Brake Pad change for Sti Ver 8

[predator]

Hi people

My Sti sounds like it needs new brake pads.

I am going to put on some Ferodo DS2000s on the front and some Mintex on the back.

When I called Subaru they said they do not just replace the pads and will not do that service for me. They say I will need to either skim or replace the disks before putting new pads on the car. That sounds a bit weird to me as I have never had to do this on my previous cars before (unless the disks were stuffed) but the Subaru guy said it's due to the Brembos on the car. Since I have never owned an Sti I am a bit unsure.

Can I take my pads direct to a decent mechanic and have them replaced without doing anything to the disks or must I go the Subaru (bring your dollars) route?

I have a feeling I should trust the Subaru guy simply because he works for Subaru, but I also have a sneaky feeling that it's not entirely essential.

Any advice please.

Cheers

Greg

[Guest keltik]

Its good practice to skim the discs when installing new pads.

Id say call another dealer and see what they say. If 2 different unrelated workshops say the same thing there must be some sort of reason for it.

[BC5RA]

Depends on the pad, some have a lining for running them in; therefore not requiring a skim.

It comes down to how worn your discs are.

[sti_v9]

 keltik said:

Its good practice to skim the discs when installing new pads.

Id say call another dealer and see what they say. If 2 different unrelated workshops say the same thing there must be some sort of reason for it.

Bearing this in mind I replaced the pads on my V9 after 33000kms. The pads didnt need changing but I did them anyway and replaced the old fluid as well. I did not skim the rotors and did not have any problems. The car would always brake smooth and straight with zero vibrations.

The front pads are really easy to change as you don't have to unbolt the caliper to remove them. It's 2 or 3 pins and a big metal clip. The hardest part is pushing back the pistons but I have a special tool fot that, you can get it from Repco/Supercheap or just use your imagination and a c-clamp. I not to sure about the back but I believe I removed one bolt to swing the caliper around and remove the pads.

After watching a how-to video on another forum I remembered that you don't need any special tools. Just use a flat screwdriver and the old pad to push the pistons back in.

[predator]

Yeah that's what I thought.

There was a post on a USA Subaru fan site that said changing pads on an STi was easy as.

[readosnr]

all the franchise dealerships and workshops i have worked at have always replaced or skimmed the rotors before fitting new pads

[Swindog]

Near on cheap enough to just chuck new discs on for good measure. Fronts are cheap as from repco..i think i paid about $50 on a blue card from both from memory (was awhile ago though)

[Optical]

$50 for new brembo discs? unlikely..

as said, it depends on rotor condition. I change pads between road and track pads frequently. Rotors are flat so there's nothing to worry about

[Guest]

brembo disks $1600 each genuine

[Swindog]

Who said you had to run brembos?

[Jammasta]

 Swindog said:

Who said you had to run brembos?

No one, but running the cheapest shithole disks you can on your hipo road car is a wicked good idea

Braking is an area you don't want to be skimping on quality

[predator]

I'm all for the best brakes on my car but I'm just concerned that I'm replacing them just because the dealer wants extra $$$$. I've done a lot of research online and from what I've seen it's ok to only change the pads and not the rotors as well, as long as they are in good shape.

RaceBrakes in Auckland can supply me std sti rotors for $105 a set which is a good price when compared to Subaru so I think I'm going to replace them anyway. I might even get a better set and some serious pads too.

[WRXER]

I don't replace the pads along with rotors everytime as it would just cost too much. Like some said a skim can be handy if the discs have worn unevenly. But isn't neccesary at all.

[newsuba]

 Swindog said:

Who said you had to run brembos?

The OP has Brembos on his STi v8...

:

[Swindog]

Doesnt mean to say you need to replace with brembos...chances are they come from the same place, they just have less attractive package and cheaper.