🔧 Veloster - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

You’ll remove the rear wheels, swap the brake pads, and replace the rear rotors. This restores safe stopping power and prevents vibration or grinding when the old parts are worn or warped.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Support your Veloster with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Work on a flat, solid surface and use wheel chocks on the front wheels.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before removing rear calipers/rotors (parking brake clamps the rear brakes).
• ⚠️ Don’t breathe brake dust; use brake cleaner and wear a mask.
• ⚠️ Don’t press the brake pedal with a caliper removed (the piston can pop out and leak).
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm socket
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench (10–150 ft-lbs range)
• 14mm socket
• 17mm socket
• Ratchet
• Flathead screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Impact driver with Phillips bit
• Rubber mallet
• Wire brush
• Brake caliper piston rewind tool (specialty)
• Bungee cord
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Dust mask

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Qty: 2
• Rear brake hardware kit (pad clips/shims) - Qty: 1
• Brake lubricant (silicone brake grease) - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• Medium-strength threadlocker (blue) - Qty: 1
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, put the transmission in 1st gear, and chock the front wheels.
• 🧯 Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• 🧰 Loosen rear wheel lug nuts 1/2 turn using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• 🧪 Check the brake fluid level; when you push pistons back, the level may rise. Don’t overflow the reservoir.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Assumption (short): Torque specs can vary slightly by build; values below are commonly used for your Veloster’s rear brakes.

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Place wheel chocks at the front wheels.
• Lift the rear using a floor jack at the approved rear lift point.
• Set the car down onto jack stands and lightly shake the car to confirm it’s stable.
• Remove both rear wheels using a 21mm socket and ratchet.

Step 2: Remove the rear brake caliper

• Find the rear caliper (the clamp that squeezes the pads onto the rotor).
• Remove the two caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Lift the caliper off and hang it from the suspension using a bungee cord. Never let it hang by the hose.

Step 3: Remove the pads and caliper bracket

• Pull the old pads out of the caliper bracket (the metal frame that holds the pads) using your hands or a flathead screwdriver.
• Remove the caliper bracket bolts using a 17mm socket, breaker bar, and ratchet.
• Set the bracket aside.
• Torque later: Bracket bolts Torque to 80–90 Nm (59–66 ft-lbs).

Step 4: Remove the rotor

• Remove the rotor retaining screw (if equipped) using an impact driver with Phillips bit.
• Pull the rotor off the hub. If it’s stuck, tap around the rotor hat using a rubber mallet.
• If the rotor won’t come off, the parking brake shoes may be holding it:
  • Remove the rubber access plug (if present) using a flathead screwdriver.
  • Back off the star wheel adjuster a few clicks using a flathead screwdriver until the rotor loosens.

Step 5: Clean and prep the hub

• Clean the hub face with a wire brush and spray with brake cleaner.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face (avoid wheel studs).

Step 6: Install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor with brake cleaner to remove packing oil.
• Install the rotor onto the hub.
• If there’s a rotor screw, reinstall it using an impact driver with Phillips bit (snug only; do not over-tighten).

Step 7: Reinstall the caliper bracket and hardware

• Install new pad clips from the hardware kit onto the bracket (they “snap” into place).
• Reinstall the caliper bracket using a 17mm socket and ratchet.
• Apply medium-strength threadlocker (blue) to the bracket bolt threads.
• Torque: Bracket bolts Torque to 80–90 Nm (59–66 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Service the slide pins

• Pull the caliper slide pins out (they’re the smooth pins the caliper “glides” on) using your hands or needle-nose pliers.
• Wipe them clean and apply a thin coat of silicone brake grease.
• Reinsert the pins fully and make sure the rubber boots seat properly.

Step 9: Install new pads

• Apply a thin layer of brake grease where the pad ears touch the hardware clips (metal-to-metal contact points only).
• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand.

Step 10: Retract (push back) the rear caliper piston

• Your rear caliper piston typically must be turned while being pushed in due to the parking brake mechanism.
• Use a brake caliper piston rewind tool (specialty) to rotate and press the piston in slowly until it bottoms out.
• Go slow; keep the piston straight.

Step 11: Reinstall the caliper

• Place the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the caliper slide bolts using a 14mm socket and ratchet.
• Torque: Caliper slide bolts Torque to 25–30 Nm (18–22 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 2–11 on the opposite side.
• Do one side at a time to stay organized.

Step 13: Reinstall wheels

• Reinstall both wheels using a 21mm socket.
• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench: Torque to 90–110 Nm (66–81 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• 🦶 Pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm (this seats the pistons against the pads).
• 🧪 Check brake fluid level and top off only if needed (typically DOT 3 or DOT 4 as listed on the cap).
• 🅿️ Test the parking brake: apply/release a few times to self-seat.
• 🚗 Test drive at low speed first; confirm no pulling, grinding, or warning lights.
• 🔥 Pad/rotor break-in (bed-in): make 6–10 medium stops from ~40 to 10 mph, driving a bit between stops to cool. Avoid hard stops for 200 km.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹12,000-₹25,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹6,000-₹16,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹6,000-₹9,000 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹800-₹1,500/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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