When it comes to brakes, it is important that they are high quality. No doubt, they should be able to stop and work properly because your life and the life of other passengers as well as pedestrians depends on the ability of the brakes to function.
If your brakes have been in use for a long time, you might have to replace them with new ones. New brakes improves stopping power and the overall performance of your car.
Let’s review the main two brake brands such as Nakamoto and PowerStop. Ready?
Image | Product | |
---|---|---|
Smooth Braking and Eliminated Glazing | Nakamoto Rotor & Brake Pad Kit
| Check Price |
Premium Material | PowerStop K2303 Front and Rear Z23
| Check Price |
1. Nakamoto Rotor & Brake Pad Kit Ceramic Performance Drilled Slotted Front Rear – Smooth Braking and Eliminated Glazing
About Company
The company was founded in Taiwan by the Lin Family in 1980. It aims at quality spare parts supply to the automotive aftermarket. The company has grown over the years. Now it offers more than 160 product lines and also 120,000+ part numbers. Nakamoto products are distributed in more than 50 countries across five continents. The company offers complete service solutions to the world automotive community.
1. Main features:
- Brake rotor features
- Comes as a set (4)
- Cross-drilled and slotted
- Zinc Coating
- Includes both RH and LH, Side Front and Rear
2. Brake Pad Features:
- Includes shims
- Environmentally compliant
Exclusive Design
Application
You may hit the brakes whichever way you like and it will not change the stopping power. With drill holes and slots, it will be very easy to install the brakes. Due to specific scorching of ceramic pads, the brakes break in very simply.
With the elimination of impurities, it is possible for the pads to achieve high friction level.
The material, out of which the brake pads are made is metal and ceramic. So they will serve longer. The finish of the rotors is dark. If you need to replace them, just take the one out of the kit.
Nakamoto Rotor & Brake Pad is recommended for those who appreciate durability, smooth braking, minimized dusting, reduced brake fading and glazing. In fact, it is for those who would like not keep the environment.
- Zinc coating for corrosion and rust resistance
- Eco friendly braking pads
- Durable brakes
- Long pad life thanks to quality dense friction material
- Easy braking
- Easy application
- Dust resistance
- Coming with slots and drilled holes for easy installation
- Minimized chances of brake fading and glazing
- Little feedback regarding the kit since it is rather new, on the market
2. PowerStop K2303 Front and Rear Z23 Evolution Brake Kit – Premium Material and Innovative Technologies
About Company
PowerStop is a company, which works on the developing of braking materials. It was founded in 1980. The PowerStop company is well-known for inventing and giving affordable brake upgrades for the various types of cars. It starts from daily-driven cars and finishes with track racing cars as well.
The reputation of the company is very good for supplying the quality braking materials. It supplies and produces pads, calipers, brake rotors, brake shoes, and also sensor wires. It offers a brake kit with the combination of the separately sold items.
Main Features:
- Premium rubberized shims
- Available for all front and rear corners
- Ceramic brake lubricant plus stainless steel hardware
- Silver Zinc Dichromate plating
- Slotted and cross-drilled performance rotors
Innovative Technologies
There are rotors and pads with a kit. They are designed with high-quality stainless steel hardware, contemporary pin bushing, and also high-temperature lubricant. All these things cooperate ideally so that the braking performance of your car is upgraded.
Thanks to Silver Zinc Dichromate plating, you will easily get rid of rust and corrosion. So your car will look brand new. The rotors are made with G3000 metallurgy technology. Meaning, you will not have to apply extra powers to improve it. Also, the brakes undergo testing. They are silent when operating.
The PowerStop Kit is recommended for those who are looking for the items that will serve for a long time and quiet braking.
- Wonderful braking performance
- Consists of both slotted and drilled holes for simple installation
- There is Silver Zinc coating that helps resist corrosion and rust
- Quiet braking
- High-temperature lubricant included to the kit
- Long durability
- It is rather expensive if compared to other brakes kits
- It might make a squeaky sound during braking
- Too narrow clips for the rotors, that are holding the pads in place
Nakamoto vs PowerStop Brakes – Buyer’s Guide
Pad material
It might be either Ceramic, Low Metallic, Organic, or Semi Metallic. There are pluses and minuses of each type of pad material. Ceramic is the best for regular driving. The material is soft enough if you want to avoid any kind of brake screeching. With it, brake dusting is reduced. Such a material is strong enough if it comes to providing proper stopping power.
Individual brake, pair, or complete set
The complete set is rather expensive, but it might be useful to change all the brakes at once than do it separately. It helps in avoiding of the uneven wear.
Slots
With holes, the slots are not necessarily needed. With slots, more stopping power is presented.
Drilled holes
With drilled holes, brake rotor becomes cool quicker. It may be good if you drive somewhere where you need more brake using.
Anti-corrosion protection
If there is such a corrosion protective layer as zinc coating, rusting and corrosion will be prevented. So the brakes will serve for a longer period of time.
Brake Types
Disc
This is the most contemporary type of brakes. The disc runs through the pair of calipers and is mounted. The calipers are pinching the disc. The brake pads are in contact with the surface of the disc. With that, the disc becomes able to provide with more stopping power. Such brakes become cooler much more quickly.
Drum
With this type, the metal drum is mounted to the car’s wheel. The brake pads are pushing outwards against the drum. They lead to slowing and friction of the car. The pads are rather weak, if compared to disc brakes, and are considered to be old-fashioned. They are cheaper though.
Frequently Asked Questions:
-
- How long do brake rotors serve?
Depending on various factors, the rotors serve from 30,000 to 70,000 miles. - What is brake fade?
It’s when the car brakes, no longer are able to produce the necessary friction for the stopping or slowing the car down. It may happen because of wear and tear of brake rotor, brake pad, or both of them. - Are Nakamoto brakes coming with lifetime warranty?
No, they aren’t. The warranty for Nakamoto products has limits in a lifetime. For example, the warranty for Nakamoto Rotor and Brake Pad Kit is ten years. Note that it does not cover the defects that are connected with everyday wear and tear. - Do PowerStop brakes have a lifetime warranty?
No, they don’t. The warranty by PowerStop is limited. It covers the products of the first 3 years or 36,000 miles since the day of purchase. - What types of brake rotors are there?
-
- Slotted rotors – These rotors provide bite to the pads, offering more friction and premium braking performance. With slots that are located on the rotor face, it is possible for gas to sip and vent between the rotor and pad. It makes friction areas be free from impurities. Also, brake fade possibility is minimized.
- Cross-drilled rotors – With these rotors, the air can easily flow through the disc. Hence, more bite is provided. So the rotor remains cool. Also, it is able to vent much more of the brake gas.
- Vented rotors – These rotors are completed with two friction surfaces that stuck together. They come up with overwhelming network of the vanes and posts between them. Air is able to flow easily inside the car’s rotor. With definite design of the vanes, the pads remain clean for a long time.
-
- How should I maintain the car’s brakes?
Here are several tips for you to take into consideration:- Monitoring fluid level
Make sure your brake fluid level is clean. Remove the impurities, if it’s necessary. Check your car’s manual, if you wonder how to do it. - Inspecting the rotors and pads for signs of wear and tear
Replace your brakes with new ones, if they are worn with the ones that will serve for a longer time. - Changing the brake fluid from time to time
If the fluid became to look like milk, it means that water got into the braking system of your car. So drain this fluid. Replace it with the fresh one that is recommended for your specific brake type.
- Monitoring fluid level
- What features to look at when buying the brakes?
- Brand – Choose the manufacturer, which prioritizes the quality of the product. For that, you may research online and find the feedback.
- Performance – Find the brand which offers brakes, working properly, with no braking malfunctions.
- Features – Choose the brake rotor that features a disc. It should dissipate the heat properly. There should be the slots and form-fitting drilled holes. The excellent rotor should work quietly. For example, carbon ceramic rotors will serve for a long time.
- Compatibility – It is a must for your rotor to be compatible with your car. So prioritize this feature when choosing the one.
- Is it a problem if the brakes squeak?
Some brakes produce more noise than the others. If you would like your brakes to be more silent, it would be better to replace them with the ones made of ceramic, organic, or low-metallic type of brake pad. Wearing out is one of the biggest problem. Many brands produce their products so that they produce more noise as soon as they tear and wear. So you might know when you will need to replace them. - What should I do if my brakes generate noise when I drive and become silent when I step on the pedal? What’s wrong about that?
If you experience such things, check out the pads. Noise indicates that the pad is rubbing against the rotor so you are likely to need to buy a new pads set. If you ignore this sign, the damage of your rotor might be more massive. So that you will have spend more money to fix it. - What is the reason my brake pedal vibrates when I apply the brakes?
Perhaps, your new brakes were not broken in. It’s because your brakes should break in first, when you install them. If it’s done, the layer of material is built up on the brake disc rotor. In turn, it will help the brake system operate easily and well. Also, it may be because of the warping of the rotor. In this case, turning the rotor will help. - Who is the owner of Nakamoto?
The Lin Family is the owner of Nakamoto, but they are in the partnership with 1AAuto. The vast majority of their products are marketed under the brand Aftermarket. The company deals mainly with car accessories and automotive parts. The manufacturing plant produces about 360 pieces per day.
Conclusion
All things considered, you need to consider your driving style and your vehicle’s braking system requirements before you buy any set of brakes. Adding new brakes to your vehicle improves safety and upgrades your driving environment. Choose the brakes with the best performance and greatest level of compatibility with your vehicle.
Both the brands Nakamoto and PowerStop K2303 are highly recommended because they feature slots and holes. With them, your vehicle will have a safe and reasonable stopping distance on the road at most any speed.
- How long do brake rotors serve?
Leave a Reply