H6 rear brake upgrade
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 67
From: Los Angeles, CA
Car Info: '02 WRB WRX Wagon
You are probably right. I have no clue what they are for, therefore, I have no clue whether or not there are any drawbacks to removing them. My philosophy is, it's usually there for a reason, so if you remove it, there's bound to be a consequence. I just want to know if it's a consequence that I can live with.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 99
From: Delta, BC, Canada
Car Info: 2000 Impreza 2.5RS BRP
Although I feel like doing the caliper as well as the rotors, I feel that is an overkill - I would rather go with the proper sized dust shield, but it seems like a lot of labour (I'm no mechanic) to get that, not to mention the cost, so bending the shield it is if I get the H6 rotors
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 30
From: up in my hizzy
Car Info: Blue sedan WRX
Mission accomplished
this was an easy mod. less than 2 hours from grabbing my tools to lowering the car back down. THANKS TO PEATY for super-thorough directions at scoobymods.com. the dust shield is there for a reason ( I dont know why), so i left it on. vice grips make quick work of bending it out of the way -they did scratch the black paint off in some areas, but the worst that could happen is rust, then i would just remove it anyway... this is a track car, not for show. you cant see the damn thing anyway. my tip for bending it is to start in the middle, and work towards each end, because the middle warps back out when you bend the ends. anyway... the pads are bedded in we are headed to the track next month. COOL BEANS!
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iTrader: (21)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,253
From: Santa Clara CA USA
Car Info: 96 Chevy Impala SS, 06 GMC 2500HD (former 02 WRX)
If it is like most cars (and that's a reasonable assumption here), the biggest "benefit" to the dust shields is that they keep the rotor at least reasonably dry in the rain.
If you've driven a car WITHOUT dust shields in the rain (my other car, see my username, is this way with it's aftermarket brakes), you discover this the first time you go for the brakes in the wet....and find it takes a few feet for them to initially grab
No big deal....once you're expecting it and adjust your driving style (i.e. keep a little extra space in traffic) to compensate.
Downside to the dust shields is that since they keep out water, they also do a nice job of keeping out cooling air. I suspect that on a "track" car you'd find considerably lower rotor temps (and thus, more track time without brake fade) by just removing the dust shields all around.
I'm planning on doing the H6 rear rotor upgrade on my WRX (although probably with the Perrin Wilwood rear calipers, as well as the Perrin Wilwood front upgrade) and will remove the dust shields both front and rear at that time.
If you've driven a car WITHOUT dust shields in the rain (my other car, see my username, is this way with it's aftermarket brakes), you discover this the first time you go for the brakes in the wet....and find it takes a few feet for them to initially grab
No big deal....once you're expecting it and adjust your driving style (i.e. keep a little extra space in traffic) to compensate.
Downside to the dust shields is that since they keep out water, they also do a nice job of keeping out cooling air. I suspect that on a "track" car you'd find considerably lower rotor temps (and thus, more track time without brake fade) by just removing the dust shields all around.
I'm planning on doing the H6 rear rotor upgrade on my WRX (although probably with the Perrin Wilwood rear calipers, as well as the Perrin Wilwood front upgrade) and will remove the dust shields both front and rear at that time.
Last edited by Impala SS AutoX; Aug 18, 2003 at 06:33 PM.
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I'll just check in with some more experience with both the H6 rear upgrade and ducts in the front. In my case, I had an 01 2.5RS with STi 4 pot fronts and WRX sized rotors and H6 rears swapped with my wife's OBW 
. There was one question on warantee stuff with an H6 rear. Unless they go look at part numbers or take a caliper to the rotor, or know to go looking, they would never even suspect that the rotor was changed. It doesn't look that much bigger.
I was doing a lot of track driving. There were no adverse affects with the H6 in the rear. As mentioned, the larger rotor results in a cooler rotor because the same stopping torque can be applied with less pad pressure because of the larger diameter.
For the front, us GC8 guys don't have it as lucky as you WRX guys. But there's hope. I ran 3" brake duct tubing (don't waste your money on silicone, just use racing brake tubing) from behind the fogs, down, through a hole in the inner fender plastic lining and at the bottom of the fender well, staying away from the tire. Then, I divided into 2 smaller tubes. One went in between the caliper and the rotor, blowing cold air into the center of the rotor. The other went to the other side of the spindle, blowing air at the inside of the rotor. All this was tie wrapped at various places and I'd remove it during the winter.
On track days, I'd unscrew 2 fog light screws (3rd had a tie wrap holding the duct tubing in place) and unplug them and off to the track I went. After the track event, fogs went back in (and were functional), avoiding the "I'M A RACE CAR" look to the police.
I used stock Subaru 4 pot pads and stock Subaru rear pads. At the time, I used Motul 600, but now have upped to Wilwood exp600 at 627F dry boiling point. That stuff works very nicely.
This brake setup worked very well with the GC8.
jack
. There was one question on warantee stuff with an H6 rear. Unless they go look at part numbers or take a caliper to the rotor, or know to go looking, they would never even suspect that the rotor was changed. It doesn't look that much bigger.I was doing a lot of track driving. There were no adverse affects with the H6 in the rear. As mentioned, the larger rotor results in a cooler rotor because the same stopping torque can be applied with less pad pressure because of the larger diameter.
For the front, us GC8 guys don't have it as lucky as you WRX guys. But there's hope. I ran 3" brake duct tubing (don't waste your money on silicone, just use racing brake tubing) from behind the fogs, down, through a hole in the inner fender plastic lining and at the bottom of the fender well, staying away from the tire. Then, I divided into 2 smaller tubes. One went in between the caliper and the rotor, blowing cold air into the center of the rotor. The other went to the other side of the spindle, blowing air at the inside of the rotor. All this was tie wrapped at various places and I'd remove it during the winter.
On track days, I'd unscrew 2 fog light screws (3rd had a tie wrap holding the duct tubing in place) and unplug them and off to the track I went. After the track event, fogs went back in (and were functional), avoiding the "I'M A RACE CAR" look to the police.
I used stock Subaru 4 pot pads and stock Subaru rear pads. At the time, I used Motul 600, but now have upped to Wilwood exp600 at 627F dry boiling point. That stuff works very nicely.
This brake setup worked very well with the GC8.
jack
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 330
From: At the Ritz Carlton, in the pool bar.
Car Info: 2005 Legacy GT "lightweight"
WOW!
No one has done this upgrade like me? I did it using the DBA Legacy rear rotors.
I sent the part # of the SOA rotors and Brackets to DBA and the made them and I got a free set of rotors out of it
No one has done this upgrade like me? I did it using the DBA Legacy rear rotors.
I sent the part # of the SOA rotors and Brackets to DBA and the made them and I got a free set of rotors out of it
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 30
From: up in my hizzy
Car Info: Blue sedan WRX
H6 upgrade works!
I finally took the brake upgrade to the track and it worked well. setup: Kuhmo 712's. front stock rotors + Carbotch Bobcat pads. rear H6 rotors + EBC greenstuff pads. Superblue fluid. NO FADE at VIR full course. How nice. i think i could have run stickier tires and it would have held up. Mav1c was burning up the track and his brakes appeared to be working well - he has grippier tires.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 186
From: TheOC
Car Info: MY2005 2.5 RS
I know this is a super old thread, but I've been thinking really hard about an oem type brake upgrade after driving my girlfriend's Audi last weekend. I was coming around a semi-blind righthand sweeping offramp and got surprised by a lot more traffic than usual (I was coming in too hot, which was dumb in retrospect), and I thought "Oh great, I'm about to total my girlfriend's audi", but the brakes just hooked up as soon as I stepped on them and I knew immediately I would be ok. Stopped fine with about a car length between me and the 06 Mustang in front of me. If I had been in my '05 2.5 RS, me and the mustang would have been fused together for sure.
Anyway, my question is how balanced is the WRX front (4pot) with H6 rear for street driving. Would it be beneficial in a panic stop situation? I know the factory brakes are not the best, but I don't want to upset the balance of the car. From what it seems like here, the H6 upgrade will improve that balance, right?
Anyway, my question is how balanced is the WRX front (4pot) with H6 rear for street driving. Would it be beneficial in a panic stop situation? I know the factory brakes are not the best, but I don't want to upset the balance of the car. From what it seems like here, the H6 upgrade will improve that balance, right?
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 30
From: up in my hizzy
Car Info: Blue sedan WRX
old -assed thread!!
my 02 WRX has 2pots on the front, but that is irrelevant, it will work the same on any car.
the H6 upgrade will increase rear brake torque by increasing the distance from the center of the hub to the pads and piston. this also increases the swept area of the disc. the simplest way to increase rear brake bias is to use a grippier pad material on the rear (increase mu or coefficient of friction).
After all these years I still love the Carbotech products. If you put some Bobcats on the rear you will feel the difference immediately.
bottom line is if you are only street driving then your brakes are more than adequate. The more aggressive pads will make if perform like a big brake kit, and changing pads only takes 5 min.
the H6 upgrade will increase rear brake torque by increasing the distance from the center of the hub to the pads and piston. this also increases the swept area of the disc. the simplest way to increase rear brake bias is to use a grippier pad material on the rear (increase mu or coefficient of friction).
After all these years I still love the Carbotech products. If you put some Bobcats on the rear you will feel the difference immediately.
bottom line is if you are only street driving then your brakes are more than adequate. The more aggressive pads will make if perform like a big brake kit, and changing pads only takes 5 min.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 186
From: TheOC
Car Info: MY2005 2.5 RS
Thanks for the input! I might do this swap anyway, partially for the cool factor, and although it may be mostly attributed to the stock pads, I feel like the stock brakes on my RS fade almost instantly. I noticed this particularly after getting my current tires... so some additional rotor material wouldn't hurt anything.
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