|   Combine M4 and Mini? | onelove
Jul 11, 2002 2:13 PM | | I am fed up with my Formula B4 brakes -- simply put they don't stop
very well, even with a 185mm front rotor... I am thinking of using
a Hope M4 185mm front combined with a Hope Mini 165mm rear? My
reasoning is that I can save a tad of weight and money and still have
terrific stopping power. I have an Id with a Romic (5.75") in back
and a Psylo SL in front. I enjoy steep downhills and XC. Any thoughts??
- thanks. |
| re: Combine M4 and Mini? | smudge
Jul 11, 2002 6:52 PM | | You don't need to bother with going to a 185 rotor with the M4. I've had the Enduro's on my slolom bike over a year and I use on on the front of my trials bike all in the 160mm rotor, and I don't see how one could possibly feel they need a stronger brake. Might as well stick your foot in the wheel if you need more power than to be able to fully lock the FRONT wheel with moderate pressure from your index finger. My only problem with them is that they S-Q-U-EEEEEEAL like mad and I've never been able to get rid of it. I don't notice anymore unless I'm on a night ride. However, my friends cring every time they hear it. |
| Have you tried....? | Dirtsurfer
Jul 12, 2002 4:26 AM | | painting the backside of the pad with that anti squeal from the auto parts store? This is going to be my last resort. Mine are louder the heck and I'm about to give up and buy something different. |
| re: Combine M4 and Mini? | spiketorphins
Jul 12, 2002 4:59 AM | | I also got fed up with my B4s. I thought heir stopping power was ok but I was forever needing to tinker with them/bleed them and to be honest they are not as easy to bleed/work on as say motorbike brakes or Hopes. Same style/technic to bleed.
I then went for 165 f & R Hope minis, their power was a revelation.
I'm 185 lbs and had 160 f / 140 r, B4s. When they worked they were OK and silent. If they didn't need maintenance so regularly i'd still be with them, but due to their lightweight construction ( plastic torx screws!!)I found them to be ..........not good but not great.
Hopes on the other hand have been great and silent, only once have they HONKED after a long rain shower. Once the pads had dried out they have been fine and silent since. No noise, rain or dry.
I have found the power of the 165 Hopes F & R to be up to the job for me. If you go for the M4 and the mini they will at least have the same lever and be a doddle to work on - should you need to. The only work I had to do was shorten the front hose by a good margin, it was way too long and also I swapped the hoses over left hand front, right hand rear. I bled them after just in case any air got in. Apparently they don't need to bled after this operation.
If you are ordering them, make sure you ask for them to suit your preferences right or left = front, left or right = REAR. They can be supplied to suit. |
| Thanks for the info on the Minis | onelove
Jul 12, 2002 9:44 PM | | I will make sure to request "moto" style for the levers, if I order
new brakes. Re. my B4s, I have had no squealing problems at all,
and the only part that has broken is a plastic receiver piece in
the lever that holds a metal plunger -- it broke on the 3rd ride.
I do agree that the B4s have too many plastic parts and that is one
reason I am not considering their newer model, "4 Racing". I have
bled the brakes several times following the manual and advice from
Thorsten and others -- all to no avail. They don't seem to stop
well, and the also have lever pump on long, steep downhills (though
I was able to minimize this, it still occurs). |
| re: Combine M4 and Mini? | SoCARider
Jul 13, 2002 4:11 PM | | Stick with Mini's front and back.
I'm running 185/165 on a bike heavier then yours (Intense SLX/Super T) and I'm 170lbs. It offers all the power I need in a nice little, light package. You can always get a Hope 20mm IS adapter and run a 185mm rotor in the rear if you really need the extra lock-um-up power.
I recently done a 12 mile downhill run, no problems or fading. EBC offers some great pads in different compounds for different uses.
I've been running the Mini's for over a year now, no problem to report so far...plus easy to work on.
As for the noise factor...yeah, mine orginally squeeled but Hope took care of that problem by sending me some EBC Green's. I don't think there is a noise factor with the current crop of Mini's. I'm currently running EBC Golds, they work great for general trail use. I stick in some Reds for extra power for strictly DH runs.
BTW...I own M4's also on a DH bike. Awesome performance...but might be overkill for your usages. |
| You shouldn't need an M4 up front - use Mini F + R | gonzostrike
Jul 15, 2002 8:24 AM | | My 37-lb Bullit runs 185mm front/165mm rear Hope Minis. I have plenty of power and that's even with EBC's Green "cross-country" compound pad. I would bet that with the Gold "DH" compound you would have way more power than you need.
Caveat: I weigh 160 lbs. Things might be different for a 200 lb person. |
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