Hi - got an 03 WRX PPP and upgraded the brakes to Ian Godspeed's big brake kit including Ferodo DS2500 pads and braided hoses at the start of March.

Now, 2000 miles in and two track days (well one and a half - had to leave Anglesey today at 3pm due to metal on metal sound and no front brakes - fortunately just after I'd come off track...drove back using gears and the hand brake) the front pads have disappeared - is this normal.

Have been braking very hard as the amusement of how well the car stops never really leaves you - especially compared to the standard stuff - but expected much longer life than this.

OK. Like the bite from cold, no squeal and the road and track performance but need the pads to last a lot longer than a coupke of track days and 2 months road driving. Anybody suggest anything (other than brake less aggressively) - is there a pad that brakes as well as the Ferodo but lasts longer and doesn't squeal? Pagid blue, mintex, other?

Cheers, Dave

 

I have an 03 WRX PPP as well and have got much better life out of the pads (two track days and road driving and the pads are 20% used) - maybe you didn't given the pads enough time to cool down and they crumbled? Happened to a mate of mine who has an M3 - heated the pads too much, they crumbled and he got the horrible metal on metal sound when leaving the track!

 

Hi Dave
No its not normal , they should last for much longer , are all the pistons free in the calipers , and were they bedded in correctly
Cheres Ian

 

thanks guys - Ian, I'm gettig it checked out soon so I'll post the response here after the Subaru service centre has had a look (sorry guys, not that well informed on these things, and they fitted them) but - yes - was run in correctly as I was running in not just the pad but your big brakes at the same time.

 

Sounds like you're braking too hard (in your own words) and cooked them. Even wonderful big brake kits have their limits. Have some instruction to look at earlier and smoother braking to keep car settled and your lap times will improve. FWIW I'm a fan of pagid RS42 or 29 for track and both behave well enough on road.