Powerstop Brake Kit Installed (Drilled/slotted rotors + Powdercoated Calipers)

[ggifford]

Hey Forum folks- I wanted to post pics of the Powerstop Brake Kit I had installed over the weekend. Although you can likely buy as a kit now, I purchased the items separately as they came available. After waiting for MONTHS and much hounding, Powerstop finally released to their retailers the red powder coated calipers for the xSport that I've been after. Rockauto.com were the first to carry them (keep your old calipers as cores if you order through them). I ordered the pads and rotors through Amazon.com. Because my wheels are a PITA to keep clean I went with their low dust pads, but they have many higher performance options to choose from. For me, the best part of the kit were the drilled/ slotted rotors and red powdercoated calipers. This kit was largely an aesthetic thing for me as my wheels show lots of the brake system. The braking on my 16 xSport was never poor to begin with- is there a huge difference if braking performance now? Not yet- I think the pads & rotors are still seating in and there are higher performance pads to be had, so no- but it is certainly equal to if not slightly better than stock. The rotors are anodized silver, which went perfect with my aluminum wheels as well. My wheels are 22x9's so there is a larger gap between the rotors/calipers and the inner diameter of the wheels than you can expect if you are running the factory 18's or 20's. This is NOT a "big brake kit", this is simply an upgraded factory replacement if you will. All of the dimensions are the same as factory. Cost wise, it is much more affordable than a true big brake kit. As far as Powerstop quality/ performance/ longevity, all I can say is that I had a Powerstop kit installed on my 07 Toyota FJ Cruiser for years and loved it (huge upgrade in braking). The Powerstop website will help you answer any questions you might have and their email customer support is very responsive. Hope you find this thread helpful.

 

[Keith Houggy]

Looks great, especially with the wheel/tire combo. How many miles do you have on the new brakes and what procedure did you use to bed the pads?

 

[ggifford]

Looks great, especially with the wheel/tire combo. How many miles do you have on the new brakes and what procedure did you use to bed the pads?

Hey Keith- I followed Powerstop's break in procedure exactly, which is:
5 moderate to aggressive stops from 40 mph down to 10 mph in rapid succession without letting the brakes cool and do not come to a complete stop. If you're forced to stop, either shift into neutral or give room in front so you can allow the vehicle to roll slightly while waiting for the light. The rotors will be very hot and holding down the brake pedal will allow the pad to create an imprint on the rotor. This is where the judder can originate from.
Then do 5 moderate stops from 35 mph to 5 mph in rapid succession without letting the brakes cool. You should expect to smell some resin as the brakes get hot.
After this is complete, drive around for as long as possible without excessively heating the brakes and without coming to a complete stop (Try for about 5 minutes at moderate speed). This is the cooling stage. It allows the heated resin in the brake pads to cool and cure.

 

[Schilly]

I have a 2015 Sport. Brakes were vibrating bad. I ordered kit from Power stop -drilled rotors, red calipers and carbon pads. It looks great but the brake pedal is really spongy. I bleed the sh*t out all 4 calipers and still get that spongy feeling. Any ideas?

 

[peterk9]

I have a 2015 Sport. Brakes were vibrating bad. I ordered kit from Power stop -drilled rotors, red calipers and carbon pads. It looks great but the brake pedal is really spongy. I bleed the sh*t out all 4 calipers and still get that spongy feeling. Any ideas?

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter

 

[Jon M]

I have a 2015 Sport. Brakes were vibrating bad. I ordered kit from Power stop -drilled rotors, red calipers and carbon pads. It looks great but the brake pedal is really spongy. I bleed the sh*t out all 4 calipers and still get that spongy feeling. Any ideas?

Keep going. When I did my '13, we had to bleed all four wheels three or four times before it was normal. Ultimately, I told my helper to close it while I was holding the pedal down, and that seemed to finally get it.

Also, if you didn't completely flush the system, do that.

 

[Blanton]

Where can I order these? I don't see a direct link with the calipers.

 

[Jon M]

Where can I order these? I don't see a direct link with the calipers.

2016 FORD EXPLORER 3.5L V6 Caliper, Rotor & Brake Pad Kit | RockAuto

 

[Schilly]

Where can I order these? I don't see a direct link with the calipers.

I found the best deal at summit racing. The red calipers were back ordered though. It took about 2 months to get them. I finally just called Powerstop directly and had the calipers in about 3 days.

 

[Mr.Manatad]

Hey Forum folks- I wanted to post pics of the Powerstop Brake Kit I had installed over the weekend. Although you can likely buy as a kit now, I purchased the items separately as they came available. After waiting for MONTHS and much hounding, Powerstop finally released to their retailers the red powder coated calipers for the xSport that I've been after. Rockauto.com were the first to carry them (keep your old calipers as cores if you order through them). I ordered the pads and rotors through Amazon.com. Because my wheels are a PITA to keep clean I went with their low dust pads, but they have many higher performance options to choose from. For me, the best part of the kit were the drilled/ slotted rotors and red powdercoated calipers. This kit was largely an aesthetic thing for me as my wheels show lots of the brake system. The braking on my 16 xSport was never poor to begin with- is there a huge difference if braking performance now? Not yet- I think the pads & rotors are still seating in and there are higher performance pads to be had, so no- but it is certainly equal to if not slightly better than stock. The rotors are anodized silver, which went perfect with my aluminum wheels as well. My wheels are 22x9's so there is a larger gap between the rotors/calipers and the inner diameter of the wheels than you can expect if you are running the factory 18's or 20's. This is NOT a "big brake kit", this is simply an upgraded factory replacement if you will. All of the dimensions are the same as factory. Cost wise, it is much more affordable than a true big brake kit. As far as Powerstop quality/ performance/ longevity, all I can say is that I had a Powerstop kit installed on my 07 Toyota FJ Cruiser for years and loved it (huge upgrade in braking). The Powerstop website will help you answer any questions you might have and their email customer support is very responsive. Hope you find this thread helpful.
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Looks clean and awesome. Calipers really stand out

 

[Toddman41]

I love those disc's, the painted calipers just put it over the top!