When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
For the purposes of this post I won't go into CCB upgrades - simply because of my Luddite prejudices in regard to CCBs for road use! - Oh and the extra expense of such an upgrade!
But I diverge!
Early DB9's and Vantages have 355mm Brembo brake disks with four piston callipers. The Vantage S introduced an upgraded braking system (DB9 moved to CCB's) which can be retro fitted to the earlier models.
Why do the upgrade? Certainly speaking from my experience with the DB9 I was never that happy with the brakes. They exhibited a very wooden feel and were difficult to modulate with jerky stops all too common at lower speeds. Indeed I often felt I had something like this on the car rather than the performance braking system the Aston demanded.
These characteristics considerably detracted my enjoyment of spirited driving. In addition brake fade became noticeable on such drives. All of which proved to be a real chore on mountain roads - I'm not a track day person.
The brake upgrade tackles these issues in two ways:
Firstly the front brakes, which at least in a DB9 do most of the work, are upgraded from Brembo 355mm to Brembo 380mm. The heavy duty disk is now bell mounted and the larger disk provides a bigger braking surface and more resistance to braking before fade. Additionally the new disks save about 0.4kg per corner in unsprung weight - the upgraded callipers may negate this however.
Secondly the front brake callipers are upgraded from a Brembo four piston to a very rigid (solid cast) Brembo six piston calliper complete with a larger brake pad fitment. There is now more pad surface to modulate and a stiffer more accurate calliper to transfer your braking demands. This dramatically improves braking performance and feel.
Upgraded Pad compared to original. NB Porterfield R4-S pads rather than OEM shown in this illustration
The upgrade kit is available from Brembo directly however I would recommend expert fitting (many reputable Aston specialists offer this upgrade) as I understand there are a few little gotchas on fitment and... well, it's the brake (oh and one other thing. The upgrade provides the perfect opportunity to check the condition of the front bearings whilst the upgrade is being undertaken)!
The upgrade is quite pricey (the parts alone see to that) - however if you really drive your car I cannot recommend it highly enough. It dramatically transformed my Aston.
On a recent blast across the Alps I suffered no brake fade. The increased braking power and feel of well modulated brakes (as opposed to the "wooden" feeling original set up) also added to my confidence in the DB making the journey all the more enjoyable.
Finally the upgrade does provide a nice cosmetic boost to the car, with the purposefully filled out front wheels displaying the new bell housings. It also offers the opportunity to personalise your Aston with bespoke calliper colours as you're replacing the front set anyway so some painting will always be needed.
In my case I wanted red callipers but not the bright red standard Aston colour. I wanted a darker red to complement the shade of the rear lights. It's a small touch but I couldn't be happier
Finally a special thanks to Mike and the Bamford Rose boys for installing such a worthwhile upgrade and helping source the colour I wanted.
aston red v bespoke redt
Last edited by Squaremeal; 12-07-2017 at 12:15 PM.
Reason: Correction
Awesome stuff! As I mentioned on PH, I'm planning to do the same thing to my grey Vantage. Primary for me, I want to be able to better handle track duty without having to go to full-blown track pads. It's an expensive solution for something that takes half an hour before and after an event (swapping pads), but I think it'll make me happier in the long run.
I love that you went with a darker red to match the tail lights - I'm planning to do the exact same thing and now feel bad because I don't want it to seem like I'm copying you
Quick note: these are both 6-piston calipers, just two different models. If I had to guess, one is the OEM Aston Martin caliper, and the other is the Brembo GT caliper.
Superb choice, Sir!
I very much look forward to reading a post on your upgrade!
Awesome stuff! Quick note: these are both 6-piston calipers, just two different models. If I had to guess, one is the OEM Aston Martin caliper, and the other is the Brembo GT caliper.
12-06-2017, 06:40 AM
