Brakes on the JDM Legacy B4

[Monsubaru]

Hi All,

I drive a 2001 JDM Legacy B4. I need to replace the pads soon but i am having a hard time finding replacement pads. One thing i noticed is that how my rear rotors are larger than the front. Can anyone enlighten me on how and why is that so? This is the first time i saw a car with larger disks at the back. Also is there any site in the USA that sell pads which might fit JDM B4?
Thank You!

[csweston]

Im not sure about the JDM stuff, but its possible that someone did the H6 rear brake conversion. Its a cheap conversion that many do, keeps the stock calipers while using the larger Subie H6 rotors. In which case its possible for the rears to be larger.

[rougeben83]

Is it an RSK or whatever the twin turbo models are named? I think those have the FHI 4pot/2pots. Anyway, the rear brakes are 11.4" diameter on all 3rd gen cars. The front brakes tend to vary, they can go from 10.7 to 11.4" with different calipers added (limited edition s401 came with 13" brembos but that doesn't apply to you). Larger rear rotors shift your brake bias to the rear a little bit, how much depends on the front brakes you have.

If its FHI 4pot/2pots, youre in luck, brake pads for those things are ridiculously easy to find as Nissan's have used a similar brake caliper for the past 20 years (skylines, 300zx turbo's mainly). If youre in the US, look for 91-93 Nissan 300zx Twin Turbo pads, or 06-07 Subaru WRX pads...they're the same thing.

[Monsubaru]

Thank you guys!

Unfortunately i am not in the states. I am in Mongolia of all the places. I don't think anyone did a conversion on it as it is completely stock. It is a B4 RS which looks exactly like the Twin Turbo minus the Turbo motor. RS comes with bunch of goodies from the factory just like the RSk. Yellow Blisteins all around, Leveling HID lights, Momo steering wheel, subtle bodykit, spoiler and bunch of other goodies that you get on the RSK, so i would think they have same brakes.

Photos of the car below

[Yamazaki]

The 3rd gen didn't get 2pot rears (and I've only seen '02-'03 Blitzens get 4pot fronts from the factory). As for the RS, see below:
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp350/yamazakisubaru/car%20parts%20accessories/Info%20pages/brakes-1.jpg

It says 15" ventilated disk for the front, and 15" solid disk for the rear.

[hansvonaxion]

It says 15" ventilated disk for the front, and 15" solid disk for the rear.

Or as I first read it: 15" bench rated disk

:smt030

Katakana and no spaces.

[Monsubaru]

So you guys are saying that they should be the same size? YamazakiSubaru can you ship parts to Mongolia if i pay through paypal?

[Huffer]

Someone's not thinking straight... no Subaru came with a FIFTEEN INCH BRAKE ROTOR. 15" wheel, sure.

Based on this: "It is a B4 RS which looks exactly like the Twin Turbo minus the Turbo motor. "
I'm thinking this vehicle is actually a TS-R.

[Yamazaki]

Someone's not thinking straight... no Subaru came with a FIFTEEN INCH BRAKE ROTOR. 15" wheel, sure.

Based on this: "It is a B4 RS which looks exactly like the Twin Turbo minus the Turbo motor. "
I'm thinking this vehicle is actually a TS-R.
I saw that and wondered the same thing.... but shrugged it off since this is from the factory manual. I don't know what else to say....

Also, TS-R was only wagon...

[Huffer]

My eye have seen JDM imports in NZ with the TS-R badge on the back of the sedan trunk...

I think this particular vehicle is one of those mongrels that was assembled with some nice parts, and then shipped out of Japan. It'd be like buying a car from one of us, and expecting it to be 100% stock. It's not.

[Yamazaki]

My eye have seen JDM imports in NZ with the TS-R badge on the back of the sedan trunk...

I think this particular vehicle is one of those mongrels that was assembled with some nice parts, and then shipped out of Japan. It'd be like buying a car from one of us, and expecting it to be 100% stock. It's not.
No seriously.... TS-R is only a wagon. That I can say with 100% certainty. Those people in NZ re-badged a sedan with wagon badges.

I agree that the OP car probably had something done if the rear disks are larger than the front though....
However, other than posting what the manual shows, I'm next to useless for this.

[EDIT: Here is a page from the parts catalogue (granted, it's from the A/B type, but they're the same brakes). It shows the available front brakes for the Legacy as being 14", 15", or 16" (as it shows in my earlier post). I don't know what is being measured to get those numbers because the wheels (in a separate section) have different numbers... :smt017]
http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp350/yamazakisubaru/car%20parts%20accessories/Info%20pages/th_98brakes.jpg (http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp350/yamazakisubaru/car%20parts%20accessories/Info%20pages/98brakes.jpg)]

[Huffer]

14", 15" and 16" have to refer to minimum wheel size to clear the caliper + rotor. There's no way you could have a 15" rotor inside even a stock 17" wheel.

But I will grant you that the peeps in NZ loved to rebadge things.

I think Monsubaru is just going to have to take the pad off his front brakes, and make a template with measurements, and see what they match up to in terms of Subaru parts.

[hansvonaxion]

14", 15" and 16" have to refer to minimum wheel size to clear the caliper + rotor.

They seem to correspond with the wheel sizes on the respective models. Strange way to do it.

Also odd to have larger discs on the rear, something's not right.

[Monsubaru]

Thanks guys!

One thing i know for sure is it is not a TS-R. I am almost 100% sure that it is a stock vehicle because i go to Subaru meets here and all the Non TURBO B4's look exactly like mine, meaning they have all the stuff that i had when i bought the car. Well some of them lack the spoiler and the HID's but those cars usually are 1999s. Mine has 16" Subaru wheels but the RSK comes with 17" wheels standard.
Looks like i would have to take the wheels of and take some measurements. I will also try to call my friend who has exactly the same car to come and compare things. I will let you guys know how it goes. Again thank you guys all for sharing your knowledge and ideas!

[rougeben83]

My eye have seen JDM imports in NZ with the TS-R badge on the back of the sedan trunk...

I think this particular vehicle is one of those mongrels that was assembled with some nice parts, and then shipped out of Japan. It'd be like buying a car from one of us, and expecting it to be 100% stock. It's not.
No seriously.... TS-R is only a wagon. That I can say with 100% certainty. Those people in NZ re-badged a sedan with wagon badges.

I agree that the OP car probably had something done if the rear disks are larger than the front though....
However, other than posting what the manual shows, I'm next to useless for this.

[EDIT: Here is a page from the parts catalogue (granted, it's from the A/B type, but they're the same brakes). It shows the available front brakes for the Legacy as being 14", 15", or 16" (as it shows in my earlier post). I don't know what is being measured to get those numbers because the wheels (in a separate section) have different numbers... :smt017]
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/ (http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp350/yamazakisubaru/car%20parts%20accessories/Info%20pages/98brakes.jpg)]


He probably has 271mm rotors in the front and the 291mm rotors in the back, ie he has 10.7in rotors (found most commonly on 2nd gen Legacy's and GC Imprezas in the US), and 11.4in solid rotors (aka amongst WRX people as the "H6" upgrade) that ALL 3rd gens have...This is a common setup for all the 3rd gens in the US minus the 03-04 GT's which got 11.4in rotors in the front (aka "WRX" front brake upgrade)

My car came stock with such a setup (03 L). The caliper that was used on these front brakes are very common in every subaru made in the late 90's minus the SVX.

[loganmossmusic]

Rear discs tend to be a bit bigger in diameter because of the parking brake drum inside of it, but the actual friction area contacted by the pad is smaller. I know for a fact my BK has 260mm front diameter and 266mm in the rear.

[Monsubaru]

Rear discs tend to be a bit bigger in diameter because of the parking brake drum inside of it, but the actual friction area contacted by the pad is smaller. I know for a fact my BK has 260mm front diameter and 266mm in the rear.

That probaly is the case. Anyways i will try to get the brakes off today to say what they actually are, and will go parts hunting afterwards.

[Huffer]

Also odd to have larger discs on the rear, something's not right.

No, thats normal on this particular gen of subaru.

[hansvonaxion]

I meant in general, don't know much about legacy brakes in particular. Sorry for not being clearer.

The explanation about the handbrake drum makes sense.

[Monsubaru]

[/quote] Rear discs tend to be a bit bigger in diameter because of the parking brake drum inside of it, but the actual friction area contacted by the pad is smaller. I know for a fact my BK has 260mm front diameter and 266mm in the rear.[/quote]

This was the case! although the sizes were different

Took the wheels off for a visual inspection and it was exactly like that. The rear disks were solid ones with the drums inside and were 29cm's (about 11.4 inches) and the front ones were 27cm's (about 10.7 inches) Exactly like 'rougeben' said. The friction area on the front ones were a lot bigger than the rear ones for sure. Here are some photos i took while i was at it(unfortunately i couldn't upload coz it says the attachment limit has been reached for the board).

[Monsubaru]

Thank you guys all for clarifying!