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Legacy mushy brake pedal due to teeny master cylinder?


RyanE

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It's magic!

 

I just enjoy giving you crap though. Any rational explanation?

Only thing I can figure is that the iON Rotors were a harder iron. Does that mean the stockers were softer than ususal, don't know...

 

I wish I had a rational explanation :lol:

:spin:
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This is actually very interesting. The 1 1/16" seems to be harder to find, but reading over at NASIOC and SubaruForester forums they do say the pedal feel increased over the stock MC.

 

They did point out as well that there was NO boost in braking power or shorter stopping distance, but feel and possibly stiffness increased.

 

I personally think my LGT brakes are mushy as hell, but they are new dealer installed brakes (replaced before I bought the car) so I don't want to get new brakes just yet. So I'm looking into whatever I can do to increase pedal feel and stiffness.

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The SS lines are a must for mountain driving I hear.

You heard wrong. SS lines will do nothing to improve mountain braking performance. They do improve feel, which one can argue will help on the track/autoX, but will do nothing to combat the problems you're facing: overheating crap OEM pads and boiling fluid.

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Using HPS pads with the attached anti-squeal plate (no Subaru OEM silencer shims) took the mush out of my brakes. I think most of the mush is due to the multi-layer shims Subaru uses - lots of slop to compress before the pads will bite.

 

i got hawks installed by a shop and my pedal got hard. not sure what they did but it's pretty solid.

 

i'd have to agree with you with my limited knowledge. but like everything else on this forum people are gonna take the hardest way known to man to "fix" it.

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You should consider installing a master cylinder bracket. Cusco makes one. Many people say it is for the right hand drive cars only but my Subaru dealer was able to install mine w/ no problem. It will definitely help with the mushy feel especially under moderate to severe braking at which point the master cylinder itself will begin to bend away from the brake booster due to the booster slightly deflecting from the brake pedal pressure your foot will exert.

 

Was the brace LGT specific? Pics of it installed?

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After thinking about this thread and what everyone has contributed to it, I think a better description of what I'm annoyed with is the length of the pedal travel before something starts to happen.
Would adjusting the brake booster operating rod length get rid of some of this?
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I believe this bracket will fit a WRS/STi as well. Not entirely sure. Attaching a few pics of my recent Cusco master cylinder bracket installed. This in conjunction w/ my Goodridge lines, Porterfield pads and Motul fluid has pretty much cured any sponginess in the brake pedal and helped w/ the initial bite of my brakes. I recommend this highly.

Attached Thumbnails attachment.php?attachmentid=47981&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1201394710 attachment.php?attachmentid=47982&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1201394710 attachment.php?attachmentid=47983&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1201394710

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Maybe someone with access to part #'s can give a reason, although what I read says the brakes on this 09 3.0R are identical to the LGT's, but from the moment I first drove it the brakes have stood out as distinctly better than my 05 LGT's. The first thing I noticed was that there is (almost) no pedal travel before braking begins. Pedal effort required to brake is less, and occurs earlier then proceeds in a tighter, rapidly more firm section of the pedal travel.

 

The 05 LGT's brakes improved dramatically once I had Hawk pads, new fluids, and were properly bled. I always had the confidence to late brake however deeply I wanted. I had no complaints whatsoever. However, the 3.0R's brakes are superior out of the box. From dropping off one car and driving the other one away, it was obvious. I won't be touching these for some time.

 

I'd just like to know if there is any reason for the difference.

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Hi folks,

I've learned that early WRXes had the same 1 1/16" master cylinder as the STis, but I don't know what years, and if it is the same part as the STi part. Also, does the STi part offer any advantage over the WRX part?

 

 

i believe i read somewhere that bugeye's had the 1 1/16", 04+ wrx have the smaller mc.

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The 05 LGT's brakes improved dramatically once I had Hawk pads, new fluids, and were properly bled. I always had the confidence to late brake however deeply I wanted. I had no complaints whatsoever. However, the 3.0R's brakes are superior out of the box. From dropping off one car and driving the other one away, it was obvious. I won't be touching these for some time.

 

I'd just like to know if there is any reason for the difference.

 

My 2007 has extremely mushy brakes. It does seems that maybe they didn't bleed right or something at the factory?

 

I want to get the Hawk pads, motul fluid w/ professional bleed and maybe go for the SS lines to improve the pedal feel.

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My 2007 has extremely mushy brakes. It does seems that maybe they didn't bleed right or something at the factory?

 

I want to get the Hawk pads, motul fluid w/ professional bleed and maybe go for the SS lines to improve the pedal feel.

 

That'll take care of it.

 

I assume, by your "professional bleed" comment, that you don't do any of your own work? Installing brake pads and fluid is relatively easy. Bleeding, however, has usually been an issue. Not anymore. Bleeding my brakes has become one of the easiest of tasks now that I have the Motive Products Power Bleeder. I control the results, results that cannot be surpassed by any 'professional' at a shop. Plus, it's cheap.

 

http://store.motiveproducts.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=motive&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=682903468&Count2=600043892

 

With this simple and easy to use tool you can not only ensure your LGT's brakes are perfectly bled and working optimally, with the proper adapters this will work on anything and last a lifetime. Bleeding your brakes used to mean two people at least, and questionable results resulting in multiple iterations. But with the Power Bleeder the results come, literally, within seconds at each wheel.... and those results are dramatic and obvious. Done. Period. Move to the next wheel. All the "work" involved relates to setup of the bleeder and getting to the bleed nipples. No pumping pedals. One person.

 

When you want to put lines in, instead of the bleeding hassle that involves.... no problem. When you decide your fluid is getting a few months old.... no problem. Keeping your OWN brakes in TOP operating form should be number ONE on everyone's list. With this tool you can.

 

It is not necessary to put up with lousy brakes.

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My 2007 has extremely mushy brakes. It does seems that maybe they didn't bleed right or something at the factory?

 

I want to get the Hawk pads, motul fluid w/ professional bleed and maybe go for the SS lines to improve the pedal feel.

 

If you all want, right now we have our "mismatched color" SS lines for sale cheap.

 

$99 gets you fronts in whatever color you want and rears in dark purple. Not that anyone is going to see them anyways.... :p

 

Changing the MC would change the pedal effort and hence the resulting change in feel.

Free Sonax Cleaner Deal

http://www.brakeswap.com

Carbotech, Hawk, PFC, DBA Rotors, Motul, Wilwood, Castrol...

Great service. No bumping required :icon_tong!

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^^^Which one did you get?

 

Rats, I see what you mean. That link was the result of my copy/pasting the url after making sure the information was for the one I got. Apparently it didn't work and it opens to a selection.

 

I got the Round Universal Bleeder 0101. What a joy to have such control over a process that used to belong exclusively to shops with special expensive equipment as far as I was concerned. No more.

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Rats, I see what you mean. That link was the result of my copy/pasting the url after making sure the information was for the one I got. Apparently it didn't work and it opens to a selection.

 

I got the Round Universal Bleeder 0101. What a joy to have such control over a process that used to belong exclusively to shops with special expensive equipment as far as I was concerned. No more.

 

FWIW, the Ford 3-prong adapter fits Subaru master cylinder.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Couldn't this also be a function of rotor run-out causing the pads to be pushed further from the surface, requiring more pedal motion to re-engage?

 

Yea, I thought about that as well, but it's been bleh since new. Double-pumping would seem to fix that, but it doesn't. I really don't want to think about it being wheel bearings like on the '04 STis. Hello anti-knockback springs!

 

Bleeding and new HPS pads helped, but it's more the subjective feel. I don't want to have to push the pedal down as far as I have to in order to get some serious braking action.

 

I'd also want a harder pedal, even though I understand that will not reduce stopping distance. My car can already stop hard enough that people behind me have to dive for the shoulder (stupid Michigan expressway traffic jams).

 

-Ryan

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  • 8 months later...
  • 2 months later...
i just bought a STi MC and booster for cheap... lets see how this goes.

 

Old thread but seeing if this made a difference for you or if anyone else has done it.

 

Also has anyone done the STi master cylinder with Brembos? I need rear brakes so I'm changing all 4 corners to Brembos.

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Also has anyone done the STi master cylinder with Brembos? I need rear brakes so I'm changing all 4 corners to Brembos.
No need, IMO. STi Brembo's pedal feel is great with the stock MC. I've tracked and street driven that set-up with no complaints, other than overheating, but that's another story.
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