Finished: Subaru 4-pot Install (56k go get ice cream)

[Perdue]

Just posting real quick because I have to leave for work in about 4 minutes. I got my stuff from carbotech yesterday around 1pm and I immediately went to work on getting everything done. Including bleeding the lines, painting the rear rotors and calipers, and a few brakes (was braving 104 degree heat and hellacious humidity to get this done), it took around 5 hours for both front and rear.

Unfortunately, Carbotech sent me the wrong rear pads, so I'm still using my old bendix pads in rear (didn't realize until I went to put the new pads in once everything else was done). Also, I didn't install the stainless lines yet, as I had planned on waiting 15k so that I can install them and bleed the brakes again to see exactly how much of a difference they make. Good thing about speed bleeders is they make bleeding the brakes a lot easier...bad thing is they strip really easily (I stripped a rear one, so I don't know if I'll ever get to do the stainless lines)

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805001-1.jpg
Stock Rear

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805002-1.jpg
Stock Front

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805003-1.jpg
My ghetto jack stands...dad lost our other jackstands :(

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805006-1.jpg
Stock Rotor, meet my new friend.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805005-1.jpg
Desperate times call for desperate measures (and a hell of a lot of leverage)...and yes, I tried WD40.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805007-1.jpg
Complete Drivers Side Front...so pretty

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805008-1.jpg
Complete Drivers Side Rear (Paint needs touched up)

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805010-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2005/06/62805012-1.jpg

First Impressions: Stopping power had been greatly increased, and distance has been reduced by a damn good bit. Ability to modulate the braking pressure with the Carbotech pads is nice...some people have reported that the OEM pads will just grab hold immediately.

Also, these brakes seem like they start to smoke a lot when they get hot (mainly the fronts)...I don't know if I didn't clean the rotor well enough or what, but oh well.

[Wiscon_Mark]

:smt023 Nice Work Perdue! I hope I get the privelage to see your car in person some day.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Looks sweet! I had to take a hammer and tap on my wrench end to break that bolt loose on my brakes. Took about 4 solid taps and they would break free. Sucks about the rear pads though.

[Reason]

The set up looks good, why did you get Brembo rear rotors and not the carbotechs like the front?

[Perdue]

the only set of rear brakes from carbotech that I saw were for the WRX and the upgraded rear brakes. I would've done the H6 rear upgrade, but I have the old style calipers and the bracket doesn't work. That'll come another day. I noticed the unsprung weight of the calipers today. It's not bad, but the car doesn't seem the same. I wish I could compare them to the Racing Brake kit, but oh well.

[Pwise2326]

Great job P-body, looks great! Just make sure you work in those new pads and rotors, there's a great "how-to" on scoobymods....long story short don't slam on the brakes for the first couple hundred miles. You don't want to burn them or warp them, break them in easy (the write up has you do a bunch of slow start and stop, start and stop, increase speed, etc etc. check it out!). Give us a full review when everything's settled after a couple thousand miles. If you want to fix the unsprung weight start changing out your front control arms for some lighter A-arms and the rear lats and trailing links with lighter STI pieces...get some Pink on that car!

[gator gt]

LOVE THOSE JACK STANDS!! WOO-HOO!!

I use cinder blocks under my frame rails. I dunno...I haven't found comfortable (for me!) locations under the car to place all 4 jack stands to justify using them. Rocker panel e-jack locations just don't seem reasonable with the standard fare jackstand seat. If jackstands came with the same seat that the e-jack did (with the cut-out for the frame fold to sit in) then I'd be all over them. Thought about making some...but I've digressed.

pile up the blocks and bring the car down. solid as a rock!

....better be...its sitting on rock!

yeah, what Ryan said about proper brake pad 'seating'. I think I was a little too anxious with my 05 LGT pad/rotors and now at the end of a heavy braking straight run...I can feel slight vibrations from the rear. That'll get fixed come uber-swap time. new rotors and pads ALL around!

Nice work P!

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