2001 LGT Brake Upgrade?

[YVK]

So looks like its time to change out my front brakes on my 2001 Legacy GT Limited, what would be the best options to get ? just replacements at the dealership ? or should i get some WRX brakes, i'm not sure what i'm going to have to do to convert (if i do need to convert) them to fit onto my car, but just wondering if any of you have any insight as to what would be the best thing to do.

[02_Legacy]

Most people here will tell you that if you don't have a ton of power mods but you are still looking for some brake improvement put on some good pads, flush your fluid, and install new flex lines.
If you are looking for something more than that check out the sticky in this subforum intitled 'brake upgrade -all generations'

[mike-tracy]

You're in luck, as Chuck spend countless hours working on this thread (which is a sticky in the brake section):

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20576 (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20576)

Really though, what are your brakes not doing that makes you want to upgrade? Do you track your car? Overheat them? If not, why not try out more aggressive brake pads?

Personally I went way overkill for what I have: 4/2pot 06-07 WRX brakes on my 91 Legacy.
I put 04 WRX fronts (with EBC red brake pads) and H6 rears (with ceramic pads) on my wife's 98 Outback since we tow a trailer sometimes and the stock brakes weren't up to the task (even with excellent rubber).

In both cases, the pedal feel was improved, especially with the 4/2 piston combo. While towing, the Outback stops much faster as well.

[YVK]

not necessarily upgrade them because of the performance but because i need new ones :)

[Huffer]

If there's no need for performance upgrade, stick with what you have. It's cheaper and you can put more money into better things like really good tires.

[jamal]

you could get 02 wrx front brakets to upsize slightly while you're at it. Stoptech blank rotors and street performance pads are really good and cost less than oem parts.

[Huffer]

Yup:
2001 LGT = 10.7" vented front disc with dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc.
2002 WRX = Front: 11.4" vented twin-caliper piston.Rear: 10.3" solid disc

2004 LGT = GT: 11.4" vented front disc, dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc

So, get the 2004 LGT front brakes (if you must) because the pad style stays within the Legacy family. Much easier to remember what brakes you have "Yes it's a 2001 Legacy GT but I have 2004 Legacy GT brakes"

[Matty2Hotty]

Yup:
2001 LGT = 10.7" vented front disc with dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc.
2002 WRX = Front: 11.4" vented twin-caliper piston.Rear: 10.3" solid disc

2004 LGT = GT: 11.4" vented front disc, dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc

So, get the 2004 LGT front brakes (if you must) because the pad style stays within the Legacy family. Much easier to remember what brakes you have "Yes it's a 2001 Legacy GT but I have 2004 Legacy GT brakes"

WAIT... 00-04 LGT with 04s having larger rotors? Wouldn't that mean the caliper is different then too compaired to the 01 LGT? Brakes are a little confusing to me on sizing and caliper bolting to this or that size.

[Huffer]

Thats why you buy a remanufactured loaded caliper that comes with the bracket, pads and caliper.

[rougeben83]

Yup:
2001 LGT = 10.7" vented front disc with dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc.
2002 WRX = Front: 11.4" vented twin-caliper piston.Rear: 10.3" solid disc

2004 LGT = GT: 11.4" vented front disc, dual caliper piston, 11.3" rear disc

So, get the 2004 LGT front brakes (if you must) because the pad style stays within the Legacy family. Much easier to remember what brakes you have "Yes it's a 2001 Legacy GT but I have 2004 Legacy GT brakes"

WAIT... 00-04 LGT with 04s having larger rotors? Wouldn't that mean the caliper is different then too compaired to the 01 LGT? Brakes are a little confusing to me on sizing and caliper bolting to this or that size.

no its just the BRACKET that the caliper secures to thats larger. But you can always just buy the whole thing used, its not too much of a diff since used sellers don't usually sell them separately anyway. 04 LGT front brakes are the same as 02-05 WRX anyway, so either one will work.

[Huffer]

^^ same pad design?

[rougeben83]

pad designs and brake rotor sizes did not correlate by year, which just shows how interchangeable the whole bracket/caliper assembly is on these cars. 05/02-04 BE/BH's got the 929 front pad design (both in 10.7 and 11.4" rotor sizes), while the 00-04/02 BE/BH's got the 721 front pad like the older Legacy's and RS's (all were 10.7" rotors IIRC). 02-early 03 WRX with 11.4" rotor used the 721 front pad, while the late 03 ONLY WRX's got the 929 pad design with the same size rotor. 04 and 05 wrx's got a different pad design completely while still using the same 11.4" rotor.

Match up your pad design to the right bracket.

It can very very confusing as subaru seemed to just slap on whatever brakes they had lying around across their whole model range. That's why I just tell people to just get the whole caliper and bracket assembly to save the hassle, BUT if you really want to scrounge around and/or go junkyard raiding you can technically just get the right front bracket for your current front caliper and upgrade to 11.4" rotors that way.

[Huffer]

That's why I just tell people to just get the whole caliper and bracket assembly to save the hassle

That's what I tell them too. :smt023

[jamal]

while the late 03 ONLY WRX's got the 929 pad design with the same size rotor. 04 and 05 wrx's got a different pad design completely while still using the same 11.4" rotor.

no on the pad shape descriptions there.

03 Legacy also went to the D929 pad shape. All 03+ cars use that shape except the 4-pots and LGT brakes (even the 2011 impreza and legacy).



Since you have an 01, you can just buy 02 wrx brackets (and only 02 wrx brackets) along with the bigger rotors, and use the same type of pads meant for your car.

[rougeben83]

while the late 03 ONLY WRX's got the 929 pad design with the same size rotor. 04 and 05 wrx's got a different pad design completely while still using the same 11.4" rotor.

no on the pad shape descriptions there.

03 Legacy also went to the D929 pad shape. All 03+ cars use that shape except the 4-pots and LGT brakes (even the 2011 impreza and legacy).



Since you have an 01, you can just buy 02 wrx brackets (and only 02 wrx brackets) along with the bigger rotors, and use the same type of pads meant for your car.

Read the sentence before that...