making my vantage better - RS-29 pads?

[Alexe911]

Hiya

Thanks for all the help and advice so far.

I have done the clutch learning and have driven about 350 miles in Jess.

I have given her a proper italian service and that has made the engine clear it's lungs a bit I think.

Actually, I think the 4.3 vantage reminds me of my old M3 E36 which I had about a million years ago, Nice top end but not enough mid range torque for the weight. I'm thinking about the 4.7 Litre conversion at BR (maybe exhaust first) but that's expensive - how expensive for the 4.7?

Jess is off to TDI for geometry set up on Thursday - that will be a good start but it won't cure the cars handling issues.

I just feel that the car takes far too long to react through transitions. Once it's in the bend, it's fine but it really feels it's weight in transitions.

I think that the Bilstein N24 springs and dampers might work. The N24 was at 1,350 Kg, where as Jess must be over 1,650 Kg. The 2X spring rate of the N24, might be offset a bit by the extra mass.

Now comes the brakes - not good enough Aston Martin, sorry! The discs have to be big enough for the car but I think the pads need upgrading and some kind of additional cooling is needed.

I was thinking about Pagid RS-29 pads - does any one have any experience of these

[Jibberingloon]

Don't know about the RS29 on the Vantage, but had them on my GT3 and they were great

However I have performance friction ones on my car and they have made a world of difference to the braking performance.

As for the dampers, I have gone for the Bilstien Sport Pack Dampers off the later 4.7 Sports Pack Cars and put some H&R Spring on it and even tho' my car is on 20" it still irons out all the little bumps the ride is firm / composed and corners a lot flatter I thought about the N24 setup, but think the spring rates would be too much for a road car with more weight, and the damping and rebound would be completely wrong.

[Alexe911]

Hi - I had thought about the sports pack and that would be my No1 choice but those dampers are as rare as rocking horse droppings second hand. DAE seemed pretty confident that the N24 set up would be good on my car...

[Jibberingloon]

Here is some Hens Teeth and Rocking Horse Poo

http://www.astonmartinbits.com/models/5-V8-Vantage...

But be warned price will be 20% VAT + Shipping

[Alexe911]

unfortunately - they don't actually have any..

oh well.

[Jibberingloon]

[bogie]

RS29 are most popular with some of the guys that race, although not felt the need for my road use ...RS4-2-2 are fine so far

[Impasse]

Is it worth changing your driving style to suit the car, rather than the other way round?

[Alexe911]

Fair comment but I want to take the car on track every now and then.

AND.. it's not a cruiser, it's a sports car. I was pretty impressed with the vantage S and I guess that the N430 would be even better. So the answer for me is to achieve those levels of dynamic ability without spending a king's ransom.

I have an Audi A8 to drive every day and I am much more interesting in driving my Aston they way it should be, if you know what I mean?

[Impasse]

But you say you've only driven it 350 miles. Get to know it better, you can lean on them quite hard in standard guise.

[Jibberingloon]

Buys some H&R Springs and get them fitted

That should get you a good way to where you want for reasonable small outlay.

[mikey k]

N430 IS a Vantage S
Get the geo done it will make a BIG difference, it gets overlooked in the Vantage too often
Talk to Bamford Rose about switchable dampers if you want to change
First things first get the pictures up

[Alexe911]

I went to TDI yesterday and the did their thing with the suspension geometry. I have to say that I used to understand the 'ins' and 'outs' of setting up my 996 but Sam at TDI explained that the Vantage is completely different in the way the suspension system works. Suffice to say that I am totally reliant on experts and cannot trust my own judgement any more ;-)

Anyway, I am delighted by the results and I know it's dreadfully hackneyed expression but my enjoyment of the car has been transformed.

It's making revisit my ideas about suspension tuning. I have been offered a set of N24 dampers for a good price but I don't think i want to double the spring rate after all. With a proper 'geo' the car feels stiffer - which sounds really bonkers but there you are..!

I would still like to increase front end bite and to be honest Torque Developments probably would have come up with some more answers but I don't want to spend too much money until i know what i want.

The brake pads are next on my agenda as are finding a track / road tyre solution. Those Bridgestones are going to get torn to shreds on a track....hmmm


And finally. A pic taken today in Waitrose Billericay: where Aston Martins, Bentleys and Maseratis are a common sight ! (really)

[yeti]

OK, you're path might follow mine: Step one, geo. Sorted a hell of a lot of issues and rives like it should!

Then I went to step two, the 'bang for buck' route: H&R Progressive springs; they lowered the car about 15-20mm which felt great, I also went for spacers on Sports Pack wheels which widened the track by 40mm. Geo again, drove like a dream.

Now on step 3, the ultimate route; Bamford Rose switchable suspension (done 20k miles on it, awesome), which is being upgraded to adjustable damping after the Rockingham track day and for Le mans and my WEuro tour afterwards. Currently running DBS 20" wheels and run on Pirelli P-Zeros which give a bigger footprint than standard DB9 wheels but will switch to Michelin Pilot Sports for Le Mans (they'll be dead after Rockingham!). I have beefed up 6 pot brakes with terrific stopping power, money well spent - a few others with the same conversiopn will agree When engaged in firm mode, turn-in feels sharper, the steering feels more lively and the rack even feels faster. Complete character change.

This is a DB9 Volante by the way, Aston's Hollywood boulevardier. Not any more it isn't, although set it to soft, switch the exhaust to silent and you could be in a Merc S-Class. Lovely to have it go mental at the touch of two buttons; one to open the exhaust valves, one to stiffen it up! I also have the very latest Virage underbody stiffening, BR add around 30 extra anchoring points to give maximum benefit to a 2006 car like mine.

Oh, and 522bhp