Brake Pads - PowerStop Z26 vs Bosch BC1001. Performance differences?

[DavidinGA]

Brake Pads - PowerStop Z26 vs Bosch BC1001. Performance differences?

I am shopping for new pads and was curious what everyone's thoughts are on the differences in braking performance between these two pads. I know the Z26 pad is marketing as a "performance" pad and the Bosch is more of a standard pad, but how's that play out in the real world? I don't track my car and will occasionally run it hard on the street (have a few mods including JB4 on the car) and am wondering if their is much real-world difference in performance between these pads.

I was looking at the Bosch pads over the Z26 because...The Bosch pads are 1/3 the cost and no one has reports of the Bosch pads making clunking noise.

Thx!

 

[LordKOTL]

Brake Pads - PowerStop Z26 vs Bosch BC1001. Performance differences?

I am shopping for new pads and was curious what everyone's thoughts are on the differences in braking performance between these two pads. I know the Z26 pad is marketing as a "performance" pad and the Bosch is more of a standard pad, but how's that play out in the real world? I don't track my car and will occasionally run it hard on the street (have a few mods including JB4 on the car) and am wondering if their is much real-world difference in performance between these pads.

I was looking at the Bosch pads over the Z26 because...The Bosch pads are 1/3 the cost and no one has reports of the Bosch pads making clunking noise.

Thx!

My powerstops do not have the clunk; I believe the older version did but they updated the fitment due to complaints. Never used the bosch so I can't compare.

 

[ElChanclo]

Brake Pads - PowerStop Z26 vs Bosch BC1001. Performance differences?

I was looking at the Bosch pads over the Z26 because...The Bosch pads are 1/3 the cost and no one has reports of the Bosch pads making clunking noise.

Thx!

FYI I just installed the Powerstop Z26 front & rear pads I got a few weeks ago and they clunk whenever I change direction (drive <-> reverse) and brake, usually when parking. It's not loud, but I't definitely there, like the quiet dull clink of two billiard balls. I used all the included hardware; pins, retaining brackets, and grease. My batch is dated 2022/04/02 on the box.

I hope they perform well on the track at least.

 

[LordKOTL]

FYI I just installed the Powerstop Z26 front & rear pads I got a few weeks ago and they clunk whenever I change direction (drive <-> reverse) and brake, usually when parking. It's not loud, but I't definitely there, like the quiet dull clink of two billiard balls. I used all the included hardware; pins, retaining brackets, and grease. My batch is dated 2022/04/02 on the box.

I hope they perform well on the track at least.

Bummer. Mine don't clunk.

 

[byebyeSTI]

the power stop z26 pads are good compound wise but they are super noisy , they are slightly undersized and have the dreaded pad shift click . i swapped to the hawk hps set , way better compound and very quiet

 

[DavidinGA]

I ended up going with the Bosch pads. They feel great and the pulsating is completely gone (only changed the front pads). Dirt cheap too.

Obviously no clunking or other sound issues with the Bosch pads (another reason I went with them).

 

[byebyeSTI]

My powerstops do not have the clunk; I believe the older version did but they updated the fitment due to complaints. Never used the bosch so I can't compare.

when i called about my clunk they played stupid and said they have never had that issue before

 

[D.J.]

This thread should be renamed to something like

"Let's discuss brake pad fitment and small clunk noises once per drive cycle"

Though this thread was going to be about brake pad performance , or friction ratings, edge codes, hedt tolerance etc.

 

[Snowwhite]

the powerstop clunk was on the fronts, not the rears. sounds like you need to check your install. i've had them on all 4 corners for more than 18 months now and it is difficult for me to get them to clunk. They are silent as far as squeals, etc. and the stopping power is better than stock.

 

[byebyeSTI]

the powerstop clunk was on the fronts, not the rears. sounds like you need to check your install. i've had them on all 4 corners for more than 18 months now and it is difficult for me to get them to clunk. They are silent as far as squeals, etc. and the stopping power is better than stock.

mine made noise front and rear , not install related

 

[LordKOTL]

when i called about my clunk they played stupid and said they have never had that issue before

Strange. I read somewhere (I forgot where), that there was a "refresh" because some people complained about the clunk. Maybe I got a magic pair that didn't clunk?

If Bosch worked good for @DavidinGA , Maybe try those next? The way I see/saw the issue is that anything except maybe a Kotex™ pad is better than stock: Powerstop, EBC, Hawk, Bosch, etc. I just chose Powerstop because they were cheaper than EBC's and got a pretty good recommendation.

 

[byebyeSTI]

Strange. I read somewhere (I forgot where), that there was a "refresh" because some people complained about the clunk. Maybe I got a magic pair that didn't clunk?

If Bosch worked good for @DavidinGA , Maybe try those next? The way I see/saw the issue is that anything except maybe a Kotex™ pad is better than stock: Powerstop, EBC, Hawk, Bosch, etc. I just chose Powerstop because they were cheaper than EBC's and got a pretty good recommendation.

i went with the hawk hps set , there perfect

 

[D.J.]

mine made noise front and rear , not install related

If the pads are undersized - it will NOT be install related.

 

[Rodtheviking]

I have had the Bosch pads on all 4 for about 3 months now, love them so much I put them on my Tundra. Can't beat them for the price. I had the DCF pads for a bit but they squealed like crazy when cold.

Both are a GG friction pad.

Edit: fixed

 

[D.J.]

My last pad swap was with cost effective "Dynamic friction 5000 advanced"

Friction ratings are:
Dynamic Friction DFC 5000 Advance
GG for front (made in Korea)
GH for rear (made in China)

FG - is the OEM Brembo friction ratings [If you are not familiar with brake pad friction codes - Understanding Disc Brake Pad Friction Edge Codes and Markings]

I installed them on freshly machined OEM rotors - no sound/noise issues with them, they are working well for me (5k kms so far).

 

[Volfy]

FWIW, the edge codes only tell a very small part of the story. It is not unlike the UTQC Traction codes, which is a gross simplification of the performance characteristics of any one particular tire. Not all AA-rated tires perform the same. Neither do all GG-rated or HH-rated brake pads.

At the minimum, I prefer for the mfr to publish a mu (frictional coefficient) vs. temp chart. Not all brake pad mfrs do this. This should give you a better indication of what temp range the pad perform well under. That, in turn, can be matched to the intended application(s) you are buying the pads for.

Hawke has one that shows an overview of their pads:

EBC also has them for their pads as well.

The next thing to look for is a spider chart of the various characteristics of the pad. Again, both Hawke and EBC publish them. Peruse through their website to see which ones suit your intended use and requirements. Not everyone look for the same set of needs and preferences. Here's an example for EBC Bluestuff, which is on my Stinger currently:

Lastly, some mfrs will even publish a chart that list what other mfrs' pads are comparable to their products. Here is one I found for EBC:

https://ebcbrakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/EBC-table-28Mar22.pdf

Do your own search and decide for yourself what characteristics best suit your intended use. Just like tires... there is no single BEST brake pad for all possible applications. They are all compromises that excel in some areas and not so good in others.

 

[Rodtheviking]

If Porterfield R4-S pads weren't so damn expensive those would be my choice.