GiroDisc SS Brake Pads - New Subaru Applications only at KNS Brakes

[KNS Brakes]

We've long been looking for a street pad that can help the relatively anemic Subaru brake systems. While the STi Brembo's are decent, most Subaru's have brakes that can best be described as "remarkably soft" or "both numb and compliant" or some similar description which is better suited for a foam mattress.

Regular pads just struggle in Subaru applications especially when hard stopping, towing, and other more strenous braking needs occur.

Even the so called performance pads that most of us know lack sufficient bite, often create awful brake judder (warped rotor feeling) and generally disappoint in most Subaru applications.

Enter GiroDisc SS. STI fitment shown below.

This pad is designed to be a better street pad for hard use.

It must:

Have great initial bite
Be easy to modulate
Not fold with hard use - (NOT a track pad)
Not create judder and vibration.

It can:

Make some dust
Make MINIMAL or preferably no noise. (HP+ are TOO LOUD)

It cannot:

Squeal like a banshee
Eat rotors in 5000 miles
Cost $Eleventy billion dollars
Be constantly out of stock or 'on the boat'

So we are testing these now and are ordering all of the most common Subaru applications. So far it is all systems go. On my STI the initial bite is high and the car pulls down with ease. It is easy to tell that the pad is doing the work and not my leg. We'll get these on a GR WRX asap because those much smaller brakes are going to be a more severe test.

Here is a quick rundown of what we did.

I have a 2008 STi - pretty normal stage 2 car. So on these pads went with special thanks to Matt Meadows at Insomnia Motorsports in Cary NC. He is a very special tech that you would be lucky to have.

I then went out to do some break in and a bedding process. The video went OK but not fantastic.

















And when we were done I made a VERY bad video . Making a video is pretty hard.

GiroDisc SS Brake Pads at KNS Brakes - YouTube

GiroDisc SS Brake Pads at KNS Brakes - YouTube

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[KNS Brakes]

UPDATE

We have a few days on these pads and I am getting used to them.

There is a bit of cold, slow speed squeal but the bite is definitely better than most street pads. I need to bleed the brakes and fiddle with some shims and lube to see if that helps. Also - I was on used rotors so that may be a part of the noise.

-Ken

[KNS Brakes]

Update #2 On The STI GiroDisc SS Brake Pads

These pads pretty much blow SOME OTHER REALLY POPULAR street pads out of the water. Much better initial bite and friction and thus far the dust has not been bad. You can actually stop the car hard and modulate the brakes if you want to.

We are still getting slow speed/cold squeal at certain pedal pressures. Mostly just when going slow. This is in the Brembo calipers. It reduces quite a bit when the pads are bedded/used hard but it's been abnormally cold here so we will see what happens with warmer temps shortly.

[KNS Brakes]

We have also now installed/testes a set of SS pads on a 2014 WRX. This was the real test as I have almost never felt good brakes on a non-Brembo Subaru.

Car: 2014 WRB Sedan - This car has lots of bolt ons. About 300 WHP Stg 2 by the one and only JR.

We installed SOME OTHER REALLY POPULAR street pads and slotted rotors on this car last summer and the owner was less than impressed. I bedded them myself and as usual with Subaru's the pedal was soft and stopping hard required lots of pedal effort. Not great for $600 + labor.

The SS pads performed way better. The pedal is much firmer and you can hard stop the car. I was only able to do a pad bedding and drive a few miles (cold/dark) but I did make lots of high speed stops to see how they felt.

One great and expected result here - no noise. I did create a spark shower once or twice.

This is a good product. We'll report back more.

[subyrally]

I have been looking into these brakes since I first heard about them last year. Its good to see that they are quality. I think I am going have to try them out.

[KNS Brakes]

Updates are coming and we have pads in stock now.

[Shonice124]

I just got these pads from KNS Brakes and they are truly AMAZING compared to stock. The stopping power and initial bite feel great. Ken said they would be better and WOW!!

I have a 2015 WRX that's completely stock and use it as a DD. I really would recommend these pads for anyone who drives aggresive on the streets (of Mexico). I wanted better than stock but still keep it streetable.

Great customer service from Ken as well as great prices I was able to find online. Look him up guys!

[KNS Brakes]

Thanks for the review. If you want a hard stopping pad for your Subaru this is the one. I've tried almost all of them and this is the one.

[SubDubRX]

Get these and my 4K rotors tomorrow! Can’t wait to try them out. Thanks for all the help Ken!

[nemos_black_wrx]

I guess I'm late to the party. but I got to say I don't know if I like them or not. I love how the bite and car stops, but it seems like I got use a lot of pedal on them. even with dot 4 fluid. I've had them for a little over a year now. I talked to ken and he made me a package of centric blanks , girdodisc ss pads, and ate 200 fluid. I got my brakes flushed, with fresh ate200 on 7/27 then on 7/28 was on autocross. a week and a half to two weeks later pedal is squshy and behaves funny. am I burning the fluid that easy, need steel lines or is it time to replace the slave/ and master cylinder. 2012 impreza 5 speed with 62,460 miles on it.