chesnimnus

I have to get new tires, as one went bad over the weekend. Looking to get 235/50R17s for a slightly wider footprint and taller tire. Apparently I need to keep the tire OD at or below 27" to maintain ABS function. Pads need to be replaced, timeline of which is driving my effort to upsize. If anyone has any recommendations on pads, I am open to suggestion. Hadn't heard of flushing brake fluid in 40 years of working on cars. Aside from removing fluid with dissolved water, what is the benefit?

I have a 2010 Legacy with the 2.5l NA engine and factory 17" alloy wheels. The car has been great overall. However, the brakes could be a little better. On country drives or in the national forest when I get a little spirited, I get noticeable heat fade. On any number of cars and trucks that I have owned over the years, I have improved the brakes by installing larger rotors and larger calipers from newer or sportier or heavier-duty models of similar vehicles. I don't want to spend money on high-zoot aftermarket parts, but would like to install the largest stock rotors and calipers that will fit the car and the wheels. Cursory online searches tell me that Subaru parts are pretty interchangeable, but most of what I find is geared toward the older and sportier cars. I spent some time reviewing the online parts catalogs (Raybestos, NAPA), and below is what I see: FRONT I can replace the old 11.55" vented rotor with a 12.42" vented rotor using stock items from my local parts store. Also, I can replace the old 1.6"-bore calipers with 1.68" bore calipers. Both of these items are standard for the 2.5l turbo/3.6l NA vehicles. REAR I can replace the old 11.25" non-vented rotor with a 11.4" vented rotor for a 2.5l T/3.6l NA vehicle. The catalogs are lacking in info on the calipers, but it appears to me that there is no difference in caliper sizes; is this true? Do I need to replace the backing plates or caliper brackets if I change the calipers and rotors? Are there some larger rotors and calipers from another Subaru model that I am not aware of? Will they fit my wheels? (Visually, it appears they will with room to spare, but I would like to hear from someone else that has already done this.) Do I need to get rotors with the ABS ring, or is that mounted on the spindle, or is that something that I will need to press out of the old rotor and into the new one?