Hope brake fanbois, you won’t want these

what rotors are everyone using with there new tech 4 e4? or even v4? (although i assume the v4 is designed around a thicker rotor?)

sadly i cant get a floating rotor to fit my hub/frame combo out back, i could spacer it out with a pedal washer on the rear axle, but i remove my back wheel ALOT so no doubt im going to lose the washer at some point before a ride then have no carbon left on my rear brake mount!

interested to hear what other rotors people are using with them

Haven’t Hope started making 2.3mm 1 piece rotors? Just use one of those. I’m waiting for them to start fitting the 2.3 rotor to the alu spider but I don’t see it happening any time soon.

what rotors are everyone using with there new tech 4 e4? or even v4? (although i assume the v4 is designed around a thicker rotor?)

The v4 can use the vented rotor but it works completely fine with the standard non vented.

Haven’t been out on my bike for a couple of weeks, that nice dry spell we had didn’t last and it’s miserable here now, gagging to get out too!

ok keep us posted as to whether your noise disappears too when you get back out – im tempted to put some sram HS2 rotors on as they are 2mm thick – so should give a little more bite too

E4 a here.  I’m using my standard SRAM centreline rotors. No issues to report.

cool good stuff – how does the noise fair on them in the wet?

@appltn

Hi,
What thickness rotors were you using ?
In theory they would be set up from the factory for the thicker 3mm vented rotors, so to get a firmer feel if using thinner rotors would need to bleed with the correct bleed block, I’m using 2.3mm thick rotors and bled them with Shimano blocks, really good feel to them and still has really good pad clearance.

I’m using 2mm Sram HS2 rotors. I don’t think that rotor thickness changes require a re-bleed though.

With a thinner rotor the pistons should advance further, taking some fluid from the reservoir to keep the system full. The amount of pad retraction is what governs the free stroke and that comes from the piston seals flexing when the brakes are applied. I think what you may have is an overfilled system which is a thing some people do like to do to remove some free stroke but it means you need to be careful not to push the pistons all the way back without opening the system.

Good tip though, and definitely a good way to tweak feel if you’re in the know!

how have you got on with the hs2 rotors @appltn – i know you sent your v4 brakes back but assume youve used them on another brakeset also? are the quiet, and is the extra width noticeable for a bit extra bite?

I am using Tech E4’s with 2.3mm Intend Massive rotors (180mm both ends). Perhaps a little more bite than regular rotors but not night and day like I was expecting; brakes are plenty good enough with standard width rotors I think.

cool good stuff – how does the noise fair on them in the wet?

Maybe the odd squeak but nothing out of the ordinary. Running red pads at the moment.

I am using Tech E4’s with 2.3mm

Ah that’s interesting. I wasn’t sure they’d work with thicker rotors as it already seems very close on my Shimano rotors. Maybe I’ll grab some 2.0mm rotors. Very tempted by the galfer sharks, though they’re very pricey!

CalamityJames
Full Member
I am using Tech E4’s with 2.3mm Intend Massive rotors (180mm both ends). Perhaps a little more bite than regular rotors but not night and day like I was expecting; brakes are plenty good enough with standard width rotors I think.

thats cool least i know the 2mm hs2 will be fine fitment wise then – yeah i need some new rotors so ill likely just get some of the new hs2 – ideally wanted to go floating hopes but it just wont work without faffage

razorrazoo
Full Member
cool good stuff – how does the noise fair on them in the wet?

Maybe the odd squeak but nothing out of the ordinary. Running red pads at the moment.

thanks good to hear

how have you got on with the hs2 rotors @appltn – i know you sent your v4 brakes back but assume youve used them on another brakeset also? are the quiet, and is the extra width noticeable for a bit extra bite?

No complaints at all. I’ve been using these same rotors for about 10 months with both trickstuff power and galfer green pads and they’ve always been silent (like I’ve never heard a single noise from them) and had great bite (although I think that’s supposedly down to the design of the cutouts rather than the thickness). It took a bit longer to get them perfectly true versus a 1.8mm rotor but the payoff is that they’ve stayed true ever since.

I appreciate that this is a dangerous thing to say here, but I recently tried a set of Tech 4 V4s and really didn’t like them. However. . . I reckon it was mostly down to the way they were setup so the bite point was really close to the bar. Is it possible to set them up with them biting a bit further out, but also having a nice short level throw?

For reference, running XT levers with TRP Quadiem calipers at the moment. Nice short level with short throw, but not as solid a feel as a full Shimano setup. However, they’ve also had the wandering bite point fun recently (probably fixed but tbc) so looking at less frustrating options

However. . . I reckon it was mostly down to the way they were setup so the bite point was really close to the bar. Is it possible to set them up with them biting a bit further out, but also having a nice short level throw?

In simple terms, yes. I don’t like my levers biting to close too the bars and I like as little free movement as possible. There’s a huge amount of adjustment in the reach knob, and once you’ve set the pistons up (caliper alignment is crucial in this) the bite point adjustment can bring this down to a cm or 2 max. The E4 will have less free travel before the bite point due to the smaller piston size too, so that might be an option.

appltn
Full Member
how have you got on with the hs2 rotors @appltn – i know you sent your v4 brakes back but assume youve used them on another brakeset also? are the quiet, and is the extra width noticeable for a bit extra bite?

No complaints at all. I’ve been using these same rotors for about 10 months with both trickstuff power and galfer green pads and they’ve always been silent (like I’ve never heard a single noise from them) and had great bite (although I think that’s supposedly down to the design of the cutouts rather than the thickness). It took a bit longer to get them perfectly true versus a 1.8mm rotor but the payoff is that they’ve stayed true ever since.

great info thanks! sounds good hopefully will be a little quieter too then once i get them fitted

are the green pads you use in your trickstuff these ones?

https://www.rushcycles.co.uk/m84b344s799p9246/GALFER-Hope-Tech-3-Tech-4-E4-Race-Pro-Competition-Pads-%28green%29-FD465G1554T

are they not the same as the green pads supplied with the hope brakes?

@oscillatewildly Just as another option, I’m using Galfer 2mm Rotors with mine, bought from Rush. They seem pretty good to me, though I did bend the first front one which I couldn’t bend back after crashing into a big lump of Lakeland slate!

Is it possible to set them up with them biting a bit further out, but also having a nice short level throw?

From my perspective, these are the brakes that I have used which I have been able to set up with the lever feel you describe (I’ve also owned Tech3s, Code Rs, Guide Rs, Formula R1s, XTs).

Cannot comment on the factory bleed as I have shortened both hoses when fitting.  Using SRAM centreline rotors (so not the posher thick ones).  I bled the brakes with the pads in (risky I know, but using the proper Hope bleed kit I can do it without spilling fluid on the caliper body – it’s done this way in the Hope bleed vid).  I did have to do the front twice as must have still had some air in it the first time which was OK for the immediate ride, but got into the caliper between that and the following ride.

great info thanks! sounds good hopefully will be a little quieter too then once i get them fitted

are the green pads you use in your trickstuff these ones?

https://www.rushcycles.co.uk/m84b344s799p9246/GALFER-Hope-Tech-3-Tech-4-E4-Race-Pro-Competition-Pads-%28green%29-FD465G1554T

are they not the same as the green pads supplied with the hope brakes?

The Galfer greens that I’ve used are the same compound as those but a different shape – Trickstuff updated their caliper design to take a Sram Guide shaped pad.

I believe that the newish Hope green pads are not the same though, they’re certainly not manufactured by Galfer and Hope are tight-lipped about who does manufacture them. I remember reading (maybe even in this thread somewhere?) that Hope’s green pads are manufactured by the same company that make Trickstuff pads though I don’t know if that’s true or not.

@fathomer – nice one ill check them out too – they look reasonably price also – looks like a cool design and 2mm thick so should get the extra feel at the lever

@appltn interesting, i just assumed the green pads were galfer, as i think the red ones that come with the brakes actually say galfer on the backing? (could have imagined that though!), so just thought the greens were the same too – cool i might get some ordered then to go with some new disc rotors if they are good, the front feels fine and is quiet all the time, but the back once it gets a drop of wet just wont shut up, im going to check over the caliper tonight to see if i can see any oil weeping out, as it would explain the noise somewhat…

I thought that too, but an interview with hope somewhere on this thread revealed the greens were truckstuff ones iirc

ah right must have missed this then, ill try some of the galfer ones linked above see what they are like, the greens that came with them were ok the brief time i tried them but i preferred the feel of the reds tbh – but ill give these green galfer a shot as my reds are getting low now anyways

I’m pretty sure this is also linked somewhere in the depths of the thread but this podcast episode with a hope engineer is where I learned that the green pads aren’t galfer.

There’s lots of other interesting stuff in there too, I listened to it twice because I’m a nerd.

Alrighty the power of 4K is pretty mad

Is this the issue we’re speaking of guys?

If you look at the piston closest to the camera watch every so often as I press the lever you’ll see bubbles or pockets of something coming through?

This is the only logical reason why I can see my back brake squeals like mad in the wet and the front is silent, for what it’s worth I check the front caliper and there’s no bubbles anywhere so logic makes me think this is leaking slightly on the back rotor or just about getting to it and dripping down slightly eventually on the rotor

Yep that’s what was happening on mine. Have you checked your rotor? If it’s brake fluid contamination it should be very easy to see.

That does look to me like it’s letting out a very small spray of oil about every second pump.
It’s on the outboard side so should be very easy to pop the piston out and check the seal.

I’ll add that I’ve bought a seal kit and will buy a bore cap too so I’ll replace my own seals if it happens again, the advantage of Hope brakes, fully rebuildable myself!

I haven’t checked the rotor tbh they are pretty worn so could be harder to tell

But yeah pretty much every other pump a little pocket of bubbles/oil appears then goes back in

I’ll fire a email across to hope see what they say, luckily it’s only ruined a rear older rotor I guess luckily I’ve not had the new ones delivered otherwise they’d be getting contaminated too

I’m not savvy minded on rebuilding these tbh so I’ll see what hope say, if they won’t warranty it/fix it I’ll get the shop to do it I think to be safe

I knew the squeal on my back brake wasnt normal and with everyone else saying there’s are quiet too…

Thanks for confirming for me guys I’ll report back when I have a answer

update – sending back to hope monday, have aske to send in for inspection whatever that means (hopefully a full rebuild)

they werent convinced its oil seeping, said its possibly the silicone lube, so will have to see, i wiped the piston over and over and over to remove any left over silicone lube, then when i press the lever again, the bubbles appear and somethings obviously coming through? surely even if it was just silicone lube there should be no air bubbles leaving the piston area? or am i being dim?!

When I sent a set back to them they suggested it could be the silicone lube too – they still came back with a full set of new seals so I’m guessing they decided it wasn’t that after all.

@appltn – ahh thanks, okey doke, well that makes me think its worthwhile sending in then, had visions of them just looking at it and going no its lube, and sending it straight back, if it gets a full rebuild regardless then its worth sending in for as long as its a quick turnaround

So I bought one of those caliper alignment tools linked a few pages back – they’re ok, not the best and you’ll still need to do some alignment by eye. On my rotors (which are only a few hundred km old, so not worn) the tolerances weren’t particularly great, enough room either side of the disc in the tool that you could see daylight.

Having said that, with the help of it I have just been able to get both front and back brake to bite, with the bite point adjuster 2/3rds way in, with about 1.5cm of free stroke. Which is not a lot!

I found the best technique is as follows:

1. set up initially with the tool, check by eye that it looks ok – chances are either the front or back will be slightly off-centre, don’t worry about that for now
2. pop the pads in and get them centred as well as you can, you’ll probably still see the disc being moved by the pads on the front or rear pistons at this stage (fyi, you don’t want the disc being moved at all).
3. loosen the caliper bolts and make the tiny last adjustment to get the disc to sit perfectly centred between the pads – at this stage the amount of movement you’ve have will be limited by the pads which will be less than 1mm from the disc so it’s much easier to adjust by the tiny amount that makes all the difference in these brakes.
4. One last piston alignment working each side with a flat blade screwdriver to get them perfect.

Result: no rubbing, free spinning wheels and barely any free stroke before the brakes bite.

Is the tool worth the money? Probably not, unless you’re completely blind as you can get the calipers aligned by eye with the pads out easily enough. If the tool made it so no further manual alignment was needed then yes, but it’s not made to close enough tolerances for it to do that. You’d probably need to CNC machine one to get it really accurate.

Mine have started leaking again after a bit over a month on the new seals. Sent them back to hope this time. Hoping they’ll put a new caliper body or pistons in as now that the seals are ruled out I cant see what else it would be!

Is the leaking affecting silver ones as well or is it just black calipers.

Mine were silver

Mine have started leaking again after a bit over a month on the new seals. Sent them back to hope this time. Hoping they’ll put a new caliper body or pistons in as now that the seals are ruled out I cant see what else it would be!

Yours were quite bad weren’t they, looking at your pics? Are they leaking as bad as they were before?

As a total aside, anyone know if Tech 4 levers will work with elderly Tech X2 calipers, or whether it’s better to start from scratch?

Yours were quite bad weren’t they, looking at your pics? Are they leaking as bad as they were before?

Yeah they were, its the same pistons that were leaking the most before. Only noticed as its been getting noisier a few rides after being cleaned – There’s enough oil to lightly contaminate the edge of the pads.

update – my rear brake went back yesterday – arrived this morning and all sorted and hopefully back out for delivery tomoz

they couldnt find evidence of a leak in action, but the back of pads were wet, so not sure if thats silicone lube or oil from what i can gather, but no evidence to suggest leaking from the pistons, he tested the measurement of the body, and as a precaution has replaced all seals and pistons, so i really cannot fault that at all, super impressed with the speed and helpfullness, i guess you do get what you pay for with some stuff, if that was a sram brake youd be waiting weeks for a repair/replacement so defo 100% top drawer service from hope

i have a quick one for anyone whose had them back from hope fixed with seals/pistons etc, do they come back already bled??? im hopefully going straight out after work tomoz and as i have external rear brake i only need to strap it on with no faff, but if i need to bleed it i wont get time…..