Best way to shorten a hope brake hose?

[ishaw]

I've almost finished building up a fun little bike. The plan is to create something small my wife can ride and/or a fun bike for me and later on, my kids. I've got it all done now bar the brakes. As its a small frame, the brake hose fitted are way longer than needed (plus as they have been stored a while, there are a few kinks).

What's the best way to neasure up and cut the hose, without making too much mess? Can i re-use any of the fixings when i bolt it all back together or do i need new olives?

I should probably swap these brakes over onto my own bike and use the formula brakes on this, but hey maybe another day.

 

[stevet1]

Re:

looking good there Ian!
I always use a sharp stanley knife to cut hydraulic hose square.
You can normally reuse olives, just open them up a bit with a screwdriver to get them off. The tricky bit is getting the barbed hose connector out in one piece. You can slice the hose off if you're careful, but watch your fingers...

 

[ishaw]

Cheers. Its been a while since I've had to do this and remember it being a bit of a faff.

 

[ishaw]

Is it best to disconnect at the lever or the calliper?

 

[02gf74]

Re:

I currently own no hope brakes but the set i had had fancy reusable alloy fittings so different to what im used to. Since i didnt adjust them i cannot comment.

All others, shimano, formula, avid/sram and magura have a hollow bolt that pushes an olive into the master cylinde, a small insert being fitted to stop the hose collapsing. The olive, brass usually has to deform to make the seal. I always shorten hoses and have never managed to reuse an olive, and yes, i tried.

The inner is reused although manufacturers frown on that as they want you buy one for a quid or more. Cut off the hose plastic inner away on one side of the barbed end and by bending the hose, the insert is released.


The hose at the calliper has a manufacturer pressed on fitting so leave that alone, shorten at the brake lever end.

Also some hoses use a banjo fitting, e.g. early shimano and hope so no olive, but two thin o rings to seal.

 

[02gf74]

Brake lever end as it does not drain the hose, you may get away without having to bleed the brake after refitting it .

 

[ishaw]

Cheers. Hope brakes dont have the pressed fit end so from that perspective, it doesnt matter. I like the idea of not having to bleed the brakes, one is spot on at the moment, the other needs one, so if i only have to bleed one, great, bit i doubt I'll get that lucky.

 

[BertR00t]

Re:

Ignore the above. You can do either end to shorten. I have done a few sets of Tech 2 M4 and a couple Tech 3 E4 and it is easy. I usually put a surgical glove over the end with the insert on to pull it off in case it flies off so that the glove catches it. Watch this and it shows how easy it is.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MhYX1fHmMvA

 

[ishaw]

Cheers, all done.

 

[oldschool]

Re:

Can this be done to xt brakes