LaynDoor Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hi all, been lurking for a while, 1st time actually posting... my problem has to start with some background, I drive an 06 Mazda RX8, my wife drives the 05 leggy gt (black/black sedan)... She got a new job, close to mine, so we car pool 3 times a week... she usually makes me drive so I end up drivin the leggy 3 days a week and the RX8 2 days a week... There in lies the problem... when I go from the leggy to the RX8, I just about put myself through the windshield because RX8's brakes are super responsive... on the flip side, when I go from the RX8 to the GT I end up rolling through stop signs and almost rear ending every person that slows in front of me. On a recent trip to VT from CT the pass side inbord front pad started grinding on the rotor... Once I got over being seriously pissed off that the wear sensor/tab never made a peep, I realized that this was a perfect opportunity to upgrade and solve all my problems... So, my budget is about $1000 (obviously I would love to spend less) to make the GT stop like the RX. Im looking at Fred Beans stage 3, http://www.fredbeansparts.com/servlet/the-1424/Fred-Beans-Parts-Subaru/Detail Or straight to the Brembo's (if I can get a deal and sell the stock stuff) http://www.fredbeansparts.com/servlet/the-925/Brembo-Subaru-Legacy-GT/Detail BTW, I already have 18" Tarmac 2's on the car so im not worried about fitment. let me know what you think! Thanks, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impulse Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 from what i read, the calipers are a major contributor to the squishyness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachilla Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Yeah they really suck. My Outback is about to suck up a pair of Brembos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetic1 Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 We've also got a whole Wilwood caliper upgrade kit complete with pads, rotors, lines and hardware for just over $1000. Free Sonax Cleaner Deal http://www.brakeswap.com Carbotech, Hawk, PFC, DBA Rotors, Motul, Wilwood, Castrol... Great service. No bumping required ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I'm no expert on this, by far, but here's what I'd recommend (in this order): 1. Flush your brake fluid with brand new. You probably have the original fluid in there, which can be tremendously mushy. Put some high quality fluid in there and see how it feels (this can easily be done by yourself/with one other person with basic tools and an hour of time). 2. Upgrade just the pads all the way around and choose a more aggressive street pad. Hawk HPS for instance. Again, easy to DIY and takes about 2 hours all the way around for your first try and assuming you don't have air tools. See how it feels with new pads and fluid. I'm betting you'll be happy enough at this point. 2a. If your rotors are shot, now's the time to do the rotors as well. Go with a cryo-treated "blank rotor"...i.e. no slots or drilled rotors. 3. If you replaced your pads, rotors (if needed), and brake fluid and still aren't happy, then sell your almost new brake pads and rotors and upgrade to a Big Brake Kit. But most likely you won't be happy at that point either. People who upgrade to big brake kits usually describe it as "that last little bit of feel". You can usually get 80-90% improvement with new fluid and upgraded pads (and rotors if needed). Just my .02 Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boostedsube Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I'm no expert on this, by far, but here's what I'd recommend (in this order): 1. Flush your brake fluid with brand new. You probably have the original fluid in there, which can be tremendously mushy. Put some high quality fluid in there and see how it feels (this can easily be done by yourself/with one other person with basic tools and an hour of time). 2. Upgrade just the pads all the way around and choose a more aggressive street pad. Hawk HPS for instance. Again, easy to DIY and takes about 2 hours all the way around for your first try and assuming you don't have air tools. See how it feels with new pads and fluid. I'm betting you'll be happy enough at this point. 2a. If your rotors are shot, now's the time to do the rotors as well. Go with a cryo-treated "blank rotor"...i.e. no slots or drilled rotors. 3. If you replaced your pads, rotors (if needed), and brake fluid and still aren't happy, then sell your almost new brake pads and rotors and upgrade to a Big Brake Kit. But most likely you won't be happy at that point either. People who upgrade to big brake kits usually describe it as "that last little bit of feel". You can usually get 80-90% improvement with new fluid and upgraded pads (and rotors if needed). Just my .02 Joe I agree with Joe. I just flushed my fluid out with some of the ATE blue. It made a big difference with pedal feel. I'm now going with Hawk HPS pads f+r and new front rotors(oem blanks). I think it's the best bang for your buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetic1 Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Joe, that is mostly true. However, he is comparing to a car with a totally different system where pads/fluid alone might not make a huge difference. Id also avoid cryo-treated rotors. It is a waste of money. Fluid is easiest, but with minimal feel difference. More aggressive pads would definitely change the feel a good bit. BBKs or caliper upgrades for the LGT would be more than a "last little bit of feel". You would be changing from a sliding caliper design to a fixed mount caliper that flexes a LOT less. Customers who did a Wilwood caliper upgrade usually have to change their braking technique since the feel is so much more improved. Free Sonax Cleaner Deal http://www.brakeswap.com Carbotech, Hawk, PFC, DBA Rotors, Motul, Wilwood, Castrol... Great service. No bumping required ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaynDoor Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 For those that are interested, heres some 60-0's I found on Motor Trend Mazda RX8 - 115 ft Subaru Legacy GT - 142 ft See what I mean!!! lol... Im starting to think I should just do pads, lines, and fluid and accept the fact that its a AWD sedan... not a RWD mid engine... If anything the RX8 will be my track car... We use the leggy to go skiing and get groceries....Fast... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Condor Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I've basically got that setup but w/ DBA rotors. You really won't notice much difference with the SS brake lines....slightly firmer feel...but barely noticeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Island Legacy Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 If you upgraded the pads on the leg you would see a major improvement in stopping distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetic1 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 For those that are interested, heres some 60-0's I found on Motor Trend Mazda RX8 - 115 ft Subaru Legacy GT - 142 ft See what I mean!!! lol... Im starting to think I should just do pads, lines, and fluid and accept the fact that its a AWD sedan... not a RWD mid engine... If anything the RX8 will be my track car... We use the leggy to go skiing and get groceries....Fast... lol Hard to use that as a direct comparison though. Weight and tires also play a huge role. Dont RX8s come with summer tires? Free Sonax Cleaner Deal http://www.brakeswap.com Carbotech, Hawk, PFC, DBA Rotors, Motul, Wilwood, Castrol... Great service. No bumping required ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPLGT Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 For those that are interested, heres some 60-0's I found on Motor Trend Mazda RX8 - 115 ft Subaru Legacy GT - 142 ft See what I mean!!! lol... Im starting to think I should just do pads, lines, and fluid and accept the fact that its a AWD sedan... not a RWD mid engine... If anything the RX8 will be my track car... We use the leggy to go skiing and get groceries....Fast... lol I don't care what the stopping distance is...new pads, lines and fluid will improve things...the RX8 and LGT aren't in the same ball park in performance....if you live where there is snow it's not in the same atmosphere.... fact, not opinion. Rehab is for quitters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonts Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I've basically got that setup but w/ DBA rotors. I'm running the same setup with the same rotors. Improvement was significant. Happy with the results for reasonable $$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naimouasta Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Mazda RX8 - 115 ft Subaru Legacy GT - 142 ft l wow thats bad. i just always assumed it was in the low 120's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsnoops Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 ^ wow thats a big difference. as much as i want to upgrade to a BBK mainly for the looks, i dont wanna spend the money. Instead i went with hawk hps all around and x-drilled + slotted front + rear rotors. im still not completely satisfied with the brakes so ill be gettin some racing brake lines and motul fluid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramall2 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Pads are a biggie...I run XP-8 as my street pad in the summer and really like them. Dusty? Yes. Noisy? Only sometimes and only slightly at real slow speeds. Really strong performance for spirited daily driving? You betcha. Before you spend a lot, first try the pad upgrade. Make sure your fluid is good, rotors are good (stock do fine if in good condition), then slap in some good pads and see what you think--if you don't mind dust, try the XP-8 and see what you think. (I've tried Bobcats, but just not aggressive and fade resistant enough for me; I think I'd probably feel the same way with the HPS--I'd want a more aggressive pad.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 +1 I have the XP10 pads up front, and the XP8's on the rear, and I can put someone through the windscreen if they are not wearing their seatbelt. Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addicted4life Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Where can I find the best price price on the Hawk pads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsnoops Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 got mine from fred beans. thought they were good price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaynDoor Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 I don't care what the stopping distance is...new pads, lines and fluid will improve things...the RX8 and LGT aren't in the same ball park in performance....if you live where there is snow it's not in the same atmosphere.... fact, not opinion. Not a fair comparison AT ALL.... I know this... But I have to drive both, so I have no choice but to compare them... FYI - the RX8 wont move on flat ground with 1/2" of snow on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawl Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70268&highlight=brembo+review if you're looking to do brembos. car for sale. PM me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaynDoor Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Just got home from picking up the Brembos from R-Rev Sports... Came off an 04 STi with 34k miles... Calipers, hoses, pads, rotors, and hardware... Im goin away on vacation this week, so I wont be able to put them in for two weeks... I'll throw up some pics along with my review when I get back. Tax return took a hit... but should make the daily commute a little more fun /safe Thanks for all the input everyone!!! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaynDoor Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Couldnt help myself... Just bought HPS pads for front and rear... SS lines front and rear... and some quality fluid... I cant wait to install all this stuff.... The RX8 is gunna be jealous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B. Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hard to use that as a direct comparison though. Weight and tires also play a huge role. Dont RX8s come with summer tires? people are ignorant beyond belief on this forum. stock we run with 215's on crap tires. with some sticky ass tires like what comes on the rx8 and some pad upgrade...be close to equal. even though we weigh about 350lbs more. funny how he didn't mention the torque delivery of the gt vs the anemic rx8. doesn't mention handling, weight shifting, body roll...etc etc...awd. no slipping in the rain. ONLY brake feel. something doesn't sound right. i am this -><- close to calling troll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B. Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Couldnt help myself... Just bought HPS pads for front and rear... SS lines front and rear... and some quality fluid... I cant wait to install all this stuff.... The RX8 is gunna be jealous! hahahaha all of it does NOTHING without stickier tires. hahaha could have dropped the braking distance by simply buying better tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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