Rotors
The rotors utilized in our X-Line 4×4 big brake kits are crafted from a proprietary high-carbon cast iron alloy, ensuring exceptional durability and stability even during high thermal loads experienced in both street and off-road driving. Notably, these rotors feature curved, directional cooling vanes, significantly enhancing cooling efficiency by maximizing surface area and airflow compared to factory or OEM rotor designs.
For our X-Line 4WD rotors, we employ the proven “AT” slot pattern, striking a fine balance between functional aspects such as efficient removal of sand, mud, and water (especially when driving in rainy conditions or after river crossings) and practical aspects such as minimizing noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) during braking. This slot pattern also delivers excellent bite and release characteristics.
Every single Powerbrake rotor undergoes precise measurement for run-out and disc thickness variation (DTV) using Swiss measuring equipment. We prioritize quality control without relying on batch or statistical checks – each rotor undergoes individual measurement. Our machining tolerances surpass the industry norm by up to threefold.
Rotor Surface Coating
All our X-Line 4WD rotors feature a proprietary black surface coating. Before applying this coating, the rotors undergo chemical de-greasing to ensure the absence of machining fluids or contaminants that could negatively impact brake performance. The coating exhibits exceptional heat resistance and flexibility, preventing flaking or peeling during the rotor’s thermal expansion and contraction cycles.
Our X-Line 4WD rotors require no solvent-based cleaning or preparation. Simply make sure the car’s hub is clean and install the rotors as they come out of the box. The brake pads will remove the black coating in the pad track areas within the first 4-5 brake applications, while the un-swept areas of the rotor will retain the coating. Although the primary purpose of our rotor coating is to eliminate oils and contaminants during fitting (rather than providing corrosion protection), practical experience has shown that the non-swept areas of our coated X-Line 4WD rotors effectively resist unsightly surface rust formation, depending on environmental conditions. This results in a visually appealing appearance visible through the truck’s wheels and the perfect upgraded performance brake kits.
Rotor Maximum Temperature Recording (MTR) System
All our rotors feature our MTR system that provides a permanent record of the peak operating temperature reached by the rotor. This information is extremely valuable for understanding what is happening in your brake system. The thermal-paint tabs are applied to the outside diameter of the rotors (on both the inboard and outboard rotor plates). Each single-change paint color will change to white when a specific temperature is reached, hereby providing a record of the peak operating temperature of the rotor.
- Blue paint changes color at 527 deg F
- Green paint changes color at 860 deg F
- Orange paint changes color at 1022 deg F
- Pink paint changes color at 1166 deg F
Caliper Construction
At Powerbrake, we firmly believe in the advantages of machining our multi-piston calipers from solid billet. All our calipers are precision-machined using high-grade aerospace aluminum billets. Although machining from billet is an expensive manufacturing method, it yields a final product with exceptional strength and rigidity.
How do we offer our billet X-Line 4WD calipers at competitive prices? We achieve this through substantial investments in cutting-edge 5-axis CNC production equipment, ensuring maximum efficiency in caliper machining. The combination of machining from billet and the caliper designs enhanced through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) results in calipers with an impressive rigidity-to-size ratio. The slender profile of the calipers reduces unsprung weight and enhances wheel clearance.
Caliper Surface Finish
Caliper Logos
Caliper Cross-Bolts
Caliper Pistons
Internal Fluid Crossovers
Caliper Maximum Temperature Recording (MTR) System
Caliper Hardware
Caliper Mounting Brackets
Brake Lines
Brake Simulation Software
As with all Powerbrake big brake kits, each X-Line 4WD kit is tailored to the specific target vehicle. This involves careful software modeling of correct brake balance, brake torque outputs and pedal feel using our proprietary brake simulation software (developed in-house) which is a key element in the success of our X-Line 4WD big brake kits (our upgraded performance brake kits). The software allows us to enter all aspects of the factory brake system on the car as well as all key data affecting chassis dynamics under braking. Our engineers can then simulate braking events at various negative G’s and analyze dynamic weight transfer for the chassis in question.
They are then able to perfectly optimize brake torque outputs delivered by our big brake kit by changing rotor diameters, caliper piston ratios and brake pad friction co-efficient. The result is that the caliper piston diameters / ratios, rotor sizes and pad compounds in each kit are tailored to the vehicle platform in question. Our X-Line 4WD big brake kits will perfectly integrate with the ABS, EBD and other stability control systems on the vehicle. When driving a vehicle fitted with a Powerbrake X-Line 4WD big brake kit, you will feel this attention to detail coming through by the way that the vehicle chassis reacts under braking.
Brake Pads
The Powerbrake X-Line 4WD calipers (our upgraded brake kits) are designed around a pad profile which is available in wide range of brake pad compounds from most pad manufacturers worldwide. Our PB05 brake pad compound is in our opinion the very best pad compound on the world market for 4WD trucks. This ultra-high-performance material offers a big step up in performance and fade resistance over the pads that originally come with the truck. Stopping power, pedal feel and modulation are simply unmatched. In addition to the class-leading performance this pad compound will offer a good wear life and mileage.
Which is best for you?
OEM
Stock Vehicle
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D-Line
Powerbrake Rotor & Pad Kit
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X-Line
Powerbrake Big Brake Kit
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