Enhancing your 2022 WRX Brakes with pads, rotors and more!

Members of the Subaru tribe may come from varied backgrounds and levels of unique creative vision, but if their ultimate goal is to transform their beloved ride into a true performance provider, they should all seek an educated pathway through the world of quality, aftermarket products and their respected manufacturers. The investigative process is very important when pursuing an upgrade to an appropriate Performance Braking system for your 2022 Subaru WRX since the main goal should not only be the enhancement of the vehicle's stopping power, but also should focus on the overall safety while operating under specific conditions, the level of control the driver maintains under challenging scenarios, while experiencing comfort and confidence during all levels of performance driving. Any enthusiast that hopes to upgrade the braking system on the 2022 Subaru WRX will need to consider a number of factors that, when outlined by an experienced source, will lead the driver to the most logical solution and properly serve the best interest of both the car’s overall functionality and the driver’s wallet.  

Walking into any upgrade demands preparation which should naturally prompt the enthusiast to ask themselves a number of important questions before searching for parts and products. Why should I upgrade the braking system? What level of performance or unique challenges will my vehicle face to justify an upgrade? What is my level of expertise to perform the upgrade? Do I understand what components are required to take a braking system upgrade from start to finish? What will be the total cost of a braking system upgrade and what is my budget in relation to my ultimate goal of performance? Truly, factors surrounding the enthusiast's performance goals, abilities, understanding, and financial resources should lay out the primary punch list before stepping forward. It should be clearly understood that a complete brake system enhancement includes upgrading the vehicle's Brake Pads , the Brake Rotors , the Brake Calipers , the Brake Lines , individually, or with a fully outfitted Big Brake Kit - and will also introduce a need for quality Performance Brake Fluid to ensure proper operation under extreme conditions, so let's take a closer look and break down the options while considering appropriate purpose and expected expense.

One of the first steps on the brake system upgrade journey can be towards investigating performance brake pads which can show an immediate and significant improvement to the stopping ability of the 2022 WRX Brakes system and contribute to the vehicle's resistance to fading brake response. Performance brake pads are available from a number of specialized manufacturers including the three we are featuring in this article - DBA (Disc Brakes Australia) , EBC Brakes , and Hawk Performance - who offer solutions under multiple price points and specific performance demands. There are multiple offerings from this collection of manufacturers which range between $50.00 to $250.00 (per individual sets, front and back) that can serve the driver's specific desire for performance in their genres. DBA is a proven brand who has been a market leader and major contributor to automotive braking engineering and technology for over forty years designing and manufacturing a wide range of braking system components in addition to their quality brake pad line. EBC Brakes have also been a driving force behind performance brake systems and components from their beginnings in Europe in the early 1980's to their immense development, manufacturing, and distribution expansion in both the UK and the United States. The Ohio-based manufacturer, Hawk Performance has also left a memorable impression on the automotive industry with thirty years of innovation and development of high performance solutions proven from the challenges of professional motorsports, military applications, and aerospace, right down to the daily driver. 

DBA offers multiple OEM replacement solutions to improve WRX performance while addressing the obvious need for enhanced friction. This selection of their Street and Extreme Performance Series Pads come off the shelf with an investment of under $150 per individual Front and Rear sets to be a perfect complement to their high quality disc rotors and other available braking systems components offered to contribute to this performance upgrade. EBC Brakes brings an alternative product to the table with a higher price point, but is still an affordable choice when taking steps into a braking system upgrade. The EBC Greenstuff , Yellowstuff , and Redstuff series Front and Rear Brake Pad sets come out of the box with a $90-$150 purchase price and will give the 2022 WRX the needed edge for premium street driving and a wide range of competitive motorsports giving the enthusiast a good scale to adjust within their bandwidth of driving expectations. Finally, Hawk Performance delivers an array of solutions to the driver who is prepared to invest a bit more in their braking system. Hawk offers a collection of several high performance brake pad sets perfect for the WRX platform which fall between $130 and $250.00 per individual Front and Rear applications which include the HPS 5.0 and the HP Plus designed with the modified street rocket and weekend autocross driver in mind, along with the more aggressive DTC-30 and DTC-60 engineered for the enthusiast concentrating primarily on the track and professional motorsports action. All three featured companies span the view of interest and purpose of an enthusiast stepping into this area of investigation and investment before researching the additional components needed to bring their WRX to the next level. Check out the Subimods Product Catalog to get a more detailed view of brake pad offerings from DBA , EBC Brakes , and Hawk Performance .

Investigating an upgrade to the braking system and researching appropriate brake pad solutions will naturally lead the enthusiast to the other components which, if selected correctly, will not only work in concert to enhance performance, but will also guarantee safety and stability on the WRX platform. Ultimately, upgrading the Brake Rotors on a vehicle will address concerns of excessive heat produced under aggressive driving scenarios and continuous braking while driving at high speeds during motorsports events. Quality, high performance brake rotors will enhance heat dissipation and deal with extreme brake fade while under challenging situations. The WRX driver can choose between several designs including slotted rotors which address heat and fade issues, drilled rotors which improve brake cooling and limit overall weight, and vented rotors which provide the greatest degree of heat management with maximum airflow and cooling under stressful conditions. As we outlined earlier, the brake component company DBA offers a number of associated Brake Rotors which will appropriately match the brake pad kits available for the enthusiast's specific performance needs. Selecting the proper most appropriate and well engineered solution for the specific application is important since investing in a product that is below the performance requirements can affect the safety of the driver, the stability of the vehicle, and the expense of recovery in all areas - while over-investing in a product beyond a reasonable scope of performance could affect future needs and hinder progress on future modification efforts for the vehicle. The enthusiast should approach this area with serious considerations and questions first before making a solid decision.

DBA provides a number of Brake Rotor assemblies at a price range between $150.00 and $300.00 per rotor depending on the purpose, level of performance challenges, and expected challenges faced by the driver. The enthusiast who is looking for an upgrade to attain enhanced performance and quality response for their daily and fun weekend drives should look closer at DBA's Street Series - an affordable solution that provides both a slotted and/or drilled design to fit the specific need of the driver. On the market with a price point between $150 and $180 per rotor , these Front and Rear assemblies have been engineered to provide an amplified level of bite on the brake pad while also expelling the gasses generated by braking contact in addition to helping to provide a reduction of brake fade during stressful performance. The DBA 4000 Series Rotor provides cross drilled, dimpled, slotted, and T-slot designs which makes this the perfect choice for the serious enthusiast who needs extreme performance on the street, plus a clear delivery of extreme response when they demand their WRX to climb to that next level when they take to the track on the weekend. The DBA 4000 Series starts at under $190.00 up to $300.00 per rotor out of the box for the enthusiast and serious motorsports lover who wants to invest in their vehicle's long-term performance and potential with innovative engineering and quality craftsmanship. All these options should and will raise a number of important questions in the enthusiast's mind. Again, venturing down an unfamiliar road without proper preparation and knowledge always invites challenges or unfortunate missteps that could have been avoided, so proper research and consultation with an experienced expert before taking a leap in this area of your upgrade process is our best advice. Look at the options DBA provides on the Subimods website to gain a better understanding of what is offered and reach out to us with questions.

Many times when focusing on the major components of an upgrade or modification, we can overlook the smaller, unsung heroes of the project. There are many nuts and bolts to be turned, many details to be considered, and plenty of boxes to be checked when embarking on a braking system upgrade to ensure maximum performance, response, and safety, so cutting corners on the expense of these small things should not cross the mind of the serious enthusiast. Enhancing the components of a braking system to address a demand or feed a need for performance under stressful conditions should automatically prompt the inclusion of products that both support and maintain the mechanical integrity of the car and all associated systems. A bridge is only as strong as the nuts, bolts, and wires that bind it together, so we should think of our braking system the same way. Making a major financial investment to upgrade the brake pads, rotors, and other parts in the main assembly will quickly mean nothing if these supporting pieces are overlooked or avoided just to save a small amount of additional cash. In the grand scheme of things, most serious system failures are caused by the smallest of issues or parts that should have been replaced but were not due to their perceived insignificance. Two important elements of a brake system upgrade which fall into this category are Brake Lines and Performance Brake Fluid . When purchasing individual components for a brake upgrade, neither of these items are thrown in as an added bonus. Both need important consideration and inclusion into the conversation when upgrade plans are being made.

Subimods has a wide range of braking system components offered by quality manufacturers who specialize in performance braking technology available for multiple Subaru platforms. Rotora and AMS Performance are two companies who manufacture quality replacement Brake Lines and Brake Line Kits specifically for the 2022 Subaru WRX at a price range between $150.00 and $200.00 . At the end of the day, this is a minimal expense to ensure proper functionality, stability, and safety when your upgraded braking system is put to the test under challenging circumstances. Rotora has established itself as a well-respected, innovative manufacturer and designer of high performance braking solutions while supplying the growing, competitive aftermarket world with a wide range of components to serve both the daily driver and motorsports professional. AMS Performance has become a top manufacturer of automotive performance parts and has grown to be a proven innovator, designer, and hub of engineering quality since they launched over twenty years ago. Both companies offer the WRX enthusiast good quality options to complete their braking system upgrade and close the circle on this important investment. Rotora's Stainless Steel Front and Rear Brake Lines will be the most expensive investment of the two options with its out of the box cost a little under $200.00 - again, a small, additional price to pay to secure the entire system for maximum performance. A second option brings AMS Performance to the table, offering their solution as a kit to outfit both the front and rear assemblies for under $150.00 . Lastly, it is essential to ring up a supply of quality Performance Brake Fluid when closing out your 2022 WRX braking system upgrade list since every enthusiast knows you can't come to a stop without this precious liquid. For an additional investment of under $50.00 , StopTech and Motul provide excellent solutions to round out your upgrade and give your WRX the stability it needs. Stop Tech's STR-600 and STR-660 High Performance Street Brake Fluid is perfect for braking systems that need to endure high temperature performance scenarios protecting against breakdowns in efficiency and lubrication needed in extreme conditions. Motul offers multiple options to serve the most demanding performer with their RBF600 , RBF660 , RBF700 and DOT 5.1 lines of Synthetic Brake Fluids which are designed to maintain stability under a wide range of demands and work seamlessly under multiple temperature ratings. Subimods provides additional details on our website catalog to give a wider view of the products offered by Rotora , AMS , StopTech , and Motul to assist further with a future or current brake system upgrade.

For the all-around enthusiast, extreme condition driver, motorsports addict, and performance obsessive who is poised to make a confident investment in his vehicle to achieve maximum stopping power in all scenarios, a Big Brake Kit solution may be in the road ahead if all the planets align, the platform is compatible, and desire agrees with reality. A Big Brake Kit contains everything the driver will need (less the brake fluid) to achieve a substantial dream braking system upgrade that prepares them for multiple levels of performance challenges, ensures stability and safety under these conditions, and adds to the platform's longevity and the driver's experience and satisfaction. A complete kit will include brake pads, provide larger, more robust brake rotors, brake calipers, quality brake lines, and all the necessary hardware required to bring the upgrade to its completion out of the box. Providing larger calipers with additional piston configurations ensures that clamping distribution is even and balanced to maintain proper heat dissipation and improved cooling under extreme performance conditions. Increased rotor size also adds to enhanced heat management and limits brake fade while your car is challenged under stressful and demanding performance. By the time research has been completed to find the most appropriate performance brake pads, rotors, and stainless steel brake lines, you may determine that the most logical complement your performance goals and driving demands aligns with a Big Brake Kit investment.