What sort of brakes/brake mod will I get the best bang for buck out of on a 2001?

Obviously, steel brake lines and more solid master cylinder bracket.

I know the WRX front rotors are mountable with an inexpensive bracket and the stock calipers. how is that going to affect my front/rear bias?

how do the other brake kits compare, in price and performance, to the STi setup?

What about pads?

Better pads will be the best bang for buck mod you can do to your brake system.

Yeah, I'm kind of looking for specifics in pads and the like, though.

What type of driving do you do?

Ah, spirited driving. occasional mountain runs. I need good cold grip, (emergencies ya know) but also something that won't fade badly if hot. don't need heavy-duty or scary track pads.

I would just upgrade your pads first and see if that is enough, usually it is.

Try some Axxis Metal Masters or Carbotech Bobcats or Hawk HPS.

I ran Carbotech Panther Plus front pads when I had the stock calipers with DBA slotted rotors, they worked great for spirited driving, but of course dusted alot and made noise.

I now use Stoptech BBK with panther plus pads.

Best bang for the buck brake upgrades are:

1) BETTER PADS; I use Hawk HPS on my REX and love them. They don't dust as much as the AXXIS pads

2) BETTER BRAKE FLUID: I switched to MOTUL RBF 600 when had my brakes done. You won't believe how different the brakes felt w/ just changing the fluid.

3) SS LINES: You already know this

These 3 upgrades shouldn't cost you more than $300 in parts. Good luck and happy moddin.

-Soren

Darwin - Stoptech offers a great solution to your question that offers some choices for your driving needs. And it is one of the most cost effective packages on the market!

http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23603

Here is the link to my thread.

The Staged kits from Stoptech are your best bets!

Stage 1 Kit for your car - $255 shipped
Stage 2 Kit for your car - $580 shipped

Give it a look and see what you think! I am a dealer for Stoptech direct so anything ships fast to you! Let me know if I can help!

Thanks,
Brian

Flash N Dash Performance