The pads on my MY97 are nearing the end of their usefulness, and am considering upgrading them.

The car is currently standard, but I have high hopes for the performance side of things.

Should I just be looking at upgraded front pads, or the whole 6-pot thing! I'm ONLY looking to take the car to 280-300bhp, which is the most effective option for the money?

I would like to know what sort of experience people out there have had.

Thanks Malique.

Hmmm.... Where to start?

Have a look at the most recent thread on brakes 'Tarox 6 pots (oh no not brakes again)' or something like that in this section.

Then come back after forming your own opinion and let us know what you think.

(The brakes you currently have are definately not up to dealing with any where even remotely near 300 BHP).

Mike.

This one's for u Mr.Tuckwood Sir. =8-)

I have no idea which country you are from or how much you have (want) to spend. In my 95 wrx I had hudge success using Ultimate brand pads (front & rear), machining my rear discs (to remove shine and runout)and fitting a set of DBA slotted and cross drilled discs to the front. On the pads and anti-squeel plates I applied a great Wurth product called Anti-sqeel (original name ha).
I couldn't be happier. Here's what it cost me (in new zealand dollars).
FT PADS $120.00+gst
RR PADS $120.00+gst
DBA DISCS $287.00+gst (each)
DISC MACHINING $45.00+gst
ANTI-SQUEEL $5.00+gst
FREIGHT X2 $12.00+gst
GST-A 12.5% tax (same as VAT etc etc)
I did the whole job myself so labour was nothing.
The pads are 100% metalic and contain 0% asbestos (your helping the enviroment)
Dont wast your time and money on bull**** like pagid or endless pads, firstly they are about $300.00 a set, secondly you will be replacing discs everytime you replace pads, and lastly you have to drive hard around the block 50 times to get enough heat into them to work properly. Finally if you live in N.Z I can do you a much better price than above, those are retail prices and I grt a better trade price.

After outbraking myself badly while getting used to my MY98 turbo (instant brown alert!) I had Mintex M1155 pads fitted front and rear. Apparently these have various resins and gases(?) baked out of them so that it's only the friction material that contacts the discs, and not a layer of more volatile substances. They also work better from cold. The car now stops almost as well as it goes, and I no longer have the unpleasant choice between braking deeper than I want to into a bend, or trusting to the handling beyond my own skills! It's a cheap-ish upgrade and I'm impressed by the improvement. The downside is a little squealing and maybe additioanl wear on the discs.

Cheers
R

Richard

Most owners that I know confirm what you say, the Mintex pads are about the best value for money you can get. Or does anyone out there dispute this.

The Pagid pads are highly rated - try using the search facilty for "Pagid" and "Mintex" -
the threads will give you a few more opinions.
ian

All I can do is vouch for the quality of the Tarox set-up. I've got the 310mm 6pot kit(I actually ordered the 319 mm kit from DT and had fitted the kit before I noticed they'd sent me the wrong size,but as they're the same price I couldn't be arsed sending it all back again)A.P.500 racing fluid and braided hoses all round.For £1200 or thereabouts it's damn good value.The 330mm kit works out £1600+ which I thought not such good value.

I'm afraid the only comparison I can offer is with the O.E. twin-pot,sadly-and frighteningly-inept set up on previously.
Now the kit has bedded in and settled down,(it squealed annoyingly to begin with),it's excellent- progressive,staggeringly effective(I invariably still overestimate the required braking distances on my favourite roads,even after having had the kit on for best part of a month,and more alarmingly I invariably underestimate the required braking distances when driving my missus' Golf GTI) and no longer noisy.Have yet to try on a track,but thus far absolutely no fade (and I have been trying)

I know looks shouldn't come into the equation,(although as inferred on previous thread half the Brembo appeal seems to be the name on the calipers), but they do look brilliant,and very high quality.

The only problem is that under really hard braking the back-end now feels a little skittish,such is the comparitive sad state of the rear tiny sliding calipers+discs, and thus the next logical step is the STI twin-pot rears+290mm discs to redress the balance.Unfortunately this weighs in at another £450+vat.
Damn, this upgrading business is expensive.

I went for the Brembos, mainly for track useage. I spent three years with my first impreza on standard brakes and wasnt that impressed and that was just road useage. When I got my second impreza I went for the full scoobysport package - brakes, suspension, exhaust etc.
The car is amazing to drive on the track. No fade or hint of it. Im still not braking with its full potential as Im still learning and track days arent long enough.
The Donington instructor (Rob Mac?) went out in my car on the first track day there and was well impressed with the brakes, said they were the best he'd driven on an impreza.
I bought the brakes because of their pedigree and the fact they were proven on the impreza, the name on the calipers didnt matter. After all its only a Subaru not a Lamborghini or Ferrari.

[This message has been edited by howardb (edited 18-04-99).]

My first Impreza was a MY98 UK model. When I did my first track day I experienced a lot of brake fade. Not being a good driver I need to rely on the same braking power
each time I come to a corner.

I then went for an STI. One of the reasons being four pot brakes. Still after four laps at Donnington back comes bad brake fade. The brakes did seem to recover a bit better
between sessions.

Now came the dilema Brembo's or Group N dics, Pagid Pads, DOT 5 and brake hoses. I went down the Brembo route and have done two track days. One was at Oulton which seemed
a lot harder on the brakes. This coupled with Rob Mac doing some demo laps in my car and No brake fade.

Phil Gardener who regularly drive the Ring and is noted as one of the best drivers in the SIDC went the other route.
Mainly beause he had the Group N discs already. Over Easter he visited the Ring and I was dreading hearing him say that
the brakes were fine. All I need to say is that he is now changing his brakes.

I keep seeing 6 pot Tarox brakes mentioned as if they are state of the art. Has anyone done a side by side comparison between Tarox, AP and Brembo.

Subaru OEM are 4 pot, Brembos are 4 pot but they are chalk and cheese. Yes I know they are different metals. The quality of the alloy that Tarox etc use could also be.
Wilwood do a 6 pot alloy conversion but everyone I spoke to told me to avoid them like the plague beacuse of the
quality of the calipers. From what I've seen its how well they disapate the heat. A 6 pot maybe far worse than a 4 pot.

It would be interesting to get someone like Rob Mac to do a comparison on the brake conversions. Is anyone going to Oulton with either Tarox or AP.

I went for Brembo's only beacuse they are proven . Tarox and AP could well be/are but until I speak to someone whose driven
both with an independent view I know where my money would stay.

Cheers

Jonathan

PS I'm not blinkered to Scoobysports. Ive just sold my Scoobysports backbox (had a good offer)and gone for a Blitz drainpipe exhaust, for a change and to be a little different.

Hi Jonathon
What calipers was Phil using? (I'm not familiar with his car)
ian

Phil was using STI four pots on an STI V.

Howard has got the same reasons as me for my choice.

Jonathan

Mike

How much for the rear kit.

Cheers

Jonathan

Rob.

Tarox do a rear conversion kit also new calipers and matching grooved discs, I am ordering mine this week.

Mike.

Bloody Hell, four-pot rears and I thought I was taking the piss! Now that is flash.
I only fear for my overdraft.I may have to sell another of my kids at this rate.

Mike,
I noticed in Demon Tweeks, Tarox did a rear disc and 'clamp' conversion,I presume compatible with standard calipers, (the size I saw was 318mm-bigger than my front discs!) but have you seen the sodding price-£435+vat(solid)and £555+vat(vented).So much for the Tarox=good value argument.

Tarox also do rear vented 266mm discs for, a much more reasonable £134+vat and if you say they now do rear calipers as well I'd be very interested.(presumably they'd be at least 4-pot? http://bbs.sidc.co.uk/wink.gif )
Where and how much?
(congrats on taking the Tarox plunge by the way.Yah Boo Sucks to Brembo and associated snobbery*)

*To all proud Brembo owners,I mean no offence really.I'm sure they're great. http://bbs.sidc.co.uk/wink.gif

So if you change your front brakes to Brembo / Tarox / AP / whatever, should you also change your rear brakes ? How does this affect the brake balance and does this matter ?

Has anybody gone for "brembo" all round ?

cheers

Andy

Ive got brembos up front, but kept the rears standard. No point in changing them apart from snobbery (as we seem to be calling it.) I think Anders might have them (not calling you a snob old boy!), but I know somebody who just painted their rear calipers black! Skinflint or what. Cash accpeted or I'll publish your name!!

Rob.

Yes they do a rear conversion, including rear calipers which I am sure are 4 pots.

It is not impossible that the prices quoted are correct, however I think that may include the calipers also???

I believe that if you want to retain the original hanbrake it is slightly more expensive as additional brackets are required, my source tells me that GGR do the rear kits and that they were also involved in the R&D stage with the importers.

I am ordering the fronts with a view to adding the rears if the improvements at the front unsettle the car.

Might just paint everything black instead though and see if it helps. http://bbs.sidc.co.uk/wink.gif

Mike.

[This message has been edited by Mike Tuckwood (edited 20-04-99).]

Rob.

Don't sell anything valuable yet.

The rear disc & pad conversion is approximatley £200.00 , which sounds rather cheap to me, this position will be clarified on thursday but I hope it is correct.

There is a 4 pot caliper but it is for competition use only and is exceptionally expensive, so ignore what I said earlier. http://bbs.sidc.co.uk/redface.gif

1/2 right I suppose???


Mike.