Powerstop Z36 owners, check your pads!

[16WhiteQC]

Spring of 19' @ 18K miles I did the full Z36 kit (rotors/pads, warped OE rear rotors) -- Friday did all new pads @ 61,680 miles.

Minimal heavy towing/hauling but I do drive the truck like a car and I am hard on brakes/tires so take that for what it's worth.

I noticed some mild squealing over the past month but I didn't get a chance to really look at the brakes. Last weekend I did headers on my truck and noticed the inner front pads were very thin compared to the outer pads so I ordered new front pads.

The passenger side front lower slide was a little crusty at the fully collapsed position, I cleaned it up and lubed the crap out of it and it was much better. My guess is based on the pad wear the piston side applies a bit more pressure to the inner pads vs outer.

Rear pads were warrantied by Powerstop as one pads started to lift from the backing plate, they still had some life to them.

Over all I am very happy with the set up and will continue to buy their product.

The rotors looked to be in good shape short of intermittent rear pulsing, which is driving me nuts. It's not constant like a warped rotor. though. Sometimes its stops smooth as can be, other times it feels like the back of the truck is hopping up and down, WTF.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Looks like over 40k miles on a set of truck brakes is about what most would call pretty good. Uneven inner / outer pad wear is usually a sign the caliper isn't sliding properly on the bracket and / or the pins.

Did you replace the rotors too?

I have never put new pads on old rotors without resurfacing the rotors 1st, but don't believe the slotted / drilled can be resurfaced. The new pads must break in with the rotors and if the rotors don't have the proper surface to begin with (not grooved or glazed and perfectly true), the pads / rotors won't break in / work properly together.

Kind of like taking a shower and putting the same dirty skivies back on.

 

[16WhiteQC]

Looks like over 40k miles on a set of truck brakes is about what most would call pretty good. Uneven inner / outer pad wear is usually a sign the caliper isn't sliding properly on the bracket and / or the pins.

Did you replace the rotors too?

I have never put new pads on old rotors without resurfacing the rotors 1st, but don't believe the slotted / drilled can be resurfaced. The new pads must break in with the rotors and if the rotors don't have the proper surface to begin with (not grooved or glazed and perfectly true), the pads / rotors won't break in / work properly together.

Kind of like taking a shower and putting the same dirty skivies back on.

Rotors can't be turned being they are slotted and drilled.

Rotors looks pretty damn good, the insides of the fronts had a thicker level of scale alone the edge but the pads will work around that.

I bedded them per the instructions, all seems good and the braking feel/power is back to what I remember.

All calipers slid well except the one front one that I cleaned up and greased.

 

[Jim BB]

uneven wear on brake pads are normally from a calliper hanging up ie piston not retracting or caliper hanging up on slides !
I live in snow belt so when i change from summer tires to snows i service my calipers and changing from winters to summers I do the same thing that way i can see what is going on and I have never had that kind of wear difference between inner and outer pad wear ! It only takes a extera 15 or so min per wheel ! Just a lil insight of how I drive when i see a stop sign or light that i have to stop at I will roll up to it ! in traffic i leave space . and we tow a 7500 lbs TT in summer time ! that being said my brakes normally last about 65 to 70K ! Never let them get to wear indicator ! I to have slotted and cross drilled ! By no means am I saying this is what you or anyone else should or have to do !!! This is just me and my 2 cents worth ! hope it helps

 

[CanuckRam1313]

I replaced the brakes on my 19' earlier this year with the originals having about 121,000Km's use on them, and they still had an even 4mm front and rear pad thickness remaining when I replaced them.

I could have pushed it further on them, but I just went ahead and changed them all out to the PowerStop Z36 package and did a brake fluid flush & fill as well. Great brakes, these are!

I thoroughly service my brakes every spring so I get the most usage out of them, and the best possible braking they can provide, with even wearing on all the pads, too.