2013-2016 Scion FR-S Brake Upgrade Options

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The best brake upgrade for a 2013-2016 Scion FR-S depends on how you drive it. For a street car, quality pads, fresh high-boiling fluid and good rotors on the stock calipers fix almost every complaint. For HPDE and time trials, a dedicated track pad plus stainless lines and properly bedded rotors comes first, and a big brake kit only makes sense once you are overheating the stock hardware session after session.

What the FR-S Has From the Factory

Scion built the FR-S as a light, balanced rear-drive coupe. Launch coverage lists a curb weight of about 2,800 pounds, 17x7-inch alloy wheels, and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners. MotorWeek's road test ran the car on 215/45 Michelin Primacy HP tires and noted the brakes bring the FR-S to a halt in a hurry.

The front rotor on the FR-S, BRZ and related Subaru platforms is a one-piece 294 x 24 mm vented disc, and that size is the reference point aftermarket brake makers design around. Because the FR-S shares so much of its brake hardware with Subaru models, pad shapes and rotors often cross over between the FR-S, BRZ, Toyota 86 and several Subaru sedans and wagons. That is good news for parts availability, but it also means you must check the exact position (front or rear) and model year on every part number.

Why Owners Want More Brake

On the street, the stock system is well matched to the car's weight. The complaints show up when the car goes to a track or a canyon road and is braked hard, repeatedly, with little cooling time. The usual symptoms are:

• Pad fade: the pedal stays firm but the car stops less for the same pressure because the pad compound is past its temperature range.
• Fluid fade: the pedal goes soft or long after several hard stops, because the fluid has absorbed moisture over time and boiled at the caliper.
• Rotor cracking or uneven deposits: heat checking at the edges, or a pulsation that appears after a hot session.
• Fast pad wear when a street pad is used on track.

Each symptom points to a different fix, and throwing a big brake kit at a fluid problem wastes money. Diagnose first: a soft pedal is fluid; a firm pedal with weak stopping is pad; vibration is rotor surface or deposits.

Upgrade Path, in Order of Value

1. Pads matched to how you drive

Pads make the biggest difference per dollar. Street drivers do best with a low-dust ceramic compound; browse our ceramic brake pads or the full brake pads collection for FR-S fitments.

For track days, a motorsports compound is the step up. Hawk's ER-1 is one example: Hawk describes it as a compound for light-to-medium weight vehicles in HPDE, track day events and time trials, with medium-to-high friction and an emphasis on modulation, release and pedal communication. At launch Hawk stated an operating range of 400 to 1,600 degrees F with an optimal window of 700 to 1,100 degrees F. That window is exactly why it is not a daily-driver pad: a cold race compound on a commute is noisier, dustier and less predictable than a street pad. We carry the Hawk ER-1 rear brake pads, part HB671D.628. Hawk's catalog lists this 0.628-inch rear pad for the 2014-2016 FR-S, so owners of a 2013 car should confirm fitment against their rear caliper before ordering. Hawk also notes its compounds are not for carbon ceramic rotors, which is not a concern on the iron-rotor FR-S.

Keep front and rear compounds compatible. Putting a high-friction track pad on only one axle shifts the brake balance, and on a car this light that can make the rear lock earlier or the nose dive harder than you expect.

2. Fluid and lines

Before any track day, flush the system with fresh high-temperature fluid of the type specified in your owner's manual and bleed each caliper until the fluid comes out clean. Stainless braided lines firm up the pedal by reducing hose expansion; see our brake lines and brake hoses. Neither change makes the car stop shorter by itself, but together they keep the pedal consistent when the system is hot.

3. Rotors

Plain vented rotors work well on track and are the most crack-resistant choice. Drilled and slotted rotors appeal to street drivers who want a sharper look and cleaner pad faces. Hawk's Talon line, for example, uses a cross-drilled and slotted vented design; Hawk lists the Talon HTC4955 as an 11.5-inch vented rotor that fits the FR-S along with the BRZ and Toyota 86, and its catalog shows it in the rear position for those cars. You can view our Hawk Talon drilled and slotted rotor set HTC4955; check the position shown in its fitment notes against the axle you are servicing. For other sizes and brands, the brake rotors collection covers FR-S fitments.

4. Big brake kit

Multi-piston caliper kits add pad area, thermal mass and stiffness. Several makers offer four-piston kits designed to replace the stock calipers, and some are built to work with the stock-size 294 x 24 mm front rotor. A kit is justified when a correctly padded, freshly bled stock system still overheats every session. Remember that larger rotors can require bigger wheels, and that changing only the front brakes alters bias.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Rotors with pads: a new compound on a worn or glazed rotor never beds in properly. Replace or resurface rotors that are below minimum thickness (the value is cast on the rotor or listed in the service manual).
• Hardware: new clips and shims keep pads sliding freely; see brake hardware kits.
• Fluid: always flush when you change to a track compound.
• Calipers: if a slide pin is seized or a piston boot is torn, fix it now; see brake calipers.

How Hard Is the Job?

Pads and rotors on the FR-S are a straightforward driveway job for someone with a jack, stands, a torque wrench and basic hand tools. Tighten caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual, never by feel. Bleeding is easiest with two people or a pressure bleeder. A big brake kit is a bolt-on for experienced DIYers but requires careful bleeding, line routing checks and wheel clearance checks.

After installation, bed the pads and rotors using the pad maker's procedure. This lays an even transfer layer on the rotor and is the difference between a smooth, strong pedal and early vibration. Race compounds usually need a hotter bed-in than street pads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a big brake kit for track days in an FR-S?

Usually not at first. Most FR-S owners get consistent track braking from a motorsports pad, fresh high-temperature fluid and stainless lines on the stock calipers. Move to a kit only if the upgraded stock system still fades.

Can I daily drive a track pad like Hawk ER-1?

It is not designed for that. Hawk positions ER-1 for HPDE, track days and time trials with an optimal window of 700 to 1,100 degrees F, so on the street it runs cold. Many owners swap to track pads for events and back to street pads afterward.

Do FR-S brake parts fit the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86?

Many do, because the cars share brake hardware, but not every part number covers every year. Check the exact year range and front or rear position for each part.

Are drilled and slotted rotors better than plain rotors?

For street driving they look sharp and help keep pad faces clean. For heavy track use, plain vented rotors are the most crack-resistant option. Pick based on use, not looks alone.

What should I upgrade first on a street FR-S?

Quality ceramic pads, good rotors and a fluid flush. That combination fixes most street complaints about noise, dust and pedal feel.

Sources

1. Hawk Performance - ER-1 HB671D.628 - rear position, 0.628 in thickness, 2014-2016 FR-S fitment, intended use, carbon ceramic note
2. SEMA Show press release - Hawk ER-1 introduction - ER-1 operating and optimal temperature range
3. Hawk Performance - Talon HTC4955 - 11.5 in vented drilled and slotted rotor, FR-S/BRZ/86 fitment and position
4. RacingBrake - FR-S/BRZ front rotor - stock 294 x 24 mm front rotor, four-piston caliper kits for stock-size rotors
5. Torque News - 2013 Scion FR-S details - ventilated discs at all four corners, 17x7 wheels, 2,800 lb
6. MotorWeek - 2013 Scion FR-S road test - 215/45 Michelin Primacy HP tires, braking impressions