Cobber15 Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Why can’t Subaru make better brake rotors? I’d expect cheap aftermarket rotors to warp, but not OEM rotors. My 16 Legacy had the brake rotors warp at least twice. No other vehicle I have ever owned has had this issue. I had 7 vehicles before my first Legacy. My 16’s rotors warped in the first 24k. My 20 has 34k on it, and they are warped now too. I hate the idea of buying stock rotors and just waiting for them to warp again. If I slammed on the brakes at 90mph, I would understand, but I don’t. Anyone else experiencing warped rotors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddygti16v Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Can't comment on the warping but they should be covered under the warranty, even if they warp again down the road at least it's free... Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill G. Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 I was going to say buy some good ones, like EBC. However, they have nothing for 7th gen Legacys (yet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 be sure its warped and not just pad deposits on the rotor. OE pads are usually garbage and will leave deposits if overheated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 I had a problem with my wife's Outback where she was driving mainly in town and was very light with the throttle and brakes. On highway trips there would be significant vibration in the brake pedal. Replaced both the pads and rotors with relatively high quality aftermarket parts, within 3 months had the same problem. My friend is a mechanic, told me to drive it hard every once in a while. This solved the issue completely, also, was surprisingly fun given the size of the vehicle. be sure its warped and not just pad deposits on the rotor. OE pads are usually garbage and will leave deposits if overheated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobber15 Posted May 23, 2021 Author Share Posted May 23, 2021 Whitetiger, sounds like I could try some brakekleen. Motorbreath, I could give it a hard stop or two, but I have a feeling it will make it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 re-bedding the pads will help, but that may not work so well with a crappy pad. brakekleen wont do much. you have to clear away the pad transfer layer on the rotor. re-bedding the pads will do that, or a resurface of the rotor, but 9 times out of 10, the rotor is not warped. Motorbreath, your mechanic friend is 100% correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddygti16v Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 The OEM pads should be Akebono, wouldn't consider those to be a bad brand. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammcinnis Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 (edited) The stock rotors are still trash ...Why can’t Subaru make better brake rotors? ... My 16 Legacy had the brake rotors warp at least twice ... in the first 24k. My 20 has 34k on it, and they are warped now too.It's not an inherent design or materials problem; it must be something unique to your situation. Anecdotally, I've had exactly zero problems with the OE brakes over ~50,000 miles in either our 2015 Legacy or 2016 Outback. Edited May 23, 2021 by ammcinnis "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted May 23, 2021 Share Posted May 23, 2021 If you think the rotors are already warped, it cannot hurt, but it's going to take more than two hard stops, and you definitely do not want to come to a complete stop. I went to an empty country highway and did 4x 40mph to 5mph in succession, as if I was bedding new pads. If I remember correctly, I ended up doing this several times a year that my wife was frequently driving the Outback. It also wore the rear pads faster than the front ones. Whitetiger, sounds like I could try some brakekleen. Motorbreath, I could give it a hard stop or two, but I have a feeling it will make it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronemus Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 The OEM pads should be Akebono, wouldn't consider those to be a bad brand. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk The OEM pads on my '17 OB faded badly when doing 6 near-stop cycles from 60 mph. I replaced them with StopTech Sport+ pads and am much happier - the fade is greatly reduced, initial bite is better, and they're easier to modulate. The OEM pads may be Akebono, but they're undoubtedly not one of their better pads and may be a special formulation for Subaru. The primary criteria for OEM pads are low price, long life, and low noise - performance is well down the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 The OEM pads should be Akebono, wouldn't consider those to be a bad brand. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk no, but the OE formulation has its limits. most OE subaru pads are for comfort and cost savings. overheating them will cause the deposits which can last a long time and will eventually warp the rotor. a more performance oriented pad will solve this since it can take the abuse. +1 for the stoptech sport pads mentioned. just put a set on my outback and they transformed the braking of that car from the centric posi-quiets it had previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobber15 Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 Sounds like I’ll have to give stoptech a try. Did you guys put new rotors on too? I think you’re supposed to do both at the same time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 yes, i did. I chose the centric GCX elemental rotors. a good balance between price and corrosion protection. they broke in phenomenally after a quick bed-in with the stoptech sport pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobber15 Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 Thx bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 Just out of curiosity, why didn't you go with the Stoptech coated rotors? Also, do you know if any brands that offer slotted only, not drilled and slotted? yes, i did. I chose the centric GCX elemental rotors. a good balance between price and corrosion protection. they broke in phenomenally after a quick bed-in with the stoptech sport pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 centric GCX are cheaper, under $180 for all 4 rotors on rockauto.com, and i have a set on my MX-5 as well, and i liked how they didn't corrode the way other painted/coated edge/hat rotors that i had bought in the past did. there are alot of brands that offer slotted only rotors, such as stoptech, DBA, Racing Brake and probably brembo too. FWIW, you dont need slotted rotors on a daily driver, just pads that suit your driving style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blusubado Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 time to bump this up. has anyone tried the powerstop brakes and rotors. I put a set of the Z26 extreme pads and rotors on my 2011 legacy 2.5 and they felt amazing but thats not saying much for those old ones pads. I'd rather go for brembo or wilwood but they don't have crap for the 7th gen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitexc Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Not exactly relevant but I just installed a Z23 kit on my 2009 LGT. Between that kit, Goodridge stainless flex lines and a GS MCB the peddle feel is fantastic, stopping power is all I need and they look good too. Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronemus Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 time to bump this up. has anyone tried the powerstop brakes and rotors. I put a set of the Z26 extreme pads and rotors on my 2011 legacy 2.5 and they felt amazing but thats not saying much for those old ones pads. I'd rather go for brembo or wilwood but they don't have crap for the 7th gen I tried Z26 pads and they were better than OEM, but not by much. The StopTech Sport+ pads are hugely better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blusubado Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 has anyone found any big brake kits like Brembo to fit on the 7th gen legacy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorOO7 Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 Checked Brembo's site and nothing for the Legacy/Outback for 2020 MY on stops at 2019 MY. Plus they are crazy expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitexc Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 Plus they are crazy expensive. Surprised at that?!!! Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blusubado Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 I'd be happy with the price of brembos if I could find them. I really don't see any other good options that would keep up on the track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoleMan Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 I'd be happy with the price of brembos if I could find them. I really don't see any other good options that would keep up on the track The only setup I can think of besides Brembro would be Wilwood. And the cost difference is not cheap at all. I see a healthy mix to be honest. It’s all about budget. Three quarters of track cars I see will have a power stop setup and I have not heard anything bad about them. The differences between a full power stop and the other mentioned are several thousand dollars. To be real to invest that type of money for me on a fourth gen is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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