Shimano’s formidable 4-piston Saint gravity brakes make other stopping systems feel like dragging a foot in the dirt.. A few months back I reviewed Shimano’s XT 4-piston brakes, and have since noticed them on loads of bikes. Disc brake pads come in two different materials: organic or metal sintered. Saints are more adjustable, but are no more powerful than Zees. The two piston caliper locks on to the rotor regardless of descent speed for full control on steep downhills and gravity drops. With the same pads as xt. I own the Zee, Saint, and SLX brakes, I can't tell the difference between Zee and Saint in either feel or performance. Driver stated that she had applied brakes, but that they did not work. Our Take – Shimano Saint vs Zee Brakes. I went zee from Sram Guide R, the modulation is dang good and stopping power is really strong. I haven't had to bleed or make any adjustments (perfect right out of the box). The Zee has far more power and surprisingly enough, it also has better modulation and control. The new Zee hydraulic disc brakes feature a powerful four piston caliper and shorty style brake levers. Currently have the SLX due to budget restrains when I bought my bike and wanted to upgrade to dual piston because the fading is fucking horrible at steeper descents with them, and the choice was pretty much XT 8020s or Zee (maybe Saint if I start to shit out cash by accident). For instance, a Shimano Deore pad will be different than a Shimano Zee pad. January 22, 2019. I mounted these brakes on two different bikes that required drastically different rear hose lengths. Never tested the XT though. This is one groupset that gives you the confidence to find your flow and handle even the gnarliest of downhill rides. I found the power similar, but now much easier to just apply a small amount of braking force compared to the on/off XT. so searching for ''shimano zee brake opinions'' brings up a lot more of complaints than a favorable opinion. It's basically the same brake as Saint with less features on the lever. The M8020 brakes look just like Shimano’s Saint downhill brakes. I've never tried ZEEs but people talk about how nice the modulation is and the fact that they are designed for gravity suggests they should cope well. Both brakes can lock the rear or send you over the front easily, especially with 200mm rotors. In fact … JavaScript is disabled. The only real difference is the price and the liberal use of exotic materials. I … Our investigations and lab analysis resulted in a $23.3 million settlement to the homeowners. Can I use the Avid adapters I have with the Shimano brakes or will I need to use Shimano adapters? Let’s start off with Zees. I didn't have any complaints on the XTs (they're lighter than the Zees) but I'm heavy and the Zees showed up on special so I'm happy I went with a 4 pot brake. I If you're riding your 303 anywhere near like it was meant, it deserves 4-pot brakes though; Zees for only $20/wheel over XT is easily worth it, my opinion. You will want to grab a BH90 hose to connect the new calipers to your existing lever, as the banjo bolt differs slightly. This version of the Saint brake was released years ago. Zee's stopping power is a lot stronger than the 2-piston XTs. What do you think? SRAM Models: SRAM’s brake lineup is a little easier to follow in my opinion. Sounds like XT levers with Zee calipers are right up the OP's alley. Rims, SUN Cranks, Shimano Front derailer, Shimano 105 Rear derailer, Shimano Deore XT Shifters, Shimano bar-end Seats, RANS You can contact me at djelliott 524 at charter dot com. Then you have the Zee and the Saint brakes. The only thing that bothers me slightly is how close the lever gets to the bar by the time you're at full pressure, but I think that's a preference to how I like my levers to be set up. Other than the free stroke adjustment (which nearly everyone turns all the way in) and the reach adjust knob, the Saints also have a slightly slimmer clamp band and a more compact reservoir assembly which gives you a bit more flexibility when positioning the controls. I don't think Saint brakes are worth the difference; all you get is the reach adjust knob (which I've used once in the life of my brakes - having that take 10 extra seconds to do with a wrench is not a big deal; the only way that's a worth-money feature is on a rental bike where different people are riding it every day) and the free stroke adjustment which roughly 0% of people find useful. If you’re using these brakes for everyday riding like I am, I’d recommend swapping to the quieter organic ones. Zee and Saint are the only Shimano brakes with an inside edge hose attachment to protect them against accidental crash and uplift damage. So, back in April, I got a Trek Remedy 9.8 that came stock with the XT brakes. I thought the Zee's would be 'too much' since they're downhill specific, but then I read that they have better modulation and the same stopping power as the XTs. Shimano Saint BR-M820 + BL-M820 Disc Brake with Ice-Tech Brake Pads Set FW + RW. I do miss the more agressive initial bite of the XTs but the Zees blow them away in terms of stopping power. I just switched from XT to Zees. I just ordered a set of TRP quadiems so i can pretend to be as fast as Gwin at the pub afterwards. Swapping hoses and bleeding … Do the zees have reach adjust? Would recommend though. Shimano XT brakes are often said to be the standard for how mountain bike disc brakes should perform for the power and price they are offered at. The modulation in the brakes is vastly improved over the previous on/off generation of Shimano brakes. Weight-wise, there is very little difference between the XT brakes and the XTR trail (M9020) brakes. But zee will be slightly stronger and better modulation. Is this true? Also both are easier to bleed than sram and don't squeal like srams are often known for. We probably could have tested the new XT 4-piston against the Code. (1999) * Ply-Gen (Hoover) vs. Pulte Home. Brakes, Avid V-type and Araya drum brake Hubs, Front Shimano Deore, Rear ? Honestly, even the single piston XTs are usually good against fade if you run them with metallic pads. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Zee's stopping power is a lot stronger than the 2-piston XTs. Saints cool slightly better (minimally), but aren't outright a superior brake. They are, at their core function, the same brake- crazy powerful, excellent cooling properties, and easy to work on. ... reviews that mean nothing to me. Well, here is our take on the Saint vs Zee debate. Zees have more material to them and more fluid volume. The XTR versions, however, do control power noticeably better than the XT. Zee's stopping power is a lot stronger than the 2-piston XTs. The BR-MT520 uses the same pads as the Saint/Zee/XT. But if you ride pretty slow, they might feel like too much brake. Is there a big difference between Zee and Saint in terms of modulation and braking power? Got them installed yesterday, then session-ed Deer Valley. Shimano XT SM-RT86 6-hole Disc Rotor 203mm | Brake Rotor Discs Shop Zee front and rear with H03C metals : Shimano ZEE BR-M640-B Disc Brake Set with H03C Metal | Disc Brake - Sets Shop . I have a set of Zees on my Transition TR500 and before even giving them a chance I … For me it's not worth it, lever reach isn't something I play with and if I ever need to change it I usually have a multi-tool on me with the right hex key.