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quality aftermarket pads and rotors for 00-04 outback?

Greetings,

Short request: anyone have good experiences with any manufacturer's aftermarket pads and/or rotors on an outback? Anything magical about the OEM pads/rotors that should be stipulated (e.g. ceramic, semi-metallic?) if handing the job over to an independent mechanic?

History: I've had a hell of a time with brakes on my 2001 outback now at 102k miles. My model has disc brakes on all 4 wheels.

I changed the first set of pads myself using pads from Auto Zone, the only ones they had in stock for my model. That's the last time I'll use Auto Zone for that--those pads were horrible, leaving dust all over the wheels all the time (non-ceramic I assume?), and all stops felt soft. They also wore very quickly which shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. The most plausible explanation is that they sold me non-ceramic pads even though I think ceramics are spec'd for this vehicle.

Next time, I then turned the work over to a respected local shop for the next go round, figuring there'd be some magic in ASE certified techs. They machined my rotors and installed god knows what pads. Stopping felt more sure for a while (better than the AutoZone pads every felt), and no dust issues, but now, my rotors feel like they're very badly warped and the Subaru dealer who last looked at them during a tire rotation and said they were wearing extremely unevenly and are due for replacement. This was less than 15k mi ago.

I did get a quote from the Subaru dealer and about had a heart attack when the job was over $550, and $450 of that was just in the price of Subaru OEM pads and rotors, which then made it seem like a bargain. But something in me has a very hard time with nearly $600 for a brake job.

Thanks in advance for any shared experience with 00-04 outbacks!

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.
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Todd, there have been many past threads on this issue and IIRC the best solution has been OEM pads. I don't know why, they just seem to work better and are more quiet. There is also a frequently-noted issue with stopping practice and spot-hardening of the rotors. Apparently if you stop hard and the rotors are hot, and then hold the pads against them, the heat causes a very hard, crystalline glaze on the rotor surface which feels like warping. It's a good practice whenever stopping hard to leave a little room in front of you at the end to creep so that you can release the pads a couple of times. I practice shifting to neutral when stopped at lights or in traffic jams - this reduces stress and heat buildup on the transmission and engine, saving a little gas too.

I just priced out front rotors and four sets of pads at

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and came up with $270 for parts. Presumably you shouldn't need rear rotors? If so, add another $140. So that would be $410 at a discount parts site. I have shopped here for parts twice and was very happy with the prices and service. If you're handy and patient, this is a job you can do at home.

Reply to
BobN

ou can do at home.

excellent post. For further reading on the 'warped rotor' issue summarized by Bob check;

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also makes well respected aftermarket parts.www.boxer4racing.com may have some upgraded components you could try.The OEM and the Autozone pads are both likely semi-metallic. As in most things automotive, brake systems contain compromises and, even though there are many variables, OEM and 'consumer' parts will err on the side of safety first (good initial 'bite') with noise-free secondary(people hate squeaky brakes, even if they work better)and probably pad wear last. The 'brake' forum at
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may have some good reading for you in 'stickys' or by searching/posting a question. Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Hi,

I have NO explanation for the "phenomenon," but in my experience, both Subarus and Toyotas should use OEM brake parts for best overall performance. No other makes have given me the "heebie-jeebies" w/ aftermarket parts these two have--some of the pads I've gotten should be outlawed IMHO!

Now, if you DO choose to use aftermarket parts, some of my professional wrench twisting friends have suggested you get the "top of the line" pads and the best rotors from the SAME vendor, e.g., Wagner pads w/ Wagner rotors, Raybestos pads w/ Raybestos rotors kind of a match. Again, no explanation, but the claim is there's some "interactive" engineering between pad material and rotor materials.

This could be pure myth... but I'm happy to stick w/ OEM these days.

Rick C

Reply to
Rick Courtright

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