If you're looking for a solid and simple brake upgrade for your 2015 and newer non-performance
Pack GT or the Performance Pack EcoBoost, then you'll want to consider the Street Warrior
Z26 kit from Power Stop.
Now, this kit in particular will include the carbon-ceramic pads along with brand-new drilled
and slotted rotors for both the front and rear of the car, all for just south of four
hundred bucks.
Now, your install will be relatively straightforward, so call it one out of three wrenches on the
difficulty meter, with a little bit more detail on that later in the video.
So for those wondering, Power Stop is a very popular option when it comes to affordable
braking upgrades here on the site, and I really like the fact that they give Mustang owners
a few different options when it comes to just how aggressive they want to get with their
setup.
Now, for instance, they have their extremely bare-bones and extremely affordable OE replacement
kits all the way down the line to their super-aggressive track-day stuff and everything in between.
But getting back to the Z26 kit that we have here.
And again, this thing will offer a pad that's going to be one step below their track-day
option in regards to overall aggressiveness and material while, at the same time, pairing
it up with a brand-new set of front and rear-slotted and drilled rotors.
But, like I said, this pad is unique to the Z26 kit, so let's expand on that a little
bit further.
This is a carbon-ceramic pad, guys, so expect a little bit more bite and a little bit more
stopping power.
When compared to Power Stop Z23 kit, it's going to utilize a more run-of-the-mill ceramic
pad.
Now Power Stop even claims that the Z26 pad that we have here will be both noise and dust-free,
but in my experience the carbon-ceramic options typically produce a little bit more of both
when compared to a straight-up ceramic pad.
Now, speaking of which, I do have a carbon-ceramic option on my S197 currently, and while yes
the stopping power is very impressive, I do get a little bit more dust while noise is
pretty much non-existent.
In fact, don't take my word for it, guys.
This is an awesome time to remind you to read up on some of the customer reviews here with
the Z26 kit because there are a lot of S550 owners out there with a lot of good stuff
to say about this particular kit, including the big-time upgrade in stopping power.
But the pads are only one-half of the equation here at the Street Warrior kit.
You're also receiving a brand-new set of front and rear rotors, as you can see, and they
have been given that slotted and drilled treatment to help combat some fade and heat while also
looking pretty darn good behind your favorite set of wheels.
Now the cast rotors have been mill-balanced and rotor run-out has been tested to be within
OE spec, which just basically means you're not going to experience any nasty vibrations
or inconsistencies with the rotors themselves.
Finally, you can also see that bright silver-zinc plating which is in place to help reduce any
corrosion or rust over the years on mainly the non-friction areas of the rotors themselves.
But one thing you do have to consider also here, guys, is that this is a great bang for
your buck upgrade for your S550 when you're looking to freshen things up or upgrade on
all four corners.
Again, you are getting brand-new components for both front and rear setups, including
the rotors and the pads for south of four hundred bucks.
Now, compare that to some of your other big-baller options here on the site in the land of big
brake upgrades, either from Brembo to Wilwood or Baer, and it gets very expensive very quickly.
So, if you don't need all of that and you simply just want to upgrade using most of
the stock architecture and the components, then the Power Stop kit would be a great option.
As far as the install is concerned, well, very basic stuff, guys.
If you've never done pads and rotors before, it's a real simple day in the garage or driveway,
so that's why I went one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter here and maybe an
hour or two tops from start to finish depending on your expertise.
Now, if you have done it before, you know what to expect, but if not, here's a brief
little walk-through or rundown.
Lift and support the car.
Remove the wheels.
Unbolt the caliper from the spindle.
Replace your pads.
Swap out those rotors.
Put it all back together again.
Tighten everything up, and your install is complete.
So now obviously that's a very general and very quick walk-through of what's involved,
but that's the basic gist of the installation itself.
Another big thing to keep in mind when installing a new set of pads and rotors like this is
to follow Power Stop's detailed vetting procedure of the new pads.
Now, this typically involves a few repeated slow-downs or stops from 60 or 40 to help
ensure proper operation of the new setup in addition to proper performance and longevity
of the pad and rotor combo.
But wrapping things up here, guys.
If you're looking for an awesome and affordable way to pump up the stopping power on your
GT or EcoBoost S550, then you'll want to check out the Power Stop Z26 Street Warrior kit
right here at americanmuscle.com.