2019 STI Brake Pads

[Pat-GB]

Looking at changing the brake pads to something that generates a little less brake dust. Look on here and reddit, looks like it is between Stoptech street and Hawk HPS. I can get stoptech on amazon and they have good reviews. Any info on HPS pads? or better recommendations. I try not to brake hard and downshift most of the time to slow down except for the random quick changing light. Waiting to everything to open back up before I look at a track day somewhere.

Thanks for the help in advance!

Also, I live in the frozen north (Wisconsin). So I do have to deal with Salt. (Side note: any good/bad to going ceramic?)

 

[Grinder34]

Man, i feel like brakes pads are like oil--everyone has a differing opinion on them! I personally have liked Hawk pads in the past but not sure I've used the HPS. They're both top-notch brands so I wouldnt hesistate to get either.

Here's the tire-rack site that compares the performance/dust:
https://www.tirerack.com/brakes/res...&autoModel=WRX+STi&autoYear=2019&autoModClar=

FWIW, I think the Centric Posi-Quiet are from the same factory as the Stoptech...even part numbers are similar.

Here's tireracks' brief writeup on ceramic pads: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=88

If you're doing a track day at some point down the line i'd really recommend getting a 2nd set of track pads and learning how to change/bed properly for track days. (You may want to do brake fluid and some other bits before a track day too..but thats for another thread).

 

[Alin]

I think that first and foremost, it comes down to the application. What will you be using the brake pads for mainly? If it's street use, then in all reality, you can't really go wrong with majority of the highly regarded brands. If you're solely doing track days, then that is where the pads will begin to differentiate from each other.

That being said, I do agree with [MENTION=652]Grinder34[/MENTION] that most topics are becoming like politics with different opinions. :lol:

I personally have Hawk HPS + pads on my STi, alongside DBA 4000 rotors. I don't think you can really go wrong with Hawk. They're proven and tested across millions of Subie owners around the world.

 

[Pat-GB]

Thanks for the info! Have some more research to do and then flip a coin? Those Hawk Ceramic pads look pretty nice. I'm guessing the few bad reviews were from people that didn't bed-in the pads.

 

[Grinder34]

Thanks for the info! Have some more research to do and then flip a coin? Those Hawk Ceramic pads look pretty nice. I'm guessing the few bad reviews were from people that didn't bed-in the pads.

Yeah, that really wouldn't surprise me. A lot of those types of problems come down to user error. Probably next is bad luck. But you really should be fine with them.

If you do go ceramic, let us know how you like them!