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Frankenbrakes and brake improvement discussion

Boozzz

Chimp
Sep 12, 2019
80
84
Amsterdayummm
Damn, leaking master cylinder seal on my two weeks old Hope T4s. Lever slowly creeps to the bars under constant pressure. Is there no company that can produce some solid brakes? :banghead:
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
Damn, leaking master cylinder seal on my two weeks old Hope T4s. Lever slowly creeps to the bars under constant pressure. Is there no company that can produce some solid brakes? :banghead:
Care to post a pic so I know where to look out?
 

Boozzz

Chimp
Sep 12, 2019
80
84
Amsterdayummm
Care to post a pic so I know where to look out?
Nothing to see I'm afraid, it's the seals around the MC piston itself. Lever feel is solid, remains solid, but if you squeeze it for like 30 secs, it creeps closer and closer to the bar until it touches it, so fluid is leaking past the piston seal back into the reservoir.

Contacted Hope, read somewhere on the German MTB-news forums that there were issues with these seals in early batches. Seems to still be an issue then, as mine are brand new from the factory.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
Nothing to see I'm afraid, it's the seals around the MC piston itself. Lever feel is solid, remains solid, but if you squeeze it for like 30 secs, it creeps closer and closer to the bar until it touches it, so fluid is leaking past the piston seal back into the reservoir.

Contacted Hope, read somewhere on the German MTB-news forums that there were issues with these seals in early batches. Seems to still be an issue then, as mine are brand new from the factory.
Mine's from an X2, but hooked up to my V4, I got it mounted though now and it feels a lot firmer now than when I was testing before doing my bleed. I have the TRP 2.3 rotor on it. I just say that, because at first I felt the lever might be a little "softer" during bleed, but having it all hooked up, it's firm and crisp, like any other hope lever.
 
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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
You can see a little thin white line past the dirt on the spokes, that is where the pads are not contacting, just above that is the extent of the pads
D0EFD8AD-0C3C-4DFF-A8DA-14159BD3DF65.jpeg
 

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
4,881
2,132
not in Whistler anymore :/
They (AB) at least try to implement a good testing protocol with comparable parameters for every pad. We shall see how those fancy pads behave in real life. The marketing mambojumbo is strong in this ad.

edit: good point in the comments section, not breaking force was measured but lever force which says absolute nothing about the thing that really matters - stopping power. I think it's AB snake oil again.
normal pads = BAD for the environment
graphene dust = GOOD for the environment
 

Boozzz

Chimp
Sep 12, 2019
80
84
Amsterdayummm
Man oh man, not only is the main lever piston seal failing, I also started noticing a bit of power decrease and squeal increase on the new T4 V4s (with temporary T3 lever). Leaky caliper piston seals, yay. Nice work Hope!
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
Just think how great brakes will be in 5 years when they all have to stop 80lb ebikes.
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
519
Two year update on both TRP DHR (big bike, 220mm 2.3 rotors) and Hayes Dominion a4 (littler bike, 200mm 2.0 rotors).

They both work great. No issues at all. Other than a fresh bleed when I swap pads just for grins, they have both been flawless.

Feel-wise, Hayes is a little sharper off the top (Ala Shimano) and TRP build power more deeper in the stroke.

after years of endless brake woes, it’s really nice to essentially never think about them any more.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia

A mate of mine took the gamble and bought a set of these things and we unpacked them at the pub last night. Excuse the crappy pics but just to show what they're like. Looks like a bit of a rip off of a Trickstuff lever combined with a Hope E4 caliper? He's going to mount them up shortly and report back on them. He might die, he might live - its all for science.

But for AUD $170 for a pair delivered with pads, I'm blown away by the level of detail they went to.

20220928_181929.jpg

20220928_182042.jpg


20220928_182242.jpg
 

Happymtb.fr

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2016
1,907
1,252
SWE

A mate of mine took the gamble and bought a set of these things and we unpacked them at the pub last night. Excuse the crappy pics but just to show what they're like. Looks like a bit of a rip off of a Trickstuff lever combined with a Hope E4 caliper? He's going to mount them up shortly and report back on them. He might die, he might live - its all for science.

But for AUD $170 for a pair delivered with pads, I'm blown away by the level of detail they went to.

View attachment 182505
View attachment 182506

View attachment 182507
Is it mineral oil at the lever and DOT at the caliper? :drag:
 

appltn

fastest banhammer in the west
Apr 19, 2022
9
13
Can anyone help me compare the different trickstuff pad compounds? Information on them seems hard to come by.

The options seem to be ST (standard), PO (power) and PO+ (power plus).

My Direttissimas came with pads with a silver backing plate and they say "power" so I'm guessing these are PO pads. They needed replacing so I grabbed some Galfer green because I could get them quickly but I'm curious if anyone has tried some or all of the ST, PO and PO+ compounds and can give a comparison? I'd like to have pads last longer so the ST are appealing for that reason but how much do they give up on braking power?

I've tried the PO+ compound in the past and while I enjoyed the feel they barely lasted a week in wet UK conditions.

One other question, if not Trickstuff pads, what would you use instead to balance power and durability? I have the C42 calliper so have quite a wide choice of Sram Guide compatible pads.

---

Edit: photos on Bike24 suggest that silver backing is PO+ and orange backing is PO in which case I'm even more confused because my silver pads lasted about 6 months while my orange pads lasted about a week. Admittedly the 6 months were over summer and the week was over winter.
 
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Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,057
1,298
Styria
Power and power+ are the same pad compound, differences are the nickel hard plating of the P+ acting as a thermal insulation to help to decrease heat transfer from pad to caliper, interlocked interface between pad compound and carrier plate and a chamfered lower pad edge to help insertion of the rotor.

Standard compound lasts way longer at ~6% less absolute braking power according to Trickstuff. Can confirm, they last about three times longer for me. I'm running P+ front and Standard at the rear.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
513
634
I would have really liked to help, but I am rotating through 8 pairs of Direttissimas on the same bike so the pads never seem to use up for some weird reason. I would take a picture but I don't have a camera with me!
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
513
634
Sorry about that. I got 7 pairs engraved with each day of the week, and the last one with "SPECIAL" for special days. I could maybe sell the "Monday" pair if you're interested.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
@toodles Any ride reports from your mate that got those knock offs?
He's put them on his 26" DJ street bike with 160mm rotors so not exactly getting dragged down massive trails. I rode them the other day and there's nothing wrong with them at all. I'd say they're about the same power as Hope E4s or Shimano single piston brakes. Finish looks fine, and firm lever even without a bleed. I *think* they use a similar pad to the Hope E4 or trickstuff DRTs, but they sell the pads for like $7 a pair anyway.
 

jeremy_2640

Monkey
Oct 4, 2007
114
42
Melbourne
He's put them on his 26" DJ street bike with 160mm rotors so not exactly getting dragged down massive trails. I rode them the other day and there's nothing wrong with them at all. I'd say they're about the same power as Hope E4s or Shimano single piston brakes. Finish looks fine, and firm lever even without a bleed. I *think* they use a similar pad to the Hope E4 or trickstuff DRTs, but they sell the pads for like $7 a pair anyway.
I'm thinking of giving these a try with the Formula calipers. They are cheaper than the Formula Cura lever replacement kits.
 

mtnbikerva1

Chimp
Nov 2, 2022
1
0
I have the SRAM RSC G2 and Codes. I would like a little more power and initial bite for both. The G2 are much weaker than the CODES. I love the real brake fluid/DOT due to proven safe and reliable for trillions of miles in all vehicles and weather! I ride year round so the DOT works best for me. DOT brake fluid can be found every where here.I do not drink it, and it is easy to clean with water and a towel!
I have TRICKSTUFF pads for both coming from Germany, they are stuck there for a week waiting to come to the USA.
Also have the SRAM HS2 rotors coming. Hopefully between the 2 changes I will get the power and feel I am looking for.
Also thinking about the HAYES Dominion brakes.
Thank you folks for the information.
 
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Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
542
350
You should probably go to the extreme setting up your brakes like this.

For the sealed brakes like sram and shimano. Put the bleed cup on top and have them full of fluid once you’ve tuned in the pad clearance at the end. They can’t back off that way but your free travel will eventually get bigger and bigger and you’ll have to refresh out as your pads wear.
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,750
439
MA
Wasn't referenced in the above video, but how do folks set their pistons if one side is rubbing or they aren't balanced equally?
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
542
350
I normally put a flathead screw driver on the side that’s too far from the rotor push that pad pretty hard, like enough the rotor is bending but not enough that it would take a set and stay not flat, then pump the lever.
I didn’t include that in the video because I’d only tested it on guide and shimano 4 pots at the time but now I’ve done it on hope 4 pots and codes and I’m pretty sure it’ll work on any 4 pots.
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,750
439
MA
I normally put a flathead screw driver on the side that’s too far from the rotor push that pad pretty hard, like enough the rotor is bending but not enough that it would take a set and stay not flat, then pump the lever.
I didn’t include that in the video because I’d only tested it on guide and shimano 4 pots at the time but now I’ve done it on hope 4 pots and codes and I’m pretty sure it’ll work on any 4 pots.
Won't pushing the side too far from the rotor just push the rubbing side in further?
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
542
350
Won't pushing the side too far from the rotor just push the rubbing side in further?
No you’re putting the screw driver between the caliper and back of the pad pushing it towards the rotor and if the opposite pad is rubbing you’ll enter up pushing it further away. But if you center the caliper on the rotor and then pump up the pads and have a pad that rubs you probably need to exercise and clean the pistons more.
 

Happymtb.fr

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2016
1,907
1,252
SWE
I thought Radic would do caliper with additive manufacturing which would have been cool!
@Udi is that your design?
The hydraulic leverage is the same as Trickstuff Maxima