Do the Endless Brake Pads for VAB 2015 to 2017 cars fit a 2018 STI?

No. For 2018 Subaru fitted the STI with Brembo six-piston monoblock front calipers, and Endless lists RCP112 front and RCP188 rear for that car. The Endless Brake Pads for VAB and VAF cars on this listing suit the 2015 to 2017 STI with four-piston fronts. Counting the pistons on the front caliper settles it.

Are these the same pads Endless lists for the GRB STI?

Yes. Endless gives the Brembo-braked GDB, GRB and GVB Impreza WRX STI the same EP357 front and EP291 rear shapes, so an owner moving from an older STI can stay with a compound they already trust, with all eight options on offer here.

What is the best Endless compound for a 2015 to 2017 STI on track?

MX72 Plus for an STI on street tires at a few events a year; Endless rates it to 750C, or 1382F. CC-Rg, rated to 800C, or 1472F, suits a car on track most months, though Endless notes it is noisy on the road. Per axle, the Racing Group costs the same as CC-Rg here and suits a car on competition tires.

Is the Front and Rear Set cheaper than two separate axles?

Yes, in four compounds. In SSM Plus, MX72, MX72 Plus and CC-Rg, Endless prices EP357 and EP291 together as a combo set below the two axles bought on their own. In SSS, the Racing Group, the W003 Group and MA45B, the set costs the same as a front set plus a rear set.

Can an STI on these pads still be a quiet daily driver?

Yes. SSM Plus is rated for low dust and low noise and SSS for low wear and exceptionally low dust, so either keeps a commuting STI civil. MX72 and MX72 Plus keep noise and dust to a minimum as well. CC-Rg is noisy on the street, Endless notes, and the racing compounds are made for the circuit.

Endless Brake Pads for VAB / VAF Subaru WRX STI with 4-Piston Front Calipers

Endless’s Brake Pads for VAB / VAF Subaru WRX STI with 4-Piston Front Calipers are for the first three years of the VA-generation STI, 2015 to 2017, when the car ran Brembo four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers; Subaru moved to six-piston monoblock fronts for 2018. VAF is the model code of the 2.5-liter EJ257 car and VAB that of the 2.0-liter EJ207 car. Endless supplies these calipers with EP357 at the front and EP291 at the rear, the same shapes it lists for the Brembo-braked GDB, GRB and GVB STI. Our pick for an STI that does track days on street tires is MX72 Plus, with CC-Rg for a car at the circuit most months.

Features

Endless pad shapes EP357 front and EP291 rear for the Brembo four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers
Street and street-to-track compounds SSS, SSM Plus, MX72, MX72 Plus and CC-Rg, front and rear
Racing compounds in three options, Racing Group, W003 Group and MA45B, each offered for both axles
Combo-set pricing on the Front and Rear Set in SSM Plus, MX72, MX72 Plus and CC-Rg
Racing Group priced level with CC-Rg on both axles

Choosing a Compound

Plenty of STI owners drive on the road all week and on track at weekends, and the compound choice follows that split. SSS and SSM Plus suit a car used for commuting; MX72 and MX72 Plus suit fast road driving and track days on street tires; CC-Rg suits a car at the circuit most months. On these shapes the Racing Group costs the same as CC-Rg per axle, which makes it a sensible step for an STI on competition tires, and MA45B is the endurance choice. W007 and W008 are priced by Endless for EP357 and EP291 but left off, because Endless designs both for carbon ceramic rotors and the STI runs iron rotors.

Every figure below is Endless’s own. Friction is the compound’s average friction coefficient, so a higher number gives more bite for the same pedal pressure. The rotor range is the band of rotor temperatures Endless designs the compound to work in, so choose by the temperatures your car will see.

Street and street-to-track compounds

SSS (street): non-asbestos; friction 0.38-0.45; rotor range 0-480C (32-896F). Low wear, long rotor life, a strong initial response and exceptionally low dust, built for road and highway driving.
SSM Plus (street): non-asbestos; friction 0.33-0.40; rotor range 0-550C (32-1022F). Low dust, low noise and long life. Braking builds with pedal pressure rather than a sharp first bite, for drivers who want clean wheels and a quiet car.
MX72 (street to light track): ceramic carbon metal; friction 0.37-0.47; rotor range 50-700C (122-1292F). Minimal noise and dust, strong friction at low temperatures, reduced rotor wear and a better pedal feel than a typical semi-metallic pad. Endless’s dual-duty compound for a road car that sees the occasional track day.
MX72 Plus (street to circuit): ceramic carbon metal; friction 0.39-0.47; rotor range 50-750C (122-1382F). Holds its braking force to higher temperatures than MX72, with stable control and a consistent pedal release. Endless aims it at cars on street tires that run on track.
CC-Rg (track day, street capable): ceramic carbon metal; friction 0.38-0.45; rotor range 50-800C (122-1472F). High initial bite across a wide temperature range, even when cold, and modulation that works with the factory ABS under hard use. Endless notes it is noisy on the street; it is the step up from MX72 Plus for regular track days.

Racing compounds

Each option below is one choice in the Choose Compound menu. For a group, name your compound in the order notes and Bulletproof Automotive confirms it with your order. Every racing compound needs Endless’s bedding procedure: at 70 to 80 percent of normal pedal effort, bring the rotors gradually to 400C (752F), then let them cool below 150C (302F) before hard use.

Racing Group

ME22: dual braking style; friction 0.33-0.38; rotor range 150-800C (302-1472F). Developed from ME20 with lower friction for control, for light to mid-weight cars or heavier cars on slower circuits. Endless rates it for street and track.
ME20: trail-braking style; rotor range 150-800C (302-1472F). High, stable friction at high temperature with low wear, developed for touring cars and rally. Works front or rear, with stock or racing ABS.
N35S: trail-braking style; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). Quick, sharp and responsive, with stable modulation under high temperature and load. Endless’s flagship rally compound, also run in FIA GT, and its suggested starting point for drivers new to Endless racing pads.
N05U: trail-braking style; friction 0.46-0.53; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). More bite than N35S, popular in sprint-focused Porsche Cup cars.
N05S: trail-braking style; friction 0.45-0.53; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). Immediate high friction with little pedal effort, used in Japanese rally cars without brake boosters and in European and Australian sprint racing.
N30C: friction 0.50-0.60; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). High initial bite, gentle on rotors and low wear. A rally compound for cars without a brake booster.
S55G: Endless publishes no figures. It suits lightweight and front-wheel-drive cars, and the rear of front-wheel-drive cars, with high controllability.
PC35: Endless publishes no figures. More bite than N35S with high braking force and a stable pedal; Endless’s base pad for rally raid.

W003 Group

W003: trail-braking style; friction 0.40-0.45. Similar in character to N35S with better wear, tough and stable at high temperature with a linear torque curve; run in rally, touring cars, ALMS and PWC. Circuit only: Endless does not recommend it for the street and notes high rotor wear when cold.
S330: trail-braking style; friction 0.60-0.70; rotor range 300-850C (572-1562F). High friction for sprint racing, with good control at high levels and without accelerating rotor wear; run in Super GT, stock cars and GT2 and GT3 sprint racing.

Sold as its own option

MA45B: standard braking style; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). Endless’s endurance compound: low friction but stable for a whole race, with excellent heat resistance and wear. Most Nurburgring and Spa 24 Hours entrants run it.

Applications

Subaru WRX STI: VAB / VAF | 2015-2017

Notes

Each Front or Rear set of Brake Pads for VAB and VAF STI cars covers both wheels on one axle
In SSM Plus, MX72, MX72 Plus and CC-Rg, the Front and Rear Set is an Endless combo set, priced below the two axles bought separately
For the 2015 to 2017 STI with Brembo four-piston front calipers; the 2018-on STI with six-piston monoblock front calipers takes RCP112 front and RCP188 rear
For the factory Brembo calipers. Endless big brake kits for the VAB STI use their own pads; see the Endless brake kits for the VAB STI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Endless Brake Pads for VAB 2015 to 2017 cars fit a 2018 STI? No. For 2018 Subaru fitted the STI with Brembo six-piston monoblock front calipers, and Endless lists RCP112 front and RCP188 rear for that car. The Endless Brake Pads for VAB and VAF cars on this listing suit the 2015 to 2017 STI with four-piston fronts. Counting the pistons on the front caliper settles it.
Are these the same pads Endless lists for the GRB STI? Yes. Endless gives the Brembo-braked GDB, GRB and GVB Impreza WRX STI the same EP357 front and EP291 rear shapes, so an owner moving from an older STI can stay with a compound they already trust, with all eight options on offer here.
What is the best Endless compound for a 2015 to 2017 STI on track? MX72 Plus for an STI on street tires at a few events a year; Endless rates it to 750C, or 1382F. CC-Rg, rated to 800C, or 1472F, suits a car on track most months, though Endless notes it is noisy on the road. Per axle, the Racing Group costs the same as CC-Rg here and suits a car on competition tires.
Is the Front and Rear Set cheaper than two separate axles? Yes, in four compounds. In SSM Plus, MX72, MX72 Plus and CC-Rg, Endless prices EP357 and EP291 together as a combo set below the two axles bought on their own. In SSS, the Racing Group, the W003 Group and MA45B, the set costs the same as a front set plus a rear set.
Can an STI on these pads still be a quiet daily driver? Yes. SSM Plus is rated for low dust and low noise and SSS for low wear and exceptionally low dust, so either keeps a commuting STI civil. MX72 and MX72 Plus keep noise and dust to a minimum as well. CC-Rg is noisy on the street, Endless notes, and the racing compounds are made for the circuit.

About Endless

Endless is a Japanese brake manufacturer that designs everything in-house and manufactures domestically in Japan, holding surface accuracy to 1/1000mm under strict quality control. The company developed its own laminated sintered wire-mesh backing plate and ceramic carbon rotors, and it proves its parts in competition, running its own factory motorsport program and supplying winning teams across Japanese and European racing. From pads and slit rotors to forged and monobloc calipers, brake fluid, and lines, Endless builds braking systems trusted on both street and circuit.

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