Better brakes without spending a fortune... - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

aegisranger · 03-09-2026, 04:54 PM

Hi, this question has probably been asked before... but here goes.
I'm looking for a brake kit with better calipers and rotors. I have a 2013 BRZ and the stock brakes really didn't like stopping the car from 130mph. Now that I have done my LS swap and I'm not even topped out at 155 and the stock brakes are scary. I don't do track days or drifting, just generally fast street driving with an occasional high speed run. Not looking to put another $4k into the car just for brakes, so is there a decently priced upgrade?
Thanks!

Ohio Enthusiast · 03-09-2026, 07:14 PM

Hybrid pads on stock calipers are probably the way to go in your case - more initial bite and better heat tolerance, without a ton of dust, noise and expense of track pads. Ferodo DS2500 (probably most suitable for you), EBC Yellow, Hawk HPS, etc.

N234 · 03-10-2026, 07:38 AM

Just get some improved pads. I have great experience with the stoptech street/sport performance, which have a really steady friction vs temperature curve and a really high fade temperature.

Tires are important. Good performance summers will have great grip at all temperatures. Not track tires which have extremely good grip after they've warmed up but can be unexpectedly bad when cold.

If you want a super nice communicative brake pedal, consider a brake master cylinder brace.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

RToyo86 · 03-10-2026, 08:34 AM

I was not a fan of the hawk HPS 5.0. They're also quite hard on rotors.
Out of various street upgrade pads I've tried I like the endless MX72 plus.

Make sure to flush out fluid for fresh dot 3/4, and consider new OEM brake lines to the caliper.

Muskoka800 · 03-10-2026, 12:12 PM

I second the suggestion of Stoptech Sport pads.
I run them in my hybrid BBK for both street and track lapping.
There pedal feel is much like stock pads however they can handle more heat.
You will want to warm them a bit when first hitting the road. Otherwise you may be shocked the first time you expect to slow for traffic. ��
If you’re interested in my hybrid Brembo set-up send a PM. Much less expensive than commercially available BBK’s.

churchx · 03-10-2026, 01:22 PM

For budget brake upgrade for daily driven car, better fluid, hybrid pads & brake airducts.

Also if you can trigger ABS when fully emergency braking, i don't see brakes being any bottleneck, rather tire's grip.
Higher end brakes don't "brake better"/don't stop faster. They just last longer without overheating with repetitious heavy braking, due having larger thermal capacity and improved cooling.

Spuds · 03-10-2026, 06:17 PM

I suppose the question we should ask is why the brakes are scary. Does the pedal go to the floor without triggering ABS? Do they stop working after some amount of time on them? Does the ABS trigger on deceleration and you want to decelerate faster? Is the car unstable when decelerating? Is OP ever coming back or was this just an attempt to validate a unnecessary expense?

smackrel · 03-11-2026, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spuds

I suppose the question we should ask is why the brakes are scary. Does the pedal go to the floor without triggering ABS? Do they stop working after some amount of time on them? Does the ABS trigger on deceleration and you want to decelerate faster? Is the car unstable when decelerating? Is OP ever coming back or was this just an attempt to validate a unnecessary expense?

Asking the real questions.

RT-BRZ · 03-11-2026, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegisranger

Hi, this question has probably been asked before... but here goes.
I'm looking for a brake kit with better calipers and rotors. I have a 2013 BRZ and the stock brakes really didn't like stopping the car from 130mph. Now that I have done my LS swap and I'm not even topped out at 155 and the stock brakes are scary. I don't do track days or drifting, just generally fast street driving with an occasional high speed run. Not looking to put another $4k into the car just for brakes, so is there a decently priced upgrade?
Thanks!

Well, in case you ever come back; RR Racing has a decent kit for our cars that's probably ~$2500. It comes with everything and they will be happy to consult with you.

As others said, what's happening in detail when you are braking hard? Have you moved to DOT4 fluid? What pads are you running? Etc.

Spuds · 03-11-2026, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smackrel

Asking the real questions.

Lol it gets me in trouble someti- ... A lot.

03-09-2026, 04:54 PM	#1
aegisranger Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Drives: 2013 BRZ Location: Western PA Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Better brakes without spending a fortune... Hi, this question has probably been asked before... but here goes. I'm looking for a brake kit with better calipers and rotors. I have a 2013 BRZ and the stock brakes really didn't like stopping the car from 130mph. Now that I have done my LS swap and I'm not even topped out at 155 and the stock brakes are scary. I don't do track days or drifting, just generally fast street driving with an occasional high speed run. Not looking to put another $4k into the car just for brakes, so is there a decently priced upgrade? Thanks!

03-10-2026, 12:12 PM	#5
Muskoka800 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Drives: 2016 Scion FRS Release Series 2#439 Location: Chatham, Ontario, Canada Posts: 785 Thanks: 4 Thanked 171 Times in 141 Posts Mentioned: 4 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I second the suggestion of Stoptech Sport pads. I run them in my hybrid BBK for both street and track lapping. There pedal feel is much like stock pads however they can handle more heat. You will want to warm them a bit when first hitting the road. Otherwise you may be shocked the first time you expect to slow for traffic. �� If you’re interested in my hybrid Brembo set-up send a PM. Much less expensive than commercially available BBK’s. __________________ Edelbrock S/C with CSG 94 & 91 maps TRD Short Shifter, CTS-V/EvoX Brembos Ohlin’s R&T Dampers, Hotchkis F/R Bars, Blox LCA & Toe Arms 235F/245R Conti ECS on TRD/Enkei wheels (street), 245/40 sq. ECF on 17x8 720Form GTF2 wheels (track)

03-10-2026, 06:17 PM	#7
Spuds The Dictater Join Date: Apr 2017 Drives: '13 Red Scion FRS Location: MD, USA Posts: 9,675 Thanks: 26,731 Thanked 12,732 Times in 6,309 Posts Mentioned: 88 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I suppose the question we should ask is why the brakes are scary. Does the pedal go to the floor without triggering ABS? Do they stop working after some amount of time on them? Does the ABS trigger on deceleration and you want to decelerate faster? Is the car unstable when decelerating? Is OP ever coming back or was this just an attempt to validate a unnecessary expense? __________________ If a picture is worth a thousand words, a model is worth ten thousand pictures. Also: "Build Thread"

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03-09-2026, 07:14 PM	#2
Ohio Enthusiast Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Drives: 2018 BRZ Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 1,051 Thanks: 1,486 Thanked 885 Times in 511 Posts Mentioned: 13 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Hybrid pads on stock calipers are probably the way to go in your case - more initial bite and better heat tolerance, without a ton of dust, noise and expense of track pads. Ferodo DS2500 (probably most suitable for you), EBC Yellow, Hawk HPS, etc.

03-10-2026, 07:38 AM	#3
N234 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Drives: Posts: 194 Thanks: 73 Thanked 73 Times in 50 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Just get some improved pads. I have great experience with the stoptech street/sport performance, which have a really steady friction vs temperature curve and a really high fade temperature. Tires are important. Good performance summers will have great grip at all temperatures. Not track tires which have extremely good grip after they've warmed up but can be unexpectedly bad when cold. If you want a super nice communicative brake pedal, consider a brake master cylinder brace. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

03-10-2026, 08:34 AM	#4
RToyo86 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Drives: 17 Asphalt 86 Location: Ottawa Posts: 2,395 Thanks: 1,886 Thanked 2,637 Times in 1,289 Posts Mentioned: 16 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I was not a fan of the hawk HPS 5.0. They're also quite hard on rotors. Out of various street upgrade pads I've tried I like the endless MX72 plus. Make sure to flush out fluid for fresh dot 3/4, and consider new OEM brake lines to the caliper.

03-10-2026, 01:22 PM	#6
churchx Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Drives: 2014 GT86 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 4,336 Thanks: 698 Thanked 2,091 Times in 1,437 Posts Mentioned: 53 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	For budget brake upgrade for daily driven car, better fluid, hybrid pads & brake airducts. Also if you can trigger ABS when fully emergency braking, i don't see brakes being any bottleneck, rather tire's grip. Higher end brakes don't "brake better"/don't stop faster. They just last longer without overheating with repetitious heavy braking, due having larger thermal capacity and improved cooling.

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