Help! Disillusioned by Hope e4 brakes

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Help! Disillusioned by Hope e4 brakes
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flag metareal
O+
Posted: Jul 3, 2017 at 3:42 Quote
Hi,

I have put a set of Hope e4 (tech 3 lever) on my SC bronson about 2 months ago, replacing a set of Shimano XT. I was after more control over the bite point (wanted less throw than standard XT) and less fade on longer descents.

After cutting the hoses to length it took me a while to bleed the brakes correctly, but I am confident that there is no air in the system anymore. Although I just can't seem to be able to adjust the level in the way that I like: very short throw and solid feel almost from the start, with a decent amount of reach.

In order for the lever to feel okish when pressed with decent force I have to set the bite point screw all the way in and reach adjust somewhat far (placing the lever a bit further away from the bars that I would like in "rest position").

What is strange/irritating is that when I centre the calliper and adjust the pistons to be completely symmetrical to the disc, the lever feel I get immediately is perfect! Although after just a single run the bite point moves further into the lever travel, which I really don't like...

To other e4 owners, how much adjustment do you get out of your bite point screw? Can you dial in a firm lever with little throw?

Any help or suggestions are most welcome!
Thank!!
flag markg1150
Posted: Jul 3, 2017 at 14:53 Quote
same here. constantly reseting pistons.
shame as there the best brake in the world for a couple of rides then start all over again.
wish i got zees
flag metareal
O+
Posted: Jul 4, 2017 at 2:26 Quote
Hey,

I spoke to them on the phone yesterday. Very nice guys and very helpful!

We went over all the things I did and the issues I am still having. Since I reviewed already everything that could be an issue, they suggested that I send the brakes back to them for a full service and setup. That way, when I get them back, they will perform as they should.

Then it s just a matter of personal preference whether I like the feel or not.

I will report back to say if the feel has improved. FYI, he did tell me that even with bite point screw all the way in I should expect around 20mm of lever throw. I currently have 25-30mm, so something is not right...

Cheers
flag samu2106
Posted: Jul 5, 2017 at 3:06 Quote
Have you cleaned and lubed the pistons and checked they move symmetrically without pads installed? Srams do exactly thesame, cleaning the pistons helps a little. Never had this issue with my old hope M4 tech though
flag Ploutre
Posted: Jul 5, 2017 at 4:42 Quote
The Tech3 levers are "known" for being a bit spongier (I declare this is now a word lol ) than the Tech EVO for example.

As far as I know, a good lube on the pistons will help with the pistons retracting, but you'll still have to reset them every day or so. It's super fast when you know how to do it with a single small flat screwdriver, but still annoying. But it will not eliminate the spongy feeling and longer than usual throw. I got used to it on my Tech3 V4, but I wanted a bit more power and less progressivity so switched them for another brand.

So if you can find a set of Tech EVO levers instead of the Tech3, you can get a much better lever feel. As you noticed, the closer you get the lever to the handlebars, the softer the lever feel gets. The hose also plays a part, the shorter it is, the sharper it gets. I'm not sure hose type really matters, as I've overheated a set of V4s a while back in the Alps, with standard hoses, and never had any fade or change in the lever. So definitely not sure the braided hoses are worth it (especially considering how much of a pain in the arse they are to shorten...)
flag NickDHash
Posted: Jul 5, 2017 at 11:39 Quote
I have e4's as well. Coming from my saint brakes where they were certainly more of an on/off feel, I had a hard time getting used to the spongy lever feel in the top of the stroke. They have a ton of great modulation, but it takes a while to get used to. Hope told me they are supposed to allow you to grip the lever closer to the bar without braking. The progression in the master cylinder allows the brake to ramp up immediately near the end of its stroke for more control. Essenstially, one finger extended is a waste of grip, and white knuckling the bar isn't a good idea. These brakes correct both of those issues.
flag metareal
O+
Posted: Jul 14, 2017 at 15:52 Quote
Just a quick update to say that I sent the brakes back to hope for a service, which they did not charge me for. They said they treated it as an under warranty service. Very nice of them.

They spotted the pistons were very dry and needed lubing. That could have been the cause of the issue. They also did a full bleed of the system.

Should get them back next week. I will report back with how they feel now.

Great company and great support.
Thanks Hope!
flag Aaronz25RS
Posted: Jul 15, 2017 at 12:15 Quote
I still can't get over why someone would name a component company Hope...

Hope these brakes work(this time)...

Hope these bearings last...

Hope this crank don't break...
flag Shiny-side-up
Posted: Jul 15, 2017 at 12:18 Quote
metareal wrote:
Just a quick update to say that I sent the brakes back to hope for a service, which they did not charge me for. They said they treated it as an under warranty service. Very nice of them.

They spotted the pistons were very dry and needed lubing. That could have been the cause of the issue. They also did a full bleed of the system.

Should get them back next week. I will report back with how they feel now.

Great company and great support.
Thanks Hope!

They will go to great lengths to provide good customer service, a truly nice company and their products are great too
flag ondrugs
Posted: Jul 25, 2018 at 1:05 Quote
just pulled the trigger on a set of these. from the sounds of it, i should lube the pistons a bit before i install them?
flag titaniumtit
Posted: Jul 30, 2018 at 9:54 Quote
Aaronz25RS wrote:
I still can't get over why someone would name a component company Hope...

Hope these brakes work(this time)...

Hope these bearings last...

Hope this crank don't break...

Yoooose a funny mother sucker aren’t ya!

The name comes from the Mill where they are made. Look it up dumb mother f*cker!

Plus mtb products go through hell here in UK conditions.

I mean ask yourself these - when was the last time you invented/created/MADE a mtb product and rode it hard then could support thousands upon thousands of riders out there with what is essentially free work just to check it’s all running tip top.

It’s a rider’s perogative to make sure tgeir kit runs well at any given time and let’s just assume here that some to most don’t bother.

Now troll on mumsnet next time you utter Bell
flag Aaronz25RS
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 14:45 Quote
titaniumtit wrote:
Aaronz25RS wrote:
I still can't get over why someone would name a component company Hope...

Hope these brakes work(this time)...

Hope these bearings last...

Hope this crank don't break...

Yoooose a funny mother sucker aren’t ya!

The name comes from the Mill where they are made. Look it up dumb mother f*cker!

Plus mtb products go through hell here in UK conditions.

I mean ask yourself these - when was the last time you invented/created/MADE a mtb product and rode it hard then could support thousands upon thousands of riders out there with what is essentially free work just to check it’s all running tip top.

It’s a rider’s perogative to make sure tgeir kit runs well at any given time and let’s just assume here that some to most don’t bother.

Now troll on mumsnet next time you utter Bell

Triggered much?

How about sucking a fat cock? Judging on your pic there its not a big stretch for ya dickhead..
flag tkdbboy
Posted: Jul 31, 2018 at 15:28 Quote
I've got V4s and every 6 months I clean and reset the pistons as the amount of throw slowly builds up.
V4s have a bigger caliper mouth as it was made to work with V4 rotors that are thicker than standard so I imagine E4's are less susceptible to building lever throw

Theres a few factors that come into play when lever throw builds up (some very obvious but I'll list them anyway):
- Bleed quality
- Your lever screw settings
- Rotor thickness
- Amount of wear on pads
- Weather / riding conditions
- How well you last cleaned and lubed the pistons

In the perfect world, all your pistons would adjust themselves proportionally to the amount of pad wear you have therefore your lever feel should always be the same and the only time you'll have to touch your calipers is when you swap pads to reset the pistons.
Unfortunately due to things like dirt buildup around the pistons, imperfections in rotor and pads ... over time you can develop play and your pistons come out of sync if that makes sense.

So depending how often you ride and the conditions, every few months ...
- take the caliper off
- pull the pads out
- pump the pistons out a bit
- give them a clean (I use water, those little kitchen brush sticks where the bristles poke outwards, thin rag then isopropyl alcohol)
- drip some brake fluid on the pistons
- push the pistons back in (check the Hope site how to do it so you don't damage the pistons)
- wipe up any excess brake fluid
- pump the lever and see that your pistons come out evenly, if not then hold down the pistons that come out freely so that the weaker piston comes out, drip some more brake fluid and push it back in and that should make that piston come out more freely with the others.
- chuck the pads on and align the caliper with rotor.
- set your BPC and reach screws to the middle
- pump lever fully a few times, pads should evenly go towards the rotor.
- adjust lever screws for desired feel

Bonus: If you want even more instant bite (assuming your BPC screw is maxed), pull your pads off, pump the lever fully once, chuck the pad back on. There should be almost next to no gap between your pad and rotor now. May even slightly rub if there's a misalignment or rotor imperfection

This is how I do it, may not be 100% correct in some people's books but it works for me. Just experiment with what works for you.

These brakes are awesome, but in the end (assuming you're maintaining your brakes) it comes down to personal preference and some people may just prefer the feel of other brands.
flag titaniumtit
Posted: Aug 1, 2018 at 4:45 Quote
Aaronz25RS wrote:
titaniumtit wrote:
Aaronz25RS wrote:
I still can't get over why someone would name a component company Hope...

Hope these brakes work(this time)...

Hope these bearings last...

Hope this crank don't break...

Yoooose a funny mother sucker aren’t ya!

The name comes from the Mill where they are made. Look it up dumb mother f*cker!

Plus mtb products go through hell here in UK conditions.

I mean ask yourself these - when was the last time you invented/created/MADE a mtb product and rode it hard then could support thousands upon thousands of riders out there with what is essentially free work just to check it’s all running tip top.

It’s a rider’s perogative to make sure tgeir kit runs well at any given time and let’s just assume here that some to most don’t bother.

Now troll on mumsnet next time you utter Bell

Triggered much?

How about sucking a fat cock? Judging on your pic there its not a big stretch for ya dickhead..

Not really as I’m going on every other dumbass comment you make on this site with lack of knowledge.

Triggered much by a tiny lil pic. Lmao

Get on topic or gtfo
flag Jordansemailaddress
O+
Posted: May 8, 2021 at 17:14 Quote
tkdbboy wrote:
I've got V4s and every 6 months I clean and reset the pistons as the amount of throw slowly builds up.
V4s have a bigger caliper mouth as it was made to work with V4 rotors that are thicker than standard so I imagine E4's are less susceptible to building lever throw

Theres a few factors that come into play when lever throw builds up (some very obvious but I'll list them anyway):
- Bleed quality
- Your lever screw settings
- Rotor thickness
- Amount of wear on pads
- Weather / riding conditions
- How well you last cleaned and lubed the pistons

In the perfect world, all your pistons would adjust themselves proportionally to the amount of pad wear you have therefore your lever feel should always be the same and the only time you'll have to touch your calipers is when you swap pads to reset the pistons.
Unfortunately due to things like dirt buildup around the pistons, imperfections in rotor and pads ... over time you can develop play and your pistons come out of sync if that makes sense.

So depending how often you ride and the conditions, every few months ...
- take the caliper off
- pull the pads out
- pump the pistons out a bit
- give them a clean (I use water, those little kitchen brush sticks where the bristles poke outwards, thin rag then isopropyl alcohol)
- drip some brake fluid on the pistons
- push the pistons back in (check the Hope site how to do it so you don't damage the pistons)
- wipe up any excess brake fluid
- pump the lever and see that your pistons come out evenly, if not then hold down the pistons that come out freely so that the weaker piston comes out, drip some more brake fluid and push it back in and that should make that piston come out more freely with the others.
- chuck the pads on and align the caliper with rotor.
- set your BPC and reach screws to the middle
- pump lever fully a few times, pads should evenly go towards the rotor.
- adjust lever screws for desired feel

Bonus: If you want even more instant bite (assuming your BPC screw is maxed), pull your pads off, pump the lever fully once, chuck the pad back on. There should be almost next to no gap between your pad and rotor now. May even slightly rub if there's a misalignment or rotor imperfection

This is how I do it, may not be 100% correct in some people's books but it works for me. Just experiment with what works for you.

These brakes are awesome, but in the end (assuming you're maintaining your brakes) it comes down to personal preference and some people may just prefer the feel of other brands.

Thanks for this list! I have these brakes and sometimes get a harsh gritty metallic scraping sound. I’ve fully rebuilt them, but did notice even after lubing all the pistons, that some are more willing to move then others when I pump the lever. Never thought to work on that until they all are in sync. Will give it a try.
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