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I have had very good luck with Wagner ThermoQuiet OEM Ceramic pads.  Be sure to specify ceramic as they also come in semi-metalic.  They last about twice as long as house rand ceramics, but most house brand ceramics have a lifetime replacement so you only buy them once.  However the house brands tend to be harder on the rotors and they don't have a lifetime warrantee.

 

Be sure to flush the brake fluid with each pad change and lubricate the giude pins.

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The two I've used in recent years are the Advance Auto silver pads and Centric posi quiet. The Advance Auto silver I've really liked. They are consistent even when cold/wet and seem to brake just fine for a daily driver though they are an economy pad. The centric posi quiet are nice and definitely smooth when warm and dry. I don't like though how they get extremely grabby when even slightly wet and somewhat when cold.

Edited by porcupine73
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If you want quiet, I'll second Centric posi-quiet. I have them on my 96 and they seem to stop well enough, even running oversized tires. Have never heard them make any noise.

I did have trouble with the new pad bracket shims supplied by centric. They seemed easy to deform and they would rub on the edge of the rotor. I had to replace them twice, and still they would rub the rotor. Finally just had to break down and get shims from the dealer. Cost a little more, but no more rubbing.

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I am sure that this has been talked about previously, but I wanted to find out if there was a good brand and source for pads on my 11 Forester.

Thanks.

 

The Subaru pads are actually excellent quality if you just want to get them. 

 

I've run gobs of different pads and have never noticed even a slight difference in performance on any of the 40 or so Subaru's I've owned or the others I've worked on.  

Even the cheapest pads at Rockauto work fine - they just only last a year or less.

I lean towards a few selections and better brands/grades but it doesn't matter. 

That's why everyone has a different answer - because it doesn't matter. 

What do they say - tires stop the car, not brakes?  Any pad is going to lock up your wheels/activate ABS in which case there's no difference unless you're towing, racing, rockcrawling which generate massive heat - which it sounds like you're not.

 

 

The better question is how to make sure you get a good brake job, particularly in the northeast. 

clean/regrease slides

use SilGlyde or equivalent

throw away the caliper pin bushings

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The Subaru pads are actually excellent quality if you just want to get them. 

 

I've run gobs of different pads and have never noticed even a slight difference in performance on any of the 40 or so Subaru's I've owned or the others I've worked on.  

Even the cheapest pads at Rockauto work fine - they just only last a year or less.

I lean towards a few selections and better brands/grades but it doesn't matter. 

That's why everyone has a different answer - because it doesn't matter. 

What do they say - tires stop the car, not brakes?  Any pad is going to lock up your wheels/activate ABS in which case there's no difference unless you're towing, racing, rockcrawling which generate massive heat - which it sounds like you're not.

 

 

The better question is how to make sure you get a good brake job, particularly in the northeast. 

clean/regrease slides

use SilGlyde or equivalent

throw away the caliper pin bushings

Last line from above............What's meant by "throw away the caliper pin bushings?"

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Last line from above............What's meant by "throw away the caliper pin bushings?"

 

00+ outbacks (and i presume impreza's at some later point) have a bushing on one slide pin.  those bushings swell and cause the slide pin to seize.  

using standard Permatex brake caliper grease or other similar brake greases will cause them to swell.  you have to use SilGlyde or something like that so they don't swell. 

but it's also possible for them to stick on their own. 

I have been throwing them away for years and just not having them because they don't do anything and are an unecessary failure point.

Subaru never used them for decades and had robust brake systems - it makes no sense to me to make them less reliable/more maintenance.

i still use and recommend Sil Glyde and other similar greases though - it holds up much better than regular caliper greases. 

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00+ outbacks (and i presume impreza's at some later point) have a bushing on one slide pin.  those bushings swell and cause the slide pin to seize.  

using standard Permatex brake caliper grease or other similar brake greases will cause them to swell.  you have to use SilGlyde or something like that so they don't swell. 

but it's also possible for them to stick on their own. 

I have been throwing them away for years and just not having them because they don't do anything and are an unecessary failure point.

Subaru never used them for decades and had robust brake systems - it makes no sense to me to make them less reliable/more maintenance.

i still use and recommend Sil Glyde and other similar greases though - it holds up much better than regular caliper greases. 

Learned something.............Thanks..............Rooster 2

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I'd also vouch for the Subaru OEM pads like grossgary said.

 

However, if you're totally set on getting an aftermarket set of brake pads that don't make much noise, I've heard great things about Akebono brake pads. In fact, they are one of a list of Subaru's OEM suppliers of brake pads, though the aftermarket ones aren't the Akebono brake pads made in Japan, the aftermarket Akebono brake pads are manufactured in the USA.

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I'd also vouch for the Subaru OEM pads like grossgary said.

 

However, if you're totally set on getting an aftermarket set of brake pads that don't make much noise, I've heard great things about Akebono brake pads. In fact, they are one of a list of Subaru's OEM suppliers of brake pads, though the aftermarket ones aren't the Akebono brake pads made in Japan, the aftermarket Akebono brake pads are manufactured in the USA.

 

I have always used the Subaru Genuine pads too.  They last longer, they're quiet...they just work.

 

But, if I was going to go aftermarket, Akebono would be on my short list.

 

Emily

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