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Hello,
I've got an old set of Hope Closed2 brakes that have been in the shed for a few years. I used them for about 5 years on my old MTB and was thinking about sticking them on a new build I 'm doing. I realise these are ancient, but they seem to be built to survive nuclear holocaust, so would anyone recommend any maintenance I should perform on them before fitting them? Or not to bother as they are bound to fail.
I'm aware of the shortcomings of these closed system brakes, having got them so hot coming down Snowdon that both of them completely seized and took a 15 minute cool off to free up. All part of the fun!
I'm on a budget, so my preferred option of buying a set of SLX brakes is not open to me.
They have no leaks, the pistons actuate nicely and are in really good condition.
Cheers.
Just a bleed with fresh fluid and off you go then.
I'm aware of the shortcomings of these closed system brakes, having got them so hot coming down Snowdon that both of them completely seized and took a 15 minute cool off to free up. All part of the fun!
If you back them off to free them up when they get warm don't forget to wind them back in again , otherwise the next bit of braking can be "disappointing"! Not that I've ever done that. Ahem.
Do what Onzadog says and they'll be fine, but treat them with a bit of suspicion for the first couple of outings in case the seals are past their best.
Thanks, feeling better about them. Out of interest, if the seals are past their best, will they fail catastrophically in an explosion of brake fluid and blood, or just gradually weep out in a more predictable way?
And yes, the winding in and out becomes a bit second nature after a few lever-to-bar moments...
Have you got the original discs? They were twice as deep as modern designs and you'll need them to avoid using the rotor spokes as a braking surface
Re the discs, I didn't know that so thanks. I do have the discs, heavy things that they are, and I was planning on using some lighter ones Perhaps not. The pads are standard size though, so is it just the calliper that is an odd shape?
What about shimming the calliper up to align properly?
Still using mine! '98 spec!
On the first gen bulbs with the spline mount spider. I'm going to be buggered when the discs are worn out...
Out of interest, if the seals are past their best, will they fail catastrophically in an explosion of brake fluid and blood, or just gradually weep out in a more predictable way?
I suppose either is possible but IME a determined weep contaminating a set of pads way beyond redemption. Looks like pads are still easy enough to get though, and as cheap as [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pair-Hope-Bike-Brake-Split/dp/B00FS3IASS ]£5.49 on Amazon[/url]!
root-n-5th - Member
Re the discs, I didn't know that so thanks. I do have the discs, heavy things that they are, and I was planning on using some lighter ones Perhaps not. The pads are standard size though, so is it just the calliper that is an odd shape?
If you look at the braking surface it will be twice the size of another disc, so you're pretty much stuck with em
Pads were standard to the 2-piston O2/C2 caliper but nothing else
Thanks for all the advice.
Just out of interest, any idea what would happen if the brakes were used with standard discs? I realise that the pad would rub on the spokes, but would this cause issues other than less efficient braking? I can see now that the pads are really deep compared to standard pads.
Cheers,
Sam