Going to be doing my first bleed on my hope tech 4 v4 brakes. I have watched a few tutorials and have their easy bleed kit, so I have a general idea of what needs to be done. I've bled Shimano brakes before as well.
Mainly what I'm hoping for is tips and tricks that might not be found in the manual or in tutorials. I'm running 1.8mm thick rotors and I know there is something specific you can do w/ these brakes to get better performance with thinner rotors (can't seem to find where I read that). I also don't have a hope specific bleed block, but saw that I could leave old spent pads in and just use that as makeshift bleed block - or i also have Shimano bleed blocks if those work?
So yeah, if anyone has any tips that'll help me get a solid lever feel id very much appreciate it. These brakes have been around for a while now, so I'm sure theres some people out there that have magic methods to make these brakes feel amazing.
If you want a tighter bite you can pressurize the system prior to closing the caliper bleed fitting. I use an old set of pads with the old sram pad spacer to get the pistons out and maximize the fluid volume in the reservoir. If you use a spring clip on the barb fitting you can move a lot of fluid through the system without fear of it popping off when pressurizing the system. Also the 9mm bearing trick gives you a lot more flexibility with the bite point adjuster. I end up running them half way out to get a crisp bite. Additionally I would suggest using the zip tie trick on the lever to “set” the pistons in place after the bleed is done, I do this on all brakes. Pretty easy with hopes to get a solid bleed.
Make sure when placing the bladder that you roll it into position to keep any air from being trapped. FWIW, I bleed my hopes once a season and have zero issue with a full season of bike park and DH racing on them. It’s nice to never worry about the fluid in them. Mine go from sea level to 8500-11000’ elevations regularly.
I just bleed them with brand new pads, I've never used a spacer.
I use a one man bleeder kit for cars too, you don't need a huge volume of fluid, but having the reservoir to catch it etc is handy. If you have it going up from the bleed, once the bubbles are clear of the caliper you can just pump without worrying about the bleed nipple.
Once you've bled them, just make sure the pistons are synced and the pads are aligned. This makes the biggest difference to bite definition. This is kinda all brakes, but the hopes seem pretty sensitive to it
I recommend using a Shimano bleed block, works well if using the 1.8mm rotors, helps the pistons advance and you can get a good bleed.
Appreciate the help!
Could you elaborate a bit on what the zip tie and 9mm bearing tricks are? Or point me to somewhere that has an explanation or video? I believe I know what you are talking about w/ the zip tie but want to make sure before i go fiddling with stuff haha.
Haha i think my brakes got a bit of air in them due to it being stored upside down over the winter, I was not aware that could cause issues until it was too late 😥
Post a reply to: Hope Tech 4 V4 Tips?