I have a '99 UK Impreza with the Subaru 4 pots on the front and the brakes have always been very poor. When I first got the car I upgraded the standard discs and pads to EBC grooved and pitted discs and red stuff pads all round to try and improve things, but they performed the same as the standard setup so were a waste of money. Nothing is sticking and pads wear evenly, but they are really bad. Is there something I should be checking or are they renowed for being poor and the only real solution is to upgrade to bigger discs?

 

They're not poor for road use, but a good set of pads and discs is a must and I've not hear good things about EBC. Pagid blacks are very good! Trry some grooved discs from DBA.

If you want to best performance it's gonna cost you though i.e. a big brake upgrade. AP are the ones to go for, K-sport also getting good reviews and are a bit cheaper.

Ns04

 

First things first: Bleed the brakes: at least half a litre out of each corner. If its not been done for two years it needs doing. Make sure its DOT4 fluid or DOT5.1...NOT DOT 5

And yes, you can get better pads than what you are using. IMO the factory OE pads are better than Reds (until they overheat), infact I found the Unipart pads I used before selling my car were even better once bedded in: Go figure!

Other than that, its big money time with big brake kits.

 

Braided hoses help and are fairly low cost. Once you've bled your system completely check there isn't too much free play in the pedal, both my classics have had far too much. Doesn't actually improve the braking power, but massively helps with feel which is worth a lot.

 

I had already tried bleeding the brakes and that made no difference, haven't done a complete fluid swap, but did bleed out quite a lot. I can't even get the ABS to come on if I'm really pushing on the pedal, there that bad. I've got a master cylinder stopper kit to put on, but I'm wondering if there could be a leak in the servo or something?? How would I go about checking the servo?
Thanks, Shane.

 

To check the servo

1. With engine off pump the brake pedal 7 times hard. It should go really stiff.
2. On the 7th stroke keep pushing the pedal hard and start the engine. The pedal should then pull away from your foot by about 1 to 2 inches.

If the pedal doesn't go stiff when pumping engine off, or move away with engine on, then you have a malfunctioning servo or a vacuum leak.


Several questions.

1. What colour was the brake fluid that came out?
2. When you say yhat you cannot brake, how does the pedal feel, hard/soft?
3. After a short drive check the temperature of the discs all round. You can feel surprising differences in temperature by holding the backs of your fingers close to the disc surface. Shouldn't have to say it but "Don't touch, they may be hot!"
A cold disc indicates that caliper not working, a hot disc = working ok, stinking hot = stuck pistons in caliper. If hot they should all be roughly the same hot, if you see what I mean. (My rear discs actually feel hotter than the fronts as they are not ventilated so take time to cool, common problem to all the 4 pot upgraded cars. Factory fitted 4 pot cars had vented discs on the rear to counter this))


One suggestion

Throw the EBC Red cr@p firmly in the nearest skip where it belongs. Have tried them myself and found them to be a pile of doggy do. Have upgraded both my UK MY97 to 4 pot with braided hoses using standard Apec discs and pads all round and found them more than adequate for road use. As Ali-b has found above, modern named brand motor factor pads are very good value for money nowadays, and will stop you, contrary to popular belief.

 

you should try the 2pots i have !!!!

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try. The brake fluid was normal brake fluid colour when it came out during bleeding. Pedal feels hard when braking.