Power Stop Z23

[chicagoslick]

Thanks...

I ordered and should receive the Z23 setup today. Cost ~$280...

Also ordered SS brake lines, but they are coming from someone else (Carid). They should be here Wednesday. When I install I will take picture and report back to how well they are working.

Thanks again for everyone's help...

I ordered and should receive the Z23 setup today. Cost ~$280...

Also ordered SS brake lines, but they are coming from someone else (Carid). They should be here Wednesday. When I install I will take picture and report back to how well they are working.

Thanks again for everyone's help...

 

[Gone in 60]

Looking forward to your review of the kit! Was thinking of going this route too.

 

[Gone in 60]

Hey Chicago, did you install that kit yet? Looking forward to photos and feedback!

 

[chicagoslick]

Hey Chicago, did you install that kit yet? Looking forward to photos and feedback!

Sorry, no I have not installed yet. The kit looks great. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it is.

 

[Gone in 60]

That's good to know. For the price, I was thinking they might not be so great.

 

[chicagoslick]

Hello All,

I wanted to provide a quick update on the brakes. I received the components (rotors, pads, and brake lines.) All have a very nice appearance with no visible flaws. Everything came packaged well, but is extremely heavy. My wife (who weighs all of 110lbs) received the package and had to have the delivery guy bring it in as she could not lift it. Not sure what the package weight was but no joke very heavy. I tore down the brake system on the car over the weekend. It has been a few years since I last took this much stuff apart for brakes...Forgot about how much of pain it can be to deal with all of the brake dust and fluid. I am pretty conscious about the fluid falling on the ground and no matter what I did I could not stop a few drops from coming down. If I dig this deep into this stuff again I will probably get a washing machine pan for underneath that area. My brake pads and rotors look farely new with very little wear. By the way my car has ~20k miles on it, with most of those being highway. I then spent the next 4hrs cleaning the calipers and the caliper support braces. Pretty grungy. I went through 2 cans of spray foaming engine degreaser and 4 cans of brake cleaner. Used a brake specific wire brush and scotch bright. They came pretty clean. I then sprayed pre cleaner for painting. I then taped off the guide pin runners, fluid ports, and the actuators. I then sprayed 3 coats of Grey Primer. I plan to start painting this week and then install this weekend. I will add pictures of the assembly process and after driving for a few days / weeks I will discuss performance...

 

[chicagoslick]

Finally finished painting and installed the brakes this weekend. Went together pretty easy with minimal effort. The color I chose is a little bit off from the outside of the car, but close enough for something that will get dusty and dirty. My initial impressions of the brakes are that they feel much firmer. The brakes now provide a linear stop with no grab or bite. You have to press harder than the factory setup, but the response is predictable with no pulsing. I only have 10 miles on them so I will keep people updated as I use them over the next couple of weeks. Here are some pics.

 

[MichiganST]

Finally finished painting and installed the brakes this weekend. Went together pretty easy with minimal effort. The color I chose is a little bit off from the outside of the car, but close enough for something that will get dusty and dirty. My initial impressions of the brakes are that they feel much firmer. The brakes now provide a linear stop with no grab or bite. You have to press harder than the factory setup, but the response is predictable with no pulsing. I only have 10 miles on them so I will keep people updated as I use them over the next couple of weeks. Here are some pics.

Where'd you get the paint? I have some red caliper paint I was going to use, but if I can get something that more closely matches MO I'll take it.

 

[BRGT350]

A couple tips based upon your installation;
-Use cardboard boxes folded flat to put under the brakes while you work on them. This way all of the cleaners, fluid, bits of rust, and grime fall on the cardboard and you can then just throw it away when you are done. This keeps the floor clean.

-A yearly deep cleaning of the suspension and brake parts will keep them looking much nicer and then you don't have so much cleaning to do when repairs are needed. I clean the suspension bits every spring using a toilet bowl brush, toothbrush, degreaser, and rags. I use a toothbrush and degreaser and some wheel cleaner on the calipers. In the summer, I do a weekly caliper clean by reaching in between the wheel spokes with a bug pad and toothbrush. In the winter, they just stay dirty.

-Follow any pad break-in procedures to transfer pad material to the rotor face. Every pad is different, but it is important when doing rotors and pads to bed them in together.

-Once the new paint is cured on the calipers, use Carbon Collective wheel sealant on the calipers to make it easier to clean up.

Freshly painted calipers along with new rotors and brake lines looks really good! Job well done on the project.

 

[chicagoslick]

Where'd you get the paint? I have some red caliper paint I was going to use, but if I can get something that more closely matches MO I'll take it.

I bought the paint on Amazon. The spray paint color is not the same as the car paint. I think the color of the cap and the actual color you get is different. The cap looks very close to the Molten Orange, but the actual color looks more like old school Chevy orange (you older guys who know what I am talking about) when applied. I think it looks pretty good tucked inside my wheel wells with the black rims I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CPIN8E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CT499O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BGYWUE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CPJLV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[chicagoslick]

A couple tips based upon your installation;
-Use cardboard boxes folded flat to put under the brakes while you work on them. This way all of the cleaners, fluid, bits of rust, and grime fall on the cardboard and you can then just throw it away when you are done. This keeps the floor clean.

-A yearly deep cleaning of the suspension and brake parts will keep them looking much nicer and then you don't have so much cleaning to do when repairs are needed. I clean the suspension bits every spring using a toilet bowl brush, toothbrush, degreaser, and rags. I use a toothbrush and degreaser and some wheel cleaner on the calipers. In the summer, I do a weekly caliper clean by reaching in between the wheel spokes with a bug pad and toothbrush. In the winter, they just stay dirty.

-Follow any pad break-in procedures to transfer pad material to the rotor face. Every pad is different, but it is important when doing rotors and pads to bed them in together.

-Once the new paint is cured on the calipers, use Carbon Collective wheel sealant on the calipers to make it easier to clean up.

Freshly painted calipers along with new rotors and brake lines looks really good! Job well done on the project.

Good Information...I should have mentioned that I bedded the brakes in per manufacturer suggestions and also allowed the paint to cure ~48hrs before installing. I was tempted to bring them in the house and put them in the oven, but thought my wife would have a heart attack on me...

 

[pixelzombie]

Finally finished painting and installed the brakes this weekend. Went together pretty easy with minimal effort. The color I chose is a little bit off from the outside of the car, but close enough for something that will get dusty and dirty. My initial impressions of the brakes are that they feel much firmer. The brakes now provide a linear stop with no grab or bite. You have to press harder than the factory setup, but the response is predictable with no pulsing. I only have 10 miles on them so I will keep people updated as I use them over the next couple of weeks. Here are some pics.

That looks very sharp. How much work was involved in painting the calipers?