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You can take all the time in the world looking at the packaging of Z23 or Z26 and still fail to nail down what their differences are or why any of them is the best fit for your car. So, it is all about being interested in having the best brake system and going the extra mile on that.
Some persons however do not bother at all about looking into what fits the vehicle. The onus lies most of the time on you the car owner to figure out what you want. This step must be taken before heading out to meet the retailer who is only interested in selling the product and does not mind feeding you will be misleading information.
If you fall into the category of those who often ask themselves whether there are differences between the Z23 and Z26 power stop brake pads or not, then count yourself lucky to read this article.
This is a comprehensive run down aimed at clarifying the question frequency asked about these pads, including the ones that made you stumble upon this article and others you may not think relevant but will soon find out how wrong you are.
The problem most of the time has to do with failing to ask the right questions, considering time spent carrying out meticulous research as wasted, not knowing what you want of a brake pad, failing to contact the manufacturing company about your confusion, and not seeking answers on questions.
The merit of good research is only appreciated following the realization that your new brake pads outperform every other previous experiences you had with other brands. This is partly because of the quality of power stop brake pads and the careful selection of the right type for your vehicle.
Aside from the words of the manufacturing company, and reports of post-marketing testing, we owe a lot of gratitude to those who took up the responsibility of testing brake pads, comparing the pad’s performance with that of the stock pad, and also disguising the various types of pads of the same brands.
To this effect, there are thousands of videos that are considered helpful resources for potential buyers who are unable to decide on the type of power stop brake pads to install on their vehicle.
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Why is it necessary to compare Z23 and Z26 power stop brake pads?
You cannot go into an automobile shop and simply demand any brake pad or pick up the first brake pad on the counter or that which has the most captivating name and have it installed on your car.
A lot of persons who understand how critical the brake pads are in the brake system and the significance of having a brake system you can trust have dedicated their platforms to creating videos about these pads and creating awareness amongst users.
The brake system is like the human body, a given sign or symptom can be shared by various underlying causes. For example, headache is a constitutional symptom seen in mild illnesses such as the flu and more serious sickness such as hypertension. Therefore, when you have a headache, only the physical after a proper history, examination, and necessary investigation can establish the right diagnosis.
Therefore, when you hear a squealing noise coming from your car, in as much as you may want to blame this on the rotors, the quality of the pad, or other common culprits, not having the right pads on can also be the reason for the noise.
There is a need to establish the characteristics of the noise, the type of noise, when the noise is heard, that is, upon application of the brake pedal or while accelerating, whether it is heard continuously or stops at some point. These questions can help determine the right culprit. Do not however discard the fact that the cause may be a result of not installing the right pads for your car.
The essence of this comparison, therefore, is to help car owners avoid making unnecessary mistakes as there change their car brake pads. Studies show that a huge percentage of car owners, especially those driving their first cars are skeptical about replacing the stock car parts.
This is primarily because of the belief that the new parts may fail to perform the same way as the stock parts or cause damage to other car parts. This fear is caused by stories of those who had a similar experience and spoke publicly about it, warning others.
Why is choosing between Z23 brake pads and Z26 power stop brake pads such a big deal? If you find yourself having these thoughts, then you are yet to understand the different roles assigned to these pads based on the intent of the manufacturer.
Additionally, you do not only have to bother about the individual properties of the brake pads which can be easily gotten from the packaging of the brake pad or the official website of the manufacturing company. You must match this with how you will love your brake to perform.
Some prefer the brake pad hard while others prefer it soft. Also, some drivers insist on high braking power perhaps because they drive often through busy street roads where you have to be alert to other vehicles which are usually right in front of you.
Some drivers are speed junkies. They sometimes turn their regular cars into race cars and apply the brakes with great force to bring them to a quick stop or carry out some maneuvers. Such a driving style requires a brake pad that wears less and has a high stopping power among other properties.
So, let us proceed to the unique features as well as common properties shared by Z23 and Z26 power stop brake pads.
What are the similarities and differences between power stop Z23 and Z26 brake pads?
| feature | Power Stop Z23 | Power Stop Z26 |
| Heat handling/Cooling system | poor | great |
| shim | rubberized | Stainless steel |
| noise | Very low | low |
| dust | low | low |
While the above table is only a summary, there is enough information there to discredit the belief that these two power stop brake pads are the same and can be used interchangeably without consequences.
Shim
The pad and caliper do not overlap perfectly. As a result, there exists a small space between them that the shim is designed to fill. This is usually a very small slit-like space filled with a thin layer of either metallic, metallic alloy, or rubberized shim.
There are of course pads without this. unless otherwise stated, such pads do not need shims and function perfectly without them. If however brake pads such as the power stop brand which comes with a shim were to have the shim removed, you will most likely experience a terrible noise from the pads which can be unbearable for you as well as passersby.
the type of material, that is, rubber, metal, or metal alloy is an important determinant of the noise performance of the pad. This is why it is postulated that the Z23 having rubberized shim has a better noise profile.
Whenever you experience noise from your wheels, determine first what the noise sounds like. Squealing noises are usually caused by the pads but not always.
The rotors are equally implicated in this. determine when the noise is heard, that is, whether or not it accompanies the application of the brakes, intermittent or continuous.
Sometimes, you may have to let the expert figure out exactly what the cause of the noise is. Most of the time, when the pads are changed, this can single-handedly resolves problems such as noise as well as vibration.
Cooling system
To make an unbiased assessment, the test cars should be subjected to the same conditions such as road temperature, driving speed as well as driving duration. The temperatures should be measured at the same time and from the same point using the same device.
Results of numerous comparative studies regarding the performance of Z23 and Z26 power stop brake pads show that the power stop Z26 brake is a better brake pad in terms of how it handles heat.
Before driving with the pad, the initial temperature of the pads is measured and recorded for both the front and rear wheels. the car is then driven at different speeds such as 40km/hr., and 60km/hr. and so on for a particular time duration.
This is done preferably when the road temperature is low, that is in the early hours of the day before the sun heats the road surface as this may influence the amount of heat generated in the pads.
Dust
This is more than enough testimony from users of all kinds of power stop brake pads about the pad’s unbelievable dust performance. Some users have taken the liberty to rank the pads above the stock pad in this regard.
Power Stop Z23 Vs Z26 Brake Pads – Conclusion
Some decisions require you to take the pain of going through a significant amount of research including consulting experts and emailing the right people. The choice between Z23 and Z26 power stop brake pad is one of such.
