Brake replacement, AC Delco vs Powerstop
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
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Brake replacement, AC Delco vs Powerstop
Its about time to do a brake job on my '86. Its just a cruiser that sees some spirited back road driving but no track time. I've been considering using basic AC Delco Gold/Professional semi-metallic pads and rotors but also tempted by the Powerstop KOE4234 "Daily Driver" setup with their rotors and Evolution ceramic pads. Rockauto sells the whole kit for $150. I've never had ceramic pads on any of my vehicles but the reduced brake dust and long life sounds nice (as long as they don't eat rotors). Honestly, I've never really been impressed with the stock stopping power of my C4. I'd consider either option as long as stopping power isn't reduced further in anyway. I don't have the funds for anything much above what is listed (Hawk pads are too pricey for me ATM, for example) and don't really want to go with drilled or slotted rotors. Any opinions welcomed.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
Have you flushed your lines yet? How OLD are the hoses? On a used car, I think it was about 7 or 8 years old or was it 10. Not sure but going to new hoses that were SS braided got me about an inch of pedal travel. The hose gets old and expands more on pressure application. So when you push the pedal, it should transmit the full pressure to the piston. However if the hose takes up some of the slack, your braking suffers. Rubber gets old and weak. You wouldn't wear a 20 year old condom with a fertile girl that could cost you 18 years of child support payments, would you?
I flush all my vehicles' brake fluid every 2 years. It is thought of as a sealed system. It isn't and it picks up moisture. Without seeing it, I would bet that your fluid is black. I might be wrong but make enough bets and I will win most of the time.
Before I change pads and rotors, I would do that to make sure I get a good baseline of what to expect. That is, if it isn't already done.
I flush all my vehicles' brake fluid every 2 years. It is thought of as a sealed system. It isn't and it picks up moisture. Without seeing it, I would bet that your fluid is black. I might be wrong but make enough bets and I will win most of the time.
Before I change pads and rotors, I would do that to make sure I get a good baseline of what to expect. That is, if it isn't already done.
Last edited by aklim; Apr 25, 2021 at 09:47 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 228
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The pads are getting thin and its close to replacement-time which is why I'm looking at doing the brake job. I intend on flushing the lines at that time. In a past career, I was fortunate to drive many Corvettes and simply was not impressed by C4 braking performance (hence my comment about not wanting to reduce braking performance any further, I'm not familiar with the performance of ceramic pads in this case). That's not to say it was bad or inadequate. If I have the money, I will consider your suggestion on SS braided hoses. Going with the cheaper Powerstop option may allow for this. Any recommended brand or supplier for the hose kit? I see them at various vendors (MAM, CC, Zip, DRM, etc.).
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
