RexNuts Subaru Forums

Hi guys and girls im looking at upgrading the pads and discs on my gc8 wrx, it seems to be braking fairly pourly so im guessing it has shit pads in there (havnt looked yet lol)

anyway im looking at bendix ultimates as im not keen on spending $300 on something like red stuff pads. any got any good/bad comments on the bendix ultimate pads? im looking for good braking ability for spirited speed limit driving lol and maybe an occasional track day when i can.

also for discs im looking at just getting a set of rda slotted rotors, i dont think i would have the need for dimples aswell if im not hitting the track regularly and my supplier for work better brakes agrees so just wondering how others have found the slotteds for every day use and an occasional track day?

now last question is what brake fluid can be suggest? dont mind too much on price just want something that performs well

thanks in advance, leon

Ill be running this exact setup soon.

Upgrading my front 2 pot calipers to MY00 STi 4 pots (even though they are the same on WRX's i believe), with RDA slotted rotors front and back, and Bendix Ultimates front and back.

From what ive read, people bag out the Ultimates for being dusty, but apparently they also stop the car pretty well, just as a bonus. lol.

Iv got RDA Gold dimpled rotors up front, and RDA slotted rears. They are a great rotor for the price! Same as DBA, but half the price tag.
I use QFM-HPX pads, as they are a seriously low dust pad! I have white wheels, and you would hardly ever notice a speck of dust. They are a street pad, but QFM do 'A1RM' which is their track pad.

The Bendix pads will be good, but i hear Bendix like to squeal ALOT.

Well I havnt had experience with ultimates but i fit other bendix pads every day at work and we never have complaints about squealing. As for the dust I have white wheels aswell but I wash them retry much every weekend anyway lol. How much were your rotors if you don't mind me asking? And how do you find your pads for braking ability?

STI05 Gold front $355 pair
STI05 Slotted rear $260 pair

Both prices are for Brembo's, and included delivery.
The HPX are great for the road. they arent a performance pad, so arent super bitey, but they have very light rotor wear, which is great for the street. I hear the A1RM are an excellent street/track pad, with great bite. They are basically redstuff equivalent, but at a fraction of the price.

I have Endless VNC9500's front and rear pads in mine. I had brake issues when I first bought my GC8, but with a pad change it was all good. I have vented and slotted rotors on the front and OEM on the back. It pulls up just fine now, and if I'm out playing in the twisties they don't fade too easily.

Ohh okay then thanks for the replies guys. Am looking into prices for a few different rotors. What are ar1ms worth roughly?

Just go HPX pads, A1RM are a track pad and they squeel until there up to operating temp which you wont get anywhere near on the street ( or maybe you will )

bendix are overpriced, and considering the HPX is very cost effective and dont dust or squeel they sell themselve's.... its the only pad i will use from now on and alot of guys have converted and use them not just the rexy guys

I want some pads that are going to stop well, as for the price I can get re bendix ultimate at quite a good price so the doesn't faze me, what are hpx worth?

HPX are $210 delivered for a full BREMBO set. so will be around $170ish for 4-pots. Thats F and R.

I have a mate with A1RM's on the front of his 4-pots and HPX on the rear. Has never heard a noise from them, and said they were amazing around Marulan track.

I might look into them then, as for the hpx I can gets ultimates for the same price so I'd rather go them I think. Thought about the bendix street track road or whatever but got told not to.

I have bendix ultimates on my 03 wrx. good, but not great. spirited driving and they dont last me too long..
just bought bendix street road track pads so il see how they go. i have RDA slotted rotors on front and standard on rear.

when i was getting my brakes i remember asking for slotted RDA rotors and they were $100 each, and standard not slotted RDA rotors were $60 each (for 4 pot fronts only)

Dude if you've got white wheels stay away from the ultimates. They are seriously dusty. I had white wheels with ultimates, so i speak from experience. After a week the wheels will be grey. You will want to wash them after every drive they are that bad.

I dont have any squeal from them though

+1 on the ultimates being dusty as hell!

I dont mind much about dust, im willing to make that sacrifice for good braking. i do also wash them every weekend anyway. also i was originally wanting them in black so i could always paint them black lol

I've "heard" that ultimates are dust as hell too

The pads im using now is redstuff, the dust + squeel is next to none. The bedding in on these pads are a different story tho, decent amount of squeel and a whole shitload of dust. After you bed them in, as i said, there is next to no dust.

Took these out in 10degree whether, 1st brake = super squeel. So they squeel like hell if its cold.

Well I've got Ultimates on there now and they were very dusty first2 weeks but seem aite since washing them on Sunday. I'm happy to put up with dust for braking performance especially at less than half the price of red stuffs!

How much were they?

i kept getting quotes around $150

I got mine for around 120 I think. I think red stuffs are about 300 aren't they?

Im trying to get rid of an extra set of mine (as you prolly already know) for 175

im not too sure on the normal price, but yeah i think around that mark.

i got 2 sets for 400, obv not from a store

Im pretty happy with my Ultimates aswell (and RDA slotted discs and 4 pot front upgrade).

Haven't really given them a severe workout yet but so far so good, and they are definitely dusty. The stopping power is worth it though.

My car and wheels usually get washed once a week anyway so makes no difference really.

I'm the same as you, wash it once a week so doesn't matter so much lol.

Yeah madmouse I was keen on your red stuffs but i got the ultimates and slotted n drilled DBA rotors as a deal for a car I sold to a friend.