V8 Vantage brake upgrades
Discussion
Chaps, my V8V 4.3 initial report has come back from Stratstone.
It needs new front pads, apparently. Should I supply something and have the dealer fit them, or are the standard pads enough.
The brake discs front and rear are towards of their days. Again, standard Aston replacements, or something upgraded whilst I am at it?
It also needs two new front Bridgestone Potenzas. I assume I can get the dealer to match price with a tyre place?
None of this work is urgent as whilst it failed its MOT on brake pads and tyres, the current MOT is valid until April - so I can get the car back serviced and take it to a specialist for the brake work, and to a tyre place to have the tyres replaced. But it seems that I am due a big bill - and it may be worth making some worthwhile upgrades at the same time...especially if I can just ship the parts to STratstone and have them fit them (if they will do this).
I am so used to having a Morgan, where I just deliver upgrade bits/tyres to the dealer and they fit them for me. As this is my first time servicing an Aston, I have no idea if main dealers are similarly flexible.
Incidentally, Stratstone are quoting 1.5 hours to change front discs and 2 hours to change rears. Fair, on this car?
It needs new front pads, apparently. Should I supply something and have the dealer fit them, or are the standard pads enough.
The brake discs front and rear are towards of their days. Again, standard Aston replacements, or something upgraded whilst I am at it?
It also needs two new front Bridgestone Potenzas. I assume I can get the dealer to match price with a tyre place?
None of this work is urgent as whilst it failed its MOT on brake pads and tyres, the current MOT is valid until April - so I can get the car back serviced and take it to a specialist for the brake work, and to a tyre place to have the tyres replaced. But it seems that I am due a big bill - and it may be worth making some worthwhile upgrades at the same time...especially if I can just ship the parts to STratstone and have them fit them (if they will do this).
I am so used to having a Morgan, where I just deliver upgrade bits/tyres to the dealer and they fit them for me. As this is my first time servicing an Aston, I have no idea if main dealers are similarly flexible.
Incidentally, Stratstone are quoting 1.5 hours to change front discs and 2 hours to change rears. Fair, on this car?
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 18th January 12:02
I thought that technically, if a car failed its MOT you're not really supposed to drive it - and failing in brakes might be quite serious if anything happened between now and getting it fixed. Especially since it's all computerised now.
But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Thanks chaps.
Weirdly, the low warning for the pads has not ever come on, so I am slightly sceptical that my front pads really are on their last legs...
As for doing it myself, that is definitely an option! Or at least just getting my "very trusted" local garage to do it for me. Not sure I need to pay Stratstone dealer rates for such a routine job...
Weirdly, the low warning for the pads has not ever come on, so I am slightly sceptical that my front pads really are on their last legs...
As for doing it myself, that is definitely an option! Or at least just getting my "very trusted" local garage to do it for me. Not sure I need to pay Stratstone dealer rates for such a routine job...
As for tyres, I've used a couple of dealers including Stratstone and they both accepted tyres that I ordered to be delivered to them. In one case they couldn't price match because they got the price that they got from their supplier, and in another they couldn't get the tyres for weeks, so I bought them online. It's quite common to buy the oil too, so I wouldn't think they would object to you buying any other parts. They'd have to be stock Aston parts though, for Stratstone or any dealer that uses the Aston stamp.
PS I've never seen the brake pad warning light on mine, even when they were nearly gone. Pity, it would be a 'cool' feature to see. So the absence of it isn't conclusive.
It's a natural paranoia to think dealers are exaggerating these things, but I've always felt the two dealers I use to be fair about such things.
It's a natural paranoia to think dealers are exaggerating these things, but I've always felt the two dealers I use to be fair about such things.
Just bought a set of Pagid pads for my V8V from Rick @ BMG Autoparts Ltd (Leatherhead) - I also bought sensors just in case. He's incredibly friendly and gives a huge discount to PHers and used to have an V8V himself. I won't be changing them myself despite hearing how easy they are to do. I trust my local garage a lot more than me for these kind of things.
No - I think the brakes are great: nothing wrong with the current setup at all, and the car is running standard power. It's just that, when I replace bits, I tend to upgrade if at all possible as it slowly gets towards a higher specified car with better components on it.
So, for example, when the exhausts on my Morgan failed, I had a custom made stainless setup made by a race exhaust place, which was lighter and much nicer than the OEM replacement, and about the same price.
So, for example, when the exhausts on my Morgan failed, I had a custom made stainless setup made by a race exhaust place, which was lighter and much nicer than the OEM replacement, and about the same price.
SL500UK said:
Just bought a set of Pagid pads for my V8V from Rick @ BMG Autoparts Ltd (Leatherhead) - I also bought sensors just in case. He's incredibly friendly and gives a huge discount to PHers and used to have an V8V himself. I won't be changing them myself despite hearing how easy they are to do. I trust my local garage a lot more than me for these kind of things.
I just e-mailed him!davek_964 said:
I thought that technically, if a car failed its MOT you're not really supposed to drive it - and failing in brakes might be quite serious if anything happened between now and getting it fixed. Especially since it's all computerised now.
But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Having worn pads isn't an MOT failure. It would only fail if the brake performance fell below the set standard when tested on the rollers in which case you shouldn't drive it.But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
The Surveyor said:
davek_964 said:
I thought that technically, if a car failed its MOT you're not really supposed to drive it - and failing in brakes might be quite serious if anything happened between now and getting it fixed. Especially since it's all computerised now.
But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Having worn pads isn't an MOT failure. It would only fail if the brake performance fell below the set standard when tested on the rollers in which case you shouldn't drive it.But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Harry Flashman said:
None of this work is urgent as whilst it failed its MOT on brake pads and tyres
davek_964 said:
The Surveyor said:
davek_964 said:
I thought that technically, if a car failed its MOT you're not really supposed to drive it - and failing in brakes might be quite serious if anything happened between now and getting it fixed. Especially since it's all computerised now.
But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Having worn pads isn't an MOT failure. It would only fail if the brake performance fell below the set standard when tested on the rollers in which case you shouldn't drive it.But anyway - as far as I know, I have stock pads and discs on my Aston and I think they're some of the best brakes I've had on a car (and I'm comparing that to a couple of 911s including a 996 turbo and a Ferrari 360). I don't think they need upgrading, so I'd stick with stock myself.
Harry Flashman said:
None of this work is urgent as whilst it failed its MOT on brake pads and tyres
The point about the brakes is even if the pads are low, provided everything else is in decent condition then it should pass an MOT. I was just a little surprised that worn pads have lead to an MOT failure.
The Surveyor said:
Apologies, I was agreeing with you. I was surprised that it has failed an MOT on tyres and brakes and yet the OP feels it's safe to drive it on the basis that it still has a current MOT. If the tyres are bald, then need to be changed and if the brakes are not preforming to MOT standard, they should also be changed. Both of which the OP is doing but he shouldn't be driving far in the meantime.
The point about the brakes is even if the pads are low, provided everything else is in decent condition then it should pass an MOT. I was just a little surprised that worn pads have lead to an MOT failure.
I shall drive the 5 miles from the dealer to my house, whereupon it will go to the local garage. I hardly think that something cataclysmic will happen in that time, given that the brakes are performing just fine.The point about the brakes is even if the pads are low, provided everything else is in decent condition then it should pass an MOT. I was just a little surprised that worn pads have lead to an MOT failure.
And it turns out that this was not the MOT - it is AM's own vehicle check list. So it hasn't failed anything at this point.
Ask the dealer what %age worn the brakes are. They are obliged per Aston stds to tell you at a certain point... And that point is more geared to servicing income than safety 
Std brakes are perfectly up to the job so I wouldn't change away on an item like this. You're looking at £1k-£1.5k at a main dealer for all 4 corners. The parts make up a large portion of that.
Tyres just get done at your nearest blackcircles/openeo agent. Dealers can never get close IME. Same goes for oil...
Std brakes are perfectly up to the job so I wouldn't change away on an item like this. You're looking at £1k-£1.5k at a main dealer for all 4 corners. The parts make up a large portion of that.
Tyres just get done at your nearest blackcircles/openeo agent. Dealers can never get close IME. Same goes for oil...
If you want less brake dust then I would recommend Porterfield pads and are a better compound. Disc keep standard. It's a straight forward job to change. About 4 hrs total taking your time. Jack up wheel off remove pad pins, pads and sensors carefully to reuse them if ok and unbolt calipers these can be quite tight and unbolt discs. Reassemble as appropriate. Discs about £5-600 total and pads around £100 per axle set.
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