Kevadair

Hi there, just after a few opions on brakes....Just got a 2001 plate WRX Prodrive and am well happy with the car apart from one thing..crappy brakes. It came direct from a subaru dealer and front discs/pads were replaced along with rear pads pre collection. The brakes seem to work as you push down but then feels like ure pushing against a brickwall and the car seems to take ages to slow.

mid_life_crisis

WRX with Prodrive does rather show up the stock brakes if you try to hard

MadMark

Getting the brake fluid changed makes a great difference to the feel (mine seems to need doing every 6 months) but the biggest difference I got was changing the pads to something to a little more bite! I now use Pagid RS 4.2.1's

Kevadair

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like it's accepted that standard brakes aint too crash hot and upgrades would be good option.

Dave uk blue mica

standard brakes are a total waste of time, drove my car hard when i first had it and ended up cracking a disc when i had really bad brake fade, done a 335 godspeed upgrade changed the pads to ferodo DS2500 with steel braided hoses with dot5 fluid and the brakes are now awesome on my MY99

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

You think the MY01 brakes are bad...you should try an early classic!!

Although you say the pedal feel is like a brickwall - as in hard to press??? Usually the pedal is as squidgy as a peat bog

I would only reccomend fast road pads if your overheating your current brake pads...not to try and improve feel. Some DOT 5 brake fluids - being synthetic actually cause a softer pedal feel in luie of higher operating temps.

Also you say your pads/disc are new...take it easy for the first 1000miles non-motorway use to bed them in properly before hammering them and using them hard (otherwise you'll glaze the pads, and possibly ruin your discs) . Braking peformance will not be 100% until after they are bedded in.

RRH

With decent pads, good fresh fluid and braided hoses the 4 pot bugeye / blobeye standard setup will take quite a lot of abuse.

The 'standard brakes are crap' brigade are generally deficient in one of the above.

Evo Ace

If the pedal is that hard, or you sure you’re getting a good vacuum? People love putting big disks on instead of a 1p hoses. I do an 8:40 lap of the Nurburgring with standard brakes and no fade: the secret is smooth driving. Spend the £1000 you would spend on brake upgrade on a descent driving course to upgrade yourself (this upgrade is transferable between vehicles)....cracking disks on the road: grow up.

RRH

couldn't have put it better myself.