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I would class my hope v4's as adequate, nothing more. I seem to have to remove pads and reset the pistons once a month to prevent rub and a long throw lever.
Also the hope calipers are faded red, so don't look great.
My Shimano saint m820 have been superb, powerful and hassle free for 5+ years.
I'm thinking if it's worth getting some tech4 levers to get some more power for £200 or so.
For not much more cash, assuming I can find them on in stock, I can get a set of zee's.
I've then got pad compatibility between both bikes.
I dont want to spend saint money, £350 or so, as it's a second bike.
Thoughts?
Send the hopes off to be serviced.
All new seals, pistons, pads and a factory bleed. Then swap the levers when you get them back.
Or you might not even need to swap them, depending on how good the service is.
They might even swap the levers over for you as well. You could ask tech support?
(dependent on not having internally routed hoses)
I'm curious about this as I find my Tech 3 e4 brakes underwhelming to say the least and I only just realised I could swap the Tech 3 to Tech 4.
OP tredz have them for £92 each currently.
Saints were the only genuinely great brake Shimano ever made. Others are ok, but only saint combined power, that nice shimano lever and real reliability.
If you like your old ones I would spend the extra and buy more saints. £300 online is the best I could see if they fit, and yes I know you said you didnt want to spend it, but Zees are not saints.
Interesting thoughts. I had always thought zee's to be pretty much saints less the adjusters.
I guess the faded v4's along with the bleedkit and borecap tool must be worth a few quid, so that would offset the costs.
Good price from tredz, but only one side available in black unfortunately.
I owned Saints and was very fond of them, but I think there are better options nowadays
I don't think you can beat Formula Cura 4s for a combination of power and value.
I've Zee's on my old FS and after not getting on with the Code RS's on my eeb looked to replace them with Zee's.
You won't find any Zee's unless s/h, so went Saints - I reckon the Zee's & Saint's are equivalent power-wise.
Have you got the thicker rotors?
T4 and hybrid pistons. I did this to me E4's, and it made a huge difference.
Also using trp 2.3mm thick rotors, but did that after the above
I had always thought zee’s to be pretty much saints less the adjusters.
Power wise they are on par, quality wise they are not. We warrantied many zees and no saints in the time we were selling them. Saints are without a doubt the best brake Shimano ever made by some margin.
Yes now I've looked properly there are no rear zee's available in the UK.
Replace levers with tech4
Pro
Cheapest option.
Con
Faded caliper anodising.
Will still have to reset the pistons.
Buy saints
Pro
Pad compatibility with my other bike.
My favourite brakes.
New.
Con
Most expensive option, but may be able to sell the hopes to offset.
Hmm i'll have a think. Maybe some black Fri deals coming up..
And yes 220mm 2.3mm thick trp rotors, which I think just about fit with saint calipers.
Also using trp 2.3mm thick rotors
Little note about these rotors. Meant to be stainless, but ive got what looks like rust on the inside edges of the arms.
Bought them from total bleed solutions and they arrived in Hope packaging, but am a little disappointed by this apparent corrosion.
.
Shimano
Had a pair of saints bitd and can confirm they are an awesome brake. Previous brake on the ebike were the 4 pot m520 and found them to be pretty good too, certainly plenty of stopping power.
Replaced the front on the ebike with tech4 levers on tech3 V4's and its really doing the stopping bit, and I leave braking to the last moment, as in on hard.
I'll eventually do the rear too(bit worried it's going to be overkill) as it involves changing the entire rear end, mech inc.
.
+1 vote for swopping your levers to T4, im sure you'll be more than happy with the result.
Done the same thing recently @daveylad, spent ages deciding whether to go to Shimano from the Tech3s I loved, had been reliable, but just wanted a bit more 'umph' (like a Shimano!)
I concluded that levers, or calipers, on their own, are basically worthless. However older Hope Brakes are still worth something. Mine sold almost instantly.
Most of the Hope upgrade is in the levers, but the new stainless hybrid pistons are key aswell. My new brakes do everything my lovely older brakes did, feel, looks, lightweight, AND now have massive power too.
Sell your existing brakes as a complete set.
Buy a brand new set of Tech 4 V4s. And then you've also new pads, 2 full sets of spare Organic pads for winter, new hoses and fittings for shortening and bleeding, no fading, the slippery stainless pistons.... Swapping levers alone just doesn't make any sense.
We warrantied many zees and no saints in the time we were selling them.
I've used Zees since about 2014. The levers end up leaking like shimano m785 XT did. Unsurprising, it looks like the same part painted a different colour. Performance wise, with an ebike pad upgraden Ive always been happy with them.
Until a couple of years ago they were cheap to by and replace. I once bought a complete set, with discs for £116!
I'd not buy shimano now though. As expensive as anyone else without, but without the spares availability.
May be wrong but I don’t think zees are available anymore, discontinued. I liked the zee brakes I had especially the dimpled lever, but had them warranted with the infamous shimano micro leak
I fixed mine with some after market seals with a higher durometer rubber that cost £3.49 from ebay.
My 2nd hand kenevo came with tech 3 e4’s, as I had t4 v4 and t3 v4 on the other 2 bikes I wasn’t that impressed with the t3 e4’s, especially on a heavy eeb even after fitting 220 rotors. Replaced the levers with tech 4’s and they are night and day better. Not many places carry them stock so you may have to wait a few weeks to get some of ordered in.