Pushing brake pads back into caliper?

I’m in the process of fitting some new Hope e4 brakes.
Put the front on gave the lever a few pumps and aligned the caliper to the disc, but now the pads are dragging. I should have adjusted the bite point knob to move the pads out slightly, but forgot 😳

Whats the best way to push the pads back into the caliper, tried with a butter knife but it’s fairly stiff. Should I remove the pads and push the pistons back?

i use a tyre lever.

insert flat bladed screw driver

twist.

I like the end of a plastic tyre lever… like the blue plastic Park ones, although I have some black plastic IceToolz ones that work equally well.

If you’re levering on old pads you plan to bin, a flat blade screwdiver is fine.

Screwdriver method is what I usually do, but end up taking a chunk out of the pads.
Not too bothered when they cost £4 a pair from superstar but these aren’t cheap 😯

take out new pads, put in old pads and push back with a blunt instrument

Push a credit card between them, then push in another.
Then push a third between the first two.
Repeat till happy.

8)

My credit score isn’t good enough to manage that.

Plastic tyre lever. Normally take the pads out and push the pistons back with it TBH. You can see whether you’ve got them to the right spot and equally retracted as well.

Nectar, NUS, blockbuster etc. also compatible.

…and remember to back off the pad adjustment screw first.

Oh, and if the pads are new then you may get some rubbing until they’ve bedded in.

With my old formula’s, if you push one piston back in, the opposite one just came out further. So you had to push them both out at the same time.
Now these have 4 pistons, how am I supposed to do them all at the same time with the pads out?

do it with the pads in with credit cards.

honestly, you answer a question and they don’t listen.

There’s no room, and I’m not chopping up my student card 😛

This

take out new pads, put in old pads and push back with a blunt instrument

plus this

…and remember to back off the pad adjustment screw first.

I use a flat bladed screw driver and an old pair of pads in my hopes.

I’ll try the card idea, that’ll save switching the pads over.

Big flat screwdriver- I use the officially designated paint tin opener

Nectar, NUS, blockbuster etc. also compatible.

blockbuster ones are useless….its just a bit of laminated thin card

The ideal way to set hope brakes up is a little different. Centre the caliper over the rotor, tighten bolts. Squeeze lever to bring pads in. Then tweak pad position with a screwdriver. Have a look at their website. Don’t properly, you get a sharper feel and less drag.

Big flat blade screwdriver with old pads in.

Or get one of these http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/piston-retraction-tool.htm 😀

Get one anyway for future use, keep handy for use if levers are knocked or something while transporting etc 😉 . Okay it’s a tool you don’t really need, but it’s really handy and easy to use, and chances are that screwdriver will actually have been used to open a paint can and now has paint all over it.