EBC Brakes for the Mitsubishi Lancer: Which Parts Fit

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

EBC brake parts for the Mitsubishi Lancer are made for the Lancer Evolution, not the everyday Lancer sedan. The Evolution runs large Brembo brakes, so its rotors and pads use part numbers of their own. We stock EBC GD and USR slotted rotors for the earlier Evolution and the 2008-2016 Evolution X, plus EBC Yellowstuff and Bluestuff NDX rear pads for the Evo X. Most of it comes down to three checks: which Evolution generation you have, whether the part is front or rear, and whether your Evo X has one-piece or two-piece rotors.

Why a Lancer Evolution needs its own brake parts

A standard Lancer and a Lancer Evolution share a name and a basic body, but the brakes have almost nothing in common. Mitsubishi's press release for the Evolution IX describes four-wheel ventilated Brembo disc brakes, which is a far bigger system than an economy sedan needs. The Evolution X kept the same idea. MotoIQ's project-car teardown of an Evo X lists Brembo four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, a 13.8 inch front rotor and a 13 inch rear rotor. The front rotors on that car are a two-piece floating design with alloy center hats.

What that means in practice: rotors and pads made for a regular Lancer will not fit an Evolution caliper or hub, and Evolution parts will not fit a regular Lancer. Every part in this guide is listed for the Evolution only. If you drive a non-Evolution Lancer, start with our general brake pads collection and brake rotors collection, where you can filter by your exact trim.

EBC and Hawk parts in stock for the Lancer Evolution

The listings below are grouped by generation and axle. Match the year range and the note in the title (such as "1-Piece Rotor") to your car before you order.

The one-piece vs two-piece rotor check on the Evolution X

This is the fitment detail that matters most on the Evo X. Mitsubishi's 2008 Lancer Evolution press kit says the MR trim came with two-piece brake rotors as standard. A two-piece rotor has a friction ring bolted or pinned to a separate center hat, and it does not share dimensions with a one-piece cast rotor. That is why the Evo X rear rotors and rear pads above say "1-Piece Rotor" in the title. They are listed for cars running one-piece rotors, not the two-piece setup.

To check your car, look at the rotor through the wheel spokes. A two-piece rotor shows a visible seam and a ring of bolts or rivets where the friction ring meets the hat, and the hat is often a different color from the iron ring. A one-piece rotor is a single casting with no fasteners between the hat and the braking surface. Trim level is a good first clue, but a used car may have had its rotors swapped, so look at the parts that are actually on it.

Picking a rotor: GD, USR or Hawk Talon

All of the rotors listed here are slotted, and the Hawk Talon sets are drilled as well. Slots do real work. DBA, a rotor maker, explains that slots add exit points for gas and help clear dust and debris from between the pad and rotor. That helps prevent pad glazing and keeps friction consistent. DBA also says its slot pattern helps damp vibration, which means less noise.

• EBC GD / 3GD: wide slots with drilled dimples. A good fit for a car that is driven hard on the street and wants a sharper bite than a plain rotor.
• EBC USR: fine slots with no dimples. A cleaner look and a strong choice where you want slotted rotors without drilling.
• Hawk Talon: drilled and slotted. Listed for the 2005 Evolution and the 2008 Evolution GSR front axle.

Whichever rotor you pick, replace rotors in axle sets and fit new pads at the same time. Old pads carry the wear pattern of the old rotor surface, and they will not bed cleanly onto a new slotted face.

Picking a pad for the Evo X rear: Yellowstuff or Bluestuff NDX

EBC describes Yellowstuff as a pad for fast street driving on modern sedans and hot hatches, with strong cold bite. EBC gives it a green fade threshold of 400 degrees C (750 degrees F), which it calls the most a car should see in street driving. EBC also says it no longer recommends Yellowstuff for dedicated track work, because track use can push brake temperatures to 500-600 degrees C. EBC notes that Yellowstuff is not a low-dust pad, and that it needs a longer bedding procedure. On the street, bedding happens naturally over the first 100-200 miles of normal driving.

Bluestuff NDX is EBC's more aggressive trackday compound. If your Evo X is a daily driver that sees the occasional spirited back road, Yellowstuff is the sensible choice. If it goes to track days, look at Bluestuff NDX, and expect more noise and dust on the street. Whichever you choose, run the same pad family front and rear so the brake balance stays predictable. A mismatched set can make the rear lock early or leave the front doing all the work.

Fluid, hardware and doing the job right

Performance pads and rotors only work as well as the fluid behind them. Federal standard FMVSS 116 sets a minimum dry boiling point of 230 degrees C for DOT 4 fluid. Once the fluid has absorbed water, that minimum drops to 155 degrees C. Fluid that has been in the car for years boils sooner, and boiled fluid means a soft, long pedal. Use the fluid type printed on your reservoir cap or in the owner's manual. Flush it when you fit new pads if it is old or dark.

A rotor and pad swap on an Evolution is a reasonable home job if you have a torque wrench and jack stands. Clean and lube the pad contact points, torque caliper bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual, and follow the pad maker's bedding procedure. If your rotors are two-piece, do not pull the hats apart unless you have the correct hardware and torque values. Replacing the whole assembly is simpler. Check our brake hardware kits for clips and pins, and brake lines if your rubber hoses are original.

One recall to know about: NHTSA campaign 09V077000 covers some 2008-2009 Lancers. The material of the brake booster check valve may cause the valve to stick closed when the engine is shut off. Run your VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether your car was covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Lancer Evolution brakes fit my regular Lancer?

No. The Evolution uses large Brembo calipers and rotors that are not shared with the standard Lancer. Parts listed for the Evolution only fit the Evolution, and parts for a regular Lancer will not fit an Evo.

How do I know if my Evo X has one-piece or two-piece rotors?

Look through the wheel. A two-piece rotor shows a seam and a ring of fasteners between the iron friction ring and the center hat. Mitsubishi fitted two-piece rotors as standard on the MR, but check the car itself, because a previous owner may have changed them.

Are EBC Yellowstuff pads good for track days?

EBC now positions Yellowstuff for fast street driving and no longer recommends it for dedicated track use, since track temperatures can exceed its 400 degree C street fade threshold. For track days, EBC's Bluestuff NDX is the better fit.

Should I replace pads when I install new slotted rotors?

Yes. New rotors need fresh pads so the two surfaces bed together evenly. Old pads carry the wear pattern of the old rotor and can cause vibration and uneven transfer.

Do slotted rotors wear pads faster?

Slots scrape the pad face as they work, which keeps the surface fresh and helps prevent glazing. Expect somewhat more pad wear than with a plain rotor. In exchange, you get more consistent friction under hard use.

Sources

1. Mitsubishi Motors North America - Lancer Evolution IX release - four-wheel ventilated Brembo disc brakes
2. Mitsubishi Motors North America - 2008 Lancer Evolution press kit - MR equipped with two-piece brake rotors
3. MotoIQ - Project Evo X brakes - Brembo 4-piston front, 2-piston rear, 13.8 in front and 13 in rear rotors, two-piece front
4. EBC Brakes - Yellowstuff pads - 400 C fade threshold, street use, bedding, dust
5. DBA - T3 slot design - what rotor slots do
6. 49 CFR 571.116 (FMVSS 116) - DOT 4 dry and wet boiling points
7. NHTSA recalls - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer - campaign 09V077000 brake booster check valve