nothing but quality in that period. They are trusted by a majority of drivers and are so popular in the market that they deserve a review all of their own. That’s why we’re going to look at their most popular brake kits in this article.
What are Power Stop Brakes?
Power Stop brakes are performance brakes manufactured by Power Stop to perform at the highest level while also being affordable.
Do Power Stop Brakes have a Lifetime Warranty?
No, they do not. This isn’t just about Power Stop as a company. Brakes face intense use, even if they are installed in a car that isn’t driven around a lot. As such, they are rarely able to last more than a few years at a time. A lifetime warranty would be unrealistic. Power Stop does, however, offer a warranty on their brakes of 3 years or 36,000 miles. That is still quite valuable in an industry where brakes rarely last beyond the 2-year mark.
How long do Power Stop Brakes last?
Based on their warranty, Power Stop brakes are typically expected to last about 3 years or 36,000 miles. However, with careful use and good maintenance, they can last much longer than that. How long depends on the individual case.
Where are Power Stop Brakes manufactured?
For the most part, Power Stop brakes are designed in the US and manufactured by their manufacturing partners overseas. However, the company does have facilities in the US where some of their brake kits are manufactured.
Who owns Power Stop?
Power Stop is a private LLC that manufactured and distributed braking systems for a variety of vehicles. By virtue of it being an LLC, it doesn’t have a single owner; rather a group of shareholders.
Wrapping Up
And with that, we come to the end of our Power Stop brake review. If you’re looking for the perfect performance brake upgrades for your everyday vehicle, then look no further. It really doesn’t get much more powerful than Power Stop!
I just had the front and rear rotors installed to my 2001 Honda Accord and I notice the rear rotors looks like counter clockwise and the front rotors like the clockwise. Please advise if this installation will have any affect or decrease the stopping power?
Why are the Z23 pads rated for better stopping and longevity than the Z26 Extreme?
I have a Corvette Z06 and from reading the description the Z26 Extremes seem to be the logical choice for a sports car but based on the ratings, they do not last or stop as well as the Z23’s.
Please help me better understand which I should purchase.
Thank you!
Paul
I Have An 04 Chevy Impala Base model And I Had
Power Stop Brakes Installed By My Mechanic. When First Had Them Put On They Were The Best Brakes I’ve Ever Stoped My Car With , Felt Smooth And Would Stop On A Dime . After Being On My Impala About A Year In A 1/2 The Front Brakes Started Pulsating & You Can Feel It In Both the Steering & Brake Pedal When Stopping My Car . I Took It To The Garage And They Told Me That Its Doing That Because It Has Rust In The Slots And The Holes Of the Rotor And They Said To Drive It And The Pulsating Would Go Away ! Well It Hasn’t To This Day In fact I Think It’s
Actually Gotten Worse . I Drive My Wife And Granddaughter Monday Threw Friday and I’m Frightened To Drive Them In The Car . Can You Please Tell Me What I Should Do ? I Can Not Afford To Purchase New Power Stop Brakes , I’m On A Social Security Income And Have No Extra Money To Replace Them . I Have The Brakes On Both The Front And Back Of My Car And They Are Not Antilock Brakes So Its Not Pulsating From That . Please Inform Me What To Do InThis Matter . Thank You For Your Time People At Power Stop Brakes .
Hello Samuel,
If you drove your car for a year and a half, and all went well until now, there must have been an unusual current of an event that may have caused the problem. If I had to guess, it would be the warping of your rotor or rotors or the calipers sometimes may be seizing up a piston caused by a sudden temperature change from extreme hot to cold.
Perhaps, consider having your brakes checked/inspected so you may pinpoint the issue, issues you’re having because eventually there will get worse!
Now is the time to check your warranty! Good luck!
Can you help me to contact power stop factory in China?