EBC Brakes UD929 Ultimax OEM Replacement Brake Pad

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, the brake pads on my 2006 Forester were worn and the car would shudder when I would apply the brakes on the freeway. It was time to replace my brakes. The naturally aspirated "Fozz" as it's affectionately called, is not a high-performance vehicle nor am I a racer. So I basically wanted a set of brake pads that have a good reputation for build quality, longevity and daily driver performance without breaking the bank.I purchased the EBC Ultimax brake pads for the front and a set for the rear (UD1004). When the package arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find out that EBC included noise abatement shims which you peel off and attach to the back of the pad. The friction side of the pad is coated with a red 'Brake-In'layer which helps to remove deposits from your existing rotors. The coating basically scrubs the junk off your rotors and preps the surface, so that the new brake pads have a cleaner surface to 'bite' against.Working on a Forester is very easy and this brake installation was no different. After bedding the pads, I took her out for a spin and was very impressed by how quiet the brakes were and the initial bite, which was very aggressive. The performance of these pads is better than OEM, however the brake dust left on the wheels was slightly more than the original pads. I did not have to smear any brake quiet grease on the back of the pads.After 2,500 miles, of panic stops, stop and go traffic and freeway driving, these pads have exceeded my expectations and I would heartily recommend them.P.S. I also upgraded the front rotors to Centric Premium Brake Rotor (120.47018) and the rear rotors to Centric Premium Brake Rotor (120.47011).

EBC brake pads are pretty well known in the Subaru community. These are the lower end economy pads so don't run on the track with these, but for your everyday driver these pads work great. I used these to replace the OEM brake pads on a 2008 Subaru Legacy.I was able to tell that the stopping power has slightly increased over the stock pads and had a little more bite. The pads included shims so I didn't have to re-use the old ones which is a plus. I had to knock the review down by one star because like the previous review(s) have stated, the amount of brake dust generated by these pads is horrible. You will be cleaning the dust off your front rims on a regular basis, or just wax them which should help on keeping it in check. All-in-all, I'm happy with this purchase and would definitely purchase again.

I rarely ever write any comment but i felt compelled to let everyone know about these pads. I changed out my pads on my 2011 Subaru legacy and within 1 week my wheels were black (usually clean the wheels once every couple months or so with purple power). Thinking this was just the brake-in film on the pads, i cleaned them and kept driving, same thing one week later. I now literally have to spray degreaser and wash the wheels every week as they turn my wheels the same color as the tire. I have never seen anything like it. I can clean the front wheels to a shine and one drive they are already turning black with dust. I have repeated this process weekly for months, to the point i think i might have to remove them. The dust is actually beginning to pit my alloy wheels. Its unbelievable!!. Thought this was a low dust ceramic pad (i could be wrong on that). Also now the squeak is soo bad i have to keep my windows shut when i brake. BTW i am a certified technician so yes i greased the shims etc.. I would even consider the "Duralast" from Autozone before these as my girlfriend has them and never any dust or squeak. Maybe i got some lemon pads or something, who knows. The reviews i read didn't seem all that bad. Good luck..

Anyone who is looking for this pad for their 2002-2003 Subaru Impreza WRX, just take the following information into consideration. The UD929 pads are the correct ones for 2002 WRX's with build dates AFTER 5/31/2002. WRX models with older build dates use another pad, model UD721. Check the sticker on your door jamb for your build date before buying. This all depends if you have the "older" style calipers or the "newer" style ones. I have an older build date, so I bought these in error. Check your calipers before buying too. If you have two rounded shaped "cutouts" in the caliper where the pads go, this is the NEWER style, using the pads above. If your cutouts are at angles, they are the older style which require the UD721 pads (also used by the 2001 and below Imprezas). I cannot comment on the use of these pads, since I never installed them, but just wanted to make sure no one else buys these pads in error.

I've installed pads on every car I've owned every time they have needed changing. Its a pretty simple process to complete. In this case the shims that go on the back of the rear pads was difficult to keep in place while the pads were seated in the caliper housing while trying to lower the pistons over the pads and in place in the housing. Initially i had not greased the pads and shims prior to install. They squeaked like crazy. I pulled them off after a few weeks and greased them and that seemed to suppress most of the squealing but i still hear it every now and then. The front right pads seem to grid at the very end of a stop, i'm not sure what that's about. I checked the rotors and pads when I was greasing them and did not notice any irregular wear or a worn out disc so i'm thinking its the pad as well. i wont be buying these again as I have never had such a poor experience with the pads I usually get from my local auto parts store.

These are great pads, have good bite for OEM and from a repeatable manufacture which is why I purchased them. Used to use their Greens on my sports car and well don't have it anymore but still wanted something good and reliable this fits that bill.**side note** these will squeak and squeal till the red material is gone. Also USE the shims that come with them. In the past I have never had an issue not using the shims so I did not put them on, two days of my car sounding like a trash truck stopped as soon as I installed the shims that come with them.

The pads themselves are significantly better than the Power Stop Z17s that I had before, and the build quality looks and feels fantastic. No issues with installation unlike some cheaper brand pads I’ve used in the past.However, the pads are advertised as coming with all the hardware, and while they do come with some fun stickers and a packet of brake grease, they don’t come with the bracket clips, so I had to make a trip to the local auto parts store to find a hardware kit so I could complete the install.