Brake Thread

[Veritablehatter]

It's about time to replace the brakes, and I've been thinking of doing something other than the OEM swap. I've started looking around at what might be a better set up for when I've got it loaded up for getting out of town, or if I decide to pull a small trailer. I run a 2012 forester that I'm just starting to work on to get together as a decent rig.

While I'm told the tires are the most important part of making you off-road capable, I'm going to have to save up a bit. My current tires are also still in good condition, so new ones will have to wait a bit. My brakes are starting to feel like they'll need replacing soon, but they haven't started making any noise, so I'm looking into what's good.

Things to consider:
Pads - I've heard that while metallic pads are generally louder and wear your rotors more, they stand up better over time and can be useful when you've got more weight behind you. Anyone here use them?

Rotors - clean vs. slotted vs. drilled/slotted - I've seen people run all three, had one older forester guy swear by simply slotted, had others tell me it doesn't really matter. Haven't had anyone tell me drilled is particularly valuable for off road use, but I might just be missing the conversation.

Lines - Next time I get a flush I'll probably pull some stainless lines along with me to make a swap.

What do you guys run? What has helped you in the past? Tell me what you run and why you chose it.

 

[Anchor Mtn]

I run Brakeperformance.com rotors and pads on my vehicles. They have a good warranty(not that I have ever needed it) and good quality product for the money. I have run them on everything from a JKU to a Dodge 2500 diesel that towed a heavy trailer everywhere it went. My F150 is about to get a full set of drilled and slotted rotors from them as well.

For strictly offroad, none of the surface treatments will do much for you in braking performance. Highway speed braking, rotor life and towing is where I have always found the benefits of the upgraded rotors.

 

[Homeguy]

I upgraded my Jk to the Mopar big brake kit. It was built for the JK8. It replaced the brake booster, master cylinder, rotors and pads. All the components are from the Ram 1500. I'm very pleased with the results.


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[Veritablehatter]

I run Brakeperformance.com rotors and pads on my vehicles. They have a good warranty(not that I have ever needed it) and good quality product for the money. I have run them on everything from a JKU to a Dodge 2500 diesel that towed a heavy trailer everywhere it went. My F150 is about to get a full set of drilled and slotted rotors from them as well.

For strictly offroad, none of the surface treatments will do much for you in braking performance. Highway speed braking, rotor life and towing is where I have always found the benefits of the upgraded rotors.

Thanks for the link, that looks like a good spot. I've got to use the thing for commuting as well as fun, so I'll keep the surface treatments in mind.

 

[uzj100]

Don't worry about slotted rotors for your forester. Also, I didn't see anything about brake fluid. That can make a huge difference in your boiling point etc. Many people often overlook that. Good pads+fluid+lines will make a world of difference.

 

[RSO_Tyler]

Disc Brake Australia (DBA) kangaroo pad rotors. They're slotted but have a different venting system to create more surface area for cooling. Really like them on my FJ60


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[Element Overland]

It really depends on what the most important thing to you is. As with anything there are pros and cons to every pad and rotor option. I am a brake and suspension tech at a west coast tire chain. For my 4runner, I opted for a metallic pad paired with the slotted rotors that were installed by the previous owner. The metallic can be louder, create more dust, and wear rotors faster( not as fast with performance rotors). I chose them because if wet muddy conditions they will stop better than any other. And to me I want to be able to stop. I don't care about the life of the pad. On my sedan I use a OE ceramic. It's quiet and has longer life.

Drilled and slotted rotors help you rotors cool better allowing less chance of getting high and low spots, brake fade due to hot pads or hot fluid. But they do tend to wear pads faster.

What are your main goals? What things matter to you?


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[Veritablehatter]

It really depends on what the most important thing to you is. As with anything there are pros and cons to every pad and rotor option. I am a brake and suspension tech at a west coast tire chain. For my 4runner, I opted for a metallic pad paired with the slotted rotors that were installed by the previous owner. The metallic can be louder, create more dust, and wear rotors faster( not as fast with performance rotors). I chose them because if wet muddy conditions they will stop better than any other. And to me I want to be able to stop. I don't care about the life of the pad. On my sedan I use a OE ceramic. It's quiet and has longer life.

Drilled and slotted rotors help you rotors cool better allowing less chance of getting high and low spots, brake fade due to hot pads or hot fluid. But they do tend to wear pads faster.

What are your main goals? What things matter to you?


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The forester takes double duty as my daily driver and the vehicle that gets me to the camp spots I want to go to. It may see some light trail duty for work, but those aren't any hard off road, just gravel paths that aren't always particularly well maintained.

I'd like to do more trail work with it (because legitimately, trail driving is a skill I'd like to learn well, and that takes practice), and New England tends to be rocky and wet. Winter driving up this way is pretty brutal with snow, slush, and grit. However, most of the forester's life will likely be on highway getting me from one work site to another.

Basically, I'd like a bit more firm stopping power than my OE that works well in wet conditions, but I don't want to run all the way to overkill because a lot of its life will still be on road (without all my gear in it)

 

[krzyboy2o]

What did you end up going with? I'm in the market for brakes as well.