Hope floater 160mm, about two years old. When I hold the front brake and rock the bike loads of play almost like the headset is loose.

Im sure Its the rotors, doesnt do it with another set of non float rotors.
Is this normal,has anybody else had this?

Guy in LBS (NOT A MECHANIC)said take the rotor off and bang rotor rivet a bit with a hammer on a flat surface to squash it tighter. Not exactly the kind of thing I fancy doing but if it works Great. If it doesnt I have to buy a new one anyway.
Or will I die?

What do you recon boys?

Mine do the same. I suspect that the mechanic is right but since it doesn’t have any effect when riding and looks secure enough to me as it is, I’d be wary of hitting a safety critical part with a hammer 🙂

my shimano (non floating) rotors do this as well, have done for years, just carry on riding them

Yep, Hopes do this. I had a couple replaced but they kept doing it after a while. Now I just use them – you don’t notice while riding.

True, I dont notice it when riding but still dont like it.
Glad others do it too.

Im still tempted do get the Ball Pein out though…
I love hammers!

This happens when they get too hot. You won’t notice it at first but eventually they will squeel like a bitch.

They can get too hot by either being dragged or by being under sized for your riding.

Go up a size and it should stop it re occuring if the reason is the latter.

you sure its not the pads moving in the caliper?

have you tried moving the rotor by hand to see if its loose?

You need to have a proper look at them and in particular the rivet that joints the braking surfce to the carrier.

My bike was doing the same at the back and when i eventualy traced the noise/movement found it to be one of the broken rivets as the LBS guy says.

You can flatten them but to me it will only work loose again and do you really want the rivet failing completely? Skid from the back, over the bars from the front…..I wouldn’t risk it.

Luckily mine was only 3 months old so replaced under warranty.

Get in touch with Hope and say it is a common problem and see what they say.

You know what works really well? Nonfloating rotors.

evenfasterson – Member

This happens when they get too hot. You won’t notice it at first but eventually they will squeel like a bitch.

They can get too hot by either being dragged or by being under sized for your riding.

Go up a size and it should stop it re occuring if the reason is the latter.
Sounds like you made that up to me.

I’m pretty sure they are NOT MEANT TO DO THIS!

Three sets in our family, none do it. I’ve never seen any on anyone else’s bike that do it either.

I got annoyed with them, so binned them for Ashimas instead.

I didn’t think the rivets were supposed to be tight, this allows for expansion when the rotor is hot.
Something to do with aluminium and steel having different rates of expansion/contraction when changing temperatures, I think?

Got exactly the same thing with Shimano SLX floating rotors too. It’s really something you notice when the bikes not moving. Once at speed the braking force against the rotor takes up the slack instantaneously and isn’t an issue.

guy in my bike shop had actually the same problem with the Hope brakes on his S-works hardtail bike

brakes were about 14 months old, he rides alot.

sent the rotors to Hope, they replaced them free of charge.