DB9 handbrake

[fuzzy01]

Hi one and all, this must have been covered before but being a bit dim I cant find it......I need to replace the hand brake pads on my DB9, the pins pop out fine but I cant squeeze the inner piston back (hardly at all)to allow me to replace the pads. I suspect there is some form of ratchet mechanism fitted. If anyone has an idiots guide or any info please let me know. Thanks.

[BravoV8V]

From the V8V workshop manual (which I presume is the same system for the DB9):

Handbrake Pad Set-Renew
Removal
1. Raise vehicle on ramp.
2. Remove road wheel/s.
3. Ensure handbrake lever is fully released.
4. Release handbrake adjustment (both sides).
5. Remove brake pad retaining pins and anti-rattle spring.
6. Remove pads from Caliper.
7. Remove Calipers bolts (x4) and move Caliper aside.
Installation
1. Clean pins, springs, Caliper slide pins and pistons.
2. Retract pistons into Calipers.
3. Install Calipers and bolts (x2) to knuckles and tighten.
4. Apply anti-seize compound to pads, pins, and slide pins.
5. Install pads into Caliper.
6. Install retaining pins and springs to Caliper.
7. Operate lever on Caliper until pads contact discs.
8. Adjust handbrake cable (see Workshop Manual
procedure 06.05.DC Handbrake Cable Assembly - Renew).
9. Install road wheel/s.
10. Lower vehicle on ramp.


I suspect that you might need to "Release handbrake adjustment (both sides)."

[SLacKer]

You screw it back in. Long nose pliers usually do the trick.

Do you have the Workshop Manual? It is on page 6-3-3.

[fuzzy01]

Hi guys, thanks for the help, its the retract pistons into caliper bit that's the problem, do I split the caliper to access the front of the piston ? I take it will have some holes for rotating it back into the caliper ? As it stands (caliper still on car) I cannot remove the inboard pad as I cannot get the piston to retreat !!

[fuzzy01]

Ahhhh do you grip edge of piston from above with long nose pliers and rotate ??

[V12Vanquish]

Take the caliper off the car, it's much easier to work on them. You just wind the pistons back in and build it up again. The design of this handbrake system is that the pads are always touching ever so lightly the discs. Make sure you don't tighten the hand brake cables too tight, or the brakes will squeal and if you keep going the hand brake pads will wear a groove into the discs. You want 4 clicks of the handbrake lever to full on and adjust the cables evenly each side. The handbrake isn't fantastic, I only really noticed this on my automatic Vanquish, it needs to be full on to hold the car when it's in drive.

[8Tech]

fuzzy01 said:

Ahhhh do you grip edge of piston from above with long nose pliers and rotate ??

NO!! You could damage the seal or the piston.

Once the caliper is removed from the hub carrier, you need a caliper piston winback tool like this.........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brake-Caliper-Piston-Win...

but sometimes if they are not too tight, you can poke the ends of long nose pliers in the holes and push them back as you try and rotate the piston.

If you have the pad pins out and you still cannot remove the pads, then you probably have a nasty lip on the outer edge of the disc and need to replace them too.

8Tech.

[fuzzy01]

Again , thanks to you all.

[Paultaylorcats]

SLacKer said:

You screw it back in. Long nose pliers usually do the trick.

Do you have the Workshop Manual? It is on page 6-3-3.

[leerandle]

I have recently replaced my rear brake discs and had to remove the handbrake caliper on my Vantage and assume they are very similar.

I found it best to remove the handbrake caliper completely (The x2 bolts securing the caliper to the vertical hub are very tight and difficult to remove once undone due to the damper being in the way)

I found that you had to disassemble the handbrake caliper by removing the front x2 bolts so that you can get a pair of long nose pliers on the piston to wind back in. If the handbrake is working correctly, the piston should turn and retract without much pressure/force. If not, don't damage by applying too much force. You can buy specific piston winding tools, but I think you can manage easily with long nose pliers.

The installation is the reverse with a little bit of anti squeal lube applied to the pins/pistons/back of pads.

[poorpeet]

The piston wind back tools are less than a tenner in eBay (£49 is taking the pi....)
For that money it's worth getting one even for one off or very occasional use. The proper tool just makes it much easier.

Edited by poorpeet on Thursday 20th April 17:22

[Loose_Cannon]

leerandle said:

I have recently replaced my rear brake discs and had to remove the handbrake caliper on my Vantage....... I found it best to remove the handbrake caliper completely

(The x2 bolts securing the caliper to the vertical hub are very tight and difficult to remove once undone due to the damper being in the way)

Lee, I changed my rear pads today easy as pie, however I didn't get the handbrake pads done because of that dratted top bolt. How did you get yours loose?

I simply didn't have a shallow enough socket arrangement to miss the strut, and didn't dare use a ring spanner for fear of rounding. I even have some ring spanners that work on the flats, but because its only a piddly 13mm it still felt like it would round so I left them. A nice beefy 15 or 17mm or a bolt with a allen head would have been good, better still a bolt that didn't point straight at the strut, nice design Aston.

My handbrake pads weren't that bad, it was just an advisory on the last service and probably just fishing for work, but now I've got them I want them on!