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Excerpt from Essex Parts:
In 2001, the bug-eyed Impreza WRX was finally launched in North America, and enthusiasts scrambled to get their hands on the first of Japan's modern rally specials. Subaru's loyal follwers were rewarded for their patience in 2004, as the heavily reworked 2.5L WRX STI came screaming onto the scene in answer to Mitsubishi's launch of the Evo VIII.
If you're reading this, I don't have to go into too many details about how capable the STI is. At 3300-3400 lbs. these cars are no lightweights. Even more importantly, it's fairly cheap and easy to increase the power to silly levels, and you can cram a decent amount of tire under the fender flares. Uber fast, check...big power, check...meaty tires, check...What does all of that mean? It's not exactly easy on brakes!
To combat the tortures Subaru expected from its new owners, they equipped the car with a fairly nice brake system from the factory. The STI features 325x30mm brake discs with four piston Brembo calipers up front, and two piston Brembo's in the rear. While it's true that the Brembo system on the STI is far superior to what most production cars come with (particularly in the price range), there are some fundamental differences that set the system apart from a true race-ready system.
Based on everything we’ve learned during development, we believe our system offers our customers the following advantages over the OEM STI brake system:
- Roughly 6-7 lbs. unsprung weight reduction from both front corners of the car
- Incredible array of inexpensive race pad options at prices that are consistently $100 lower per set than the OEM pad shape. These pads are large/thick enough to handle typical lapping/race sessions
- Mitigation of pad knockback due to 4lb. anti-knockback springs in the calipers
- Less chance of damaging bleed screws or crossover tubes when changing wheels due to built-in protection
- Caliper finish that is more resistant to wear and deterioration
- Stainless steel caliper hardware for a long caliper service life under frequent pad change conditions
- High temperature, low drag seals that will hold up to track temps better than OEM components= less rebuilding and longer service life
- No dust boots to burn up and make a big mess
- Simple pad change with one bolt and no spring clips (rather than tapping out the pins)
- Extremely compact package for superior wheel fitment
- Stainless steel pistons that keep heat out of your brake fluid to resist fluid fade during extended track sessions
- Lifetime professional caliper rebuilding support by Essex (at a fee)- pull off your calipers, send them to us, we clean, inspect, and rebuild them
- High airflow, heavy duty AP Racing J Hook brake discs that are over 4 lbs. lighter than the OEM units, available at an extremely competitive replacement price ($250 each).
- AP Racing J Hook slot design that gives more pad bite/feel, and distributes heat evenly throughout the disc
- Disc metallurgy specifically designed to handle the temps typically seen on track offers a long service life
- Highest quality, Spiegler stainless steel brake line with clear sheath that reduces compliance over OEM rubber design.
Finally, keep in mind that we have a whole bunch of very fast corvettes and Evo's around the country now running the exact same caliper and disc setup. The majority of those cars are 400-550HP and 3,000+ lbs. Positive feedback from that crowd keeps rolling in. Additionally, the axial mount version of this setup has been run for years on hundreds of asphalt late models, which are 2800-2900lb., 500hp cars on slicks.
Complete front Essex Designed AP Racing Competition Brake Kit for the 2002-2021 WRX/STI
- Features AP Racing CP8350 four piston calipers
- 325x32mm, 70 vane AP Racing disc
- Drilled for both 5x114.3 and 5x100mm hubs
- Saves 14 unsprung lbs. from nose vs. OEM brakes
- Fits OEM BBS wheels without a spacer
- Every component designed to resist the heat of extended track sessions
- Pistons sized properly to allow for seamless integration with OEM master cylinder and ABS system
- Designed to work with OEM rear brakes
Brake Kit Includes:
- One pair AP Racing CP8350 racing calipers
- One pair 325x32mm AP Racing CP3870, 70 vane, J Hook racing discs, with fully floating 6061 hard anodized aluminum hats, and attachment hardware
- One pair caliper mounting brackets and hardware
- One pair Spiegler Stainless Steel Brake Lines with abrasion resistant coating
- Detailed installation instructions
- Brake pads are NOT included with our system. Racing brake pads are a highly personal choice. Many manufacturers include a set of inexpensive, low quality pads with their brake kits. Rather than artificially inflating the price of our system with a set of pads you probably don't want anyway, we've decided to remove the cost from our system and allow customers to choose the pads that best suit their needs/wants.