IIIPRO E4 4-Piston Hydraulic MTB Brakes - Are they to be trusted?

[capttowers]

I had intentions of playing it safe with a new set of Shimano XT M8120 disc brakes for a build, but thought about rolling the dice on the IIIPro E4 brakes seen on AliExpress ($96). The colors and cheap price pulled me in!

Has anyone had any experience with these brakes? Do you trust them to keep you safe on steep descents? Sorry for the ugly link:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804577690212.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.39c96ad7DlcKpK&algo_pvid=20cbce48-2c05-4bee-981b-6262bbf1efcb&algo_exp_id=20cbce48-2c05-4bee-981b-6262bbf1efcb-2&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000030384938778%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21144.12%2198.0%21%21%21%21%21%40211bea7b16746634917912248d06ed%2112000030384938778%21sea&curPageLogUid=ecEqeLD4xL3M

[jefflinde]

So i have the ZRACE version of the 2 piston ones, Same design with different logo, and i like them so far.  i have not pushed them super hard but they have been great for XC riding in the midwest.

[jonathanf2]

IPRO does brakes for both road and MTB. Other companies just slap their name on them. At this point, I think the Chinese brake calipers are pretty solid for the price. I still think the Juin Tech calipers are bit more refined at a higher price point, so it's really up to you how much you want to spend. I have Onirii/IPRO, Juin Tech and Shimano hydraulic calipers on my various bikes and they all do a good job.

[00Garza]

You don't get the fancy colors, but for not much more you can get shimano brakes.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832790296944.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.49f769f0ABPHf6&algo_pvid=abdca36f-d1ee-468a-bce8-30335479ac9d&aem_p4p_detail=202301251034414576228032052400028028278&algo_exp_id=abdca36f-d1ee-468a-bce8-30335479ac9d-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2266950494801%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21139.8%21116.03%21%21%21%21%21%40211bc2a016746716817998296d06d7%2166950494801%21sea&curPageLogUid=JmS9M34Tm6f8&ad_pvid=202301251034414576228032052400028028278_1&ad_pvid=202301251034414576228032052400028028278_1

[capttowers]

You don't get the fancy colors, but for not much more you can get shimano brakes.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832790296944.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.49f769f0ABPHf6&algo_pvid=abdca36f-d1ee-468a-bce8-30335479ac9d&aem_p4p_detail=202301251034414576228032052400028028278&algo_exp_id=abdca36f-d1ee-468a-bce8-30335479ac9d-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2266950494801%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21139.8%21116.03%21%21%21%21%21%40211bc2a016746716817998296d06d7%2166950494801%21sea&curPageLogUid=JmS9M34Tm6f8&ad_pvid=202301251034414576228032052400028028278_1&ad_pvid=202301251034414576228032052400028028278_1

You're right. I have the Deore 6120 (4-piston version) on a bike currently and they perform very well for a lower cost shimano brake system.

The HOPE knock offs pulled me in with their cool colorways

[FullCarbonAlchemist]

The big difference versus XT (if nothing else) is going to be lever ergonomics and feel. Those are big, high angle two-finger levers. Everything about Deore/SLX/XT/XTR is designed around single finger braking and they have good ergonomics with a nice wide lever surface at a shallow angle.

[Tijoe]

I purchased a set of these during the 11-11 sale and put them on my latest hardtail build.   To date, I have only ridden the bike on flat asphalt.   They worked great during my test rides, but I haven't hit the mountains yet due to winter snow.  (Therefore they haven't been put to any real braking challenges.)

I want to purchase a second set, but the prices are significantly higher than what I paid for mine.  ($80 with free shipping.)   Now, most Aliexpress stores  are selling them for $98 to $116.  I hope the price drops back down before spring.

From my perspective, they were easy to install and set up on the bike.  They have a good firm feel to them with good modulation.   As I've found out over the years,  the rotors and pads make a significant difference on all of the disc brake systems I have on my bikes.

[Tijoe]

I have been considering purchasing the ZTTO hydraulic 4 piston brake set.  Much less expensive.   (To date, I haven't had any problems with other ZTTO parts I've purchased.

Any thought on these brakes?  Only $58.00 for a set.     (They weigh more than the IIIPros.)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803409965298.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.seoads.1.25f22882gTNJPJ&ad_pvid=202301260925388326283687139040031521868_1&s=p&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

[Stijn 23]

I actually had the ZTTO brakes on my bike (rigid HT with gravel 40mm tires) and although they performed really well, I  swapped them for the IIIPRO 4 pistons. The lever was too far to reach and kind off awkward build. Goes very outward so I never could reach it completely. Almost crashed in a tree doing some twisty singletracks because I had to loosen my grip on the bars to brake and slid right off with 1 hand. Now if you have bigger hands or longer fingers, the brakes could work for you because they had a nice bite and great brake performance. As I said, I now ride with the IIIPRO's, these are really great (and lever travel can be adjusted). Did now some 400km or so with them. Terrain is something between gravel and XC. Used them in the mud, dry, cold,... always equal power. Somewhere on this page I reported my findings so far. Nutshell: great stopping power, nice design, lightweight, rear caliper is touching frame so rubbed a bit in beginning (frame specific I guess), Bolts are not great quality but easily swapped. Overall really happy. Once I have more "test data", I will likely purchase a second set for my XC hardtail.

[capttowers]

I have been considering purchasing the ZTTO hydraulic 4 piston brake set.  Much less expensive.   (To date, I haven't had any problems with other ZTTO parts I've purchased.

Any thought on these brakes?  Only $58.00 for a set.     (They weigh more than the IIIPros.)

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803409965298.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.seoads.1.25f22882gTNJPJ&ad_pvid=202301260925388326283687139040031521868_1&s=p&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

The ZTTO brakes (like probably most of these knock off brakes) are probably fine for moderate use and general trail riding. They start to fail when put to the test of heavy enduro/downhill use. Check out this video testing the ZTTO brakes at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia, USA

[Fat Larry]

How much of that failure is down to the bleed/cheap pads/oil and how much is down to design and materials? Could they be rescued and made reliable by bleeding them with proper oil and swapping in some decent pads?

[TidyDinosaur]

How much of that failure is down to the bleed/cheap pads/oil and how much is down to design and materials? Could they be rescued and made reliable by bleeding them with proper oil and swapping in some decent pads?

Yeah, but that is it with these cheap Chinese brakes/groupsets... They work kinda OK, and then you spend hours and days and more money to try to get them to work a little better...

[Tijoe]

I have always understood that if the hydraulic lines are bled and the calipers are set up/adjusted correctly,  lever fade is usually due to the mineral oil becoming too hot and boiling/making bubbles.  When the levers stay firm, but the brakes fade, this is due to the pads/compound and/or the rotors.

I have had lever fade happen on occasion on my Scumano XT hydraulic brakes.  Usually when this happens the rotors are flaming hot, and the calipers are too hot to touch.   This used to happen more often until I replaced the rotors with heat dissipating floating rotors.

Lever fade has happened to me usually when I have been on very steep long fast descents where I have to keep the brake/s applied for a long period of time to keep my speed down.   When I am on technical trails where I have to brake hard, then release the brakes, then hard again and again, I have never had lever fade.

[Tijoe]

IIIPro update.   I've been using my IIIPros a lot this summer.   About a week ago, I started hearing a grinding sound on the rear brake and the caliper wasn't gripping the rotor/stopping very well.   I was in a rush, so I took of the caliper and saw that the anodizing was worn off in areas on edges of the caliper.   When I actuated the lever, I could see that one pair of pistons weren't moving.   The other pair of pistons and the brake pad were pushing the rotor onto the caliper and making the rotor rub on the caliper.  I swapped out the caliper with another rear IIIPro caliper, bled it and the bike was back on the trails.

Today I took a look the the caliper and hooked it up to the lever mated to the bike I swapped the caliper from.  When the lever was pulled, all 4 pistons move evenly like they should.   I am wondering if some sort of air bubble formed so that the one side stopped working.   

[bremerradkurier]

Received my set yesterday and installed the front.  Inboard pistons  don't seem to move as easily as the outboard pistons, and the lever body rotates slightly  around the clamp bolt while pulling the brake lever.