Which disks and pads for 2005 forester xt?
Discussion
asking on behalf of my dad.
He's got a 2005 subaru forester 2.5 xt which needs new disks and pads. He's found a tame mechanic who'll install whatever he buys so he's looking for recommendations. Won't be used for track days but he obviously wants something decent. There's no fixed budget but he was thinking of spending in the region of £200, although he's obviously happy to spend less if it will still get him a decent quality product.
Thanks!
He's got a 2005 subaru forester 2.5 xt which needs new disks and pads. He's found a tame mechanic who'll install whatever he buys so he's looking for recommendations. Won't be used for track days but he obviously wants something decent. There's no fixed budget but he was thinking of spending in the region of £200, although he's obviously happy to spend less if it will still get him a decent quality product.
Thanks!
For £200 you'll get a nice set of drilled and grooved rotors all round and they look very nice on however, decent pads all round will cost you about £100-£150 on top unless you buy cheap pads, so bank on spending at least £300-£350 for some good quality bits + his mechanics labour charge.
Speak to Ian at Godspeed. http://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/
A set of their grooved discs and kevlar pads would probably suit your Dad unless he is really heavy on the brakes. He'll be able to get front discs and pads for under £200 too.
I'm guessing the XT has 4 pots?
http://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/~godspeed/product....
A set of their grooved discs and kevlar pads would probably suit your Dad unless he is really heavy on the brakes. He'll be able to get front discs and pads for under £200 too.
I'm guessing the XT has 4 pots?
http://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/~godspeed/product....
Edited by markCSC on Monday 11th June 15:46
I run an 07 plate XT and the front discs are the same as a classic impreza (294mm from memory) but it uses 2 pot calipers. I believe 4 pots are a direct swap (and a big improvement, just make sure they clear your alloys) using the same discs although I couldn't quite afford it last time I did mine.
I'd go with Godspeed discs and kevlar pads if I was doing it again, they were very helpful when I spoke to them. Unfortunately I could only afford oem parts from importcarparts at the time which do the job day to day.
I'd go with Godspeed discs and kevlar pads if I was doing it again, they were very helpful when I spoke to them. Unfortunately I could only afford oem parts from importcarparts at the time which do the job day to day.
The Forester XT has the same sized discs (294mm) and pads as a 4 pot Impreza WRX so the brake brakes are actually just as effective but you need to apply less effort with the 4 pots.
Also, the Forester only weighs a little more than an Impreza due to it's aluminium bonnet and roof so that's not really an issue either.
In all honesty, the best thing you can do with the stock XT is to get a decent set of blank discs (you can get discs made by Brembo on eBay for < £100 a pair) and then get some uprated pads (something like EBC RedStuff or Godspeed kevlar pads). Grooved discs are all well and good for keeping the pads fresh and venting a little gas but they actually cut down the surface area of the disc and thus reduce it's braking ability so the advantages only really come into play with repeated heavy braking.
Unless you're incredibly heavy on the brakes, there's no need to upgrade to 4 pots (which don't fit under the stock 16" wheels).
If you want to improve the pedal feel, then a Tweiga brake stopper (the one for a newage Impreza fits) will prevent flex in the bulkhead and braided hoses will prevent the hoses bulging.
You should be able to do discs, pads, brake stopper and hoses for < £250.
Also, the Forester only weighs a little more than an Impreza due to it's aluminium bonnet and roof so that's not really an issue either.
In all honesty, the best thing you can do with the stock XT is to get a decent set of blank discs (you can get discs made by Brembo on eBay for < £100 a pair) and then get some uprated pads (something like EBC RedStuff or Godspeed kevlar pads). Grooved discs are all well and good for keeping the pads fresh and venting a little gas but they actually cut down the surface area of the disc and thus reduce it's braking ability so the advantages only really come into play with repeated heavy braking.
Unless you're incredibly heavy on the brakes, there's no need to upgrade to 4 pots (which don't fit under the stock 16" wheels).
If you want to improve the pedal feel, then a Tweiga brake stopper (the one for a newage Impreza fits) will prevent flex in the bulkhead and braided hoses will prevent the hoses bulging.
You should be able to do discs, pads, brake stopper and hoses for < £250.
ScoobieWRX said:
For £200 you'll get a nice set of drilled and grooved rotors all round and they look very nice on however, decent pads all round will cost you about £100-£150 on top unless you buy cheap pads, so bank on spending at least £300-£350 for some good quality bits + his mechanics labour charge.
Steer clear of drilled discs, unless you're only interested in looks, as they are prone to cracking. Gigsy said:
ScoobieWRX said:
For £200 you'll get a nice set of drilled and grooved rotors all round and they look very nice on however, decent pads all round will cost you about £100-£150 on top unless you buy cheap pads, so bank on spending at least £300-£350 for some good quality bits + his mechanics labour charge.
Steer clear of drilled discs, unless you're only interested in looks, as they are prone to cracking. 
Unless your dad drives like he stole it I can't see any reason why the brakes need any upgrading. I bought Blueprint discs and pads for my 2003 Forester XT which are OEM, cheaper ones are available. I used these guys http://www.foresterspares.co.uk/ and found them very helpful. Discs, pads and delivery in 2010 was £166.
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