🔧 Tucson - Rear Brake Pad & Rotor Replacement

This repair replaces the rear brake pads and rear brake rotors on your Tucson. Rear pads wear down over time, and rotors can become grooved, warped, or too thin, causing noise, vibration, or weak braking.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-3 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a flat, solid surface only. Never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Always support your Tucson with jack stands before removing wheels.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and gloves. Brake dust and rust flakes can fall while working.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while the rear calipers are removed.
• ⚠️ The parking brake must be fully released before removing the rear rotors.
• ⚠️ Your Tucson uses a rear disc brake with an internal parking brake drum mechanism inside the rotor hat. If the rotor will not come off, the parking brake shoes may need to be backed off.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm lug nut socket
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• 14mm socket
• 17mm wrench
• 17mm socket
• Phillips #3 screwdriver
• Impact screwdriver (specialty)
• Rear disc brake piston cube tool (specialty)
• Brake caliper compression tool (specialty)
• C-clamp 6-inch
• Flat-blade screwdriver 6-inch
• Needle-nose pliers
• Rubber mallet
• Wire brush
• Brake cleaner spray nozzle
• Brake bleeder bottle (specialty)
• 10mm flare-nut wrench
• Shop rags
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear brake hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Brake caliper slide pin grease - Qty: 1
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans
• DOT 4 brake fluid - Qty: 1 pint
• Anti-seize compound - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🚗 Park your Tucson on level ground, shift to Park, and turn the engine off.
• 🅿️ Release the parking brake fully. The rear rotor contains the parking brake drum surface.
• 🧱 Place wheel chocks in front of the front tires.
• 🧴 Open the hood and check the brake fluid reservoir. If it is completely full, remove a small amount with a clean suction tool so it does not overflow when the pistons are compressed.
• 🔍 A brake caliper is the clamp that squeezes the pads against the rotor. The caliper piston is the round part inside it that pushes the inner pad.
• 🛠️ A torque wrench tightens bolts to the correct tightness. This keeps parts secure without over-tightening them.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the Rear Lug Nuts

• Use a 21mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to loosen each rear lug nut about half a turn.
• Do this while the tires are still touching the ground so the wheels do not spin.
• Do not remove them yet.

Step 2: Raise and Support the Rear of the Tucson

• Use a floor jack to lift the rear of your Tucson at the rear center lift point or one side at a time using the factory pinch weld lift points.
• Place jack stands under the approved rear support points.
• Lower the Tucson gently onto the jack stands.
• Give the vehicle a light push with your hands to confirm it is stable.

Step 3: Remove the Rear Wheels

• Use the 21mm lug nut socket to remove the loosened rear lug nuts.
• Remove both rear wheels and place them flat under the vehicle as an extra safety backup.

Step 4: Inspect the Brake Assembly

• Use a flashlight if available and look at the caliper, pads, rotor, and brake hose.
• Do not let the caliper hang by the rubber brake hose. That hose carries brake fluid and can be damaged if stretched.
• If one side is much more worn than the other, check carefully for stuck slide pins or a sticking caliper.

Step 5: Remove the Rear Caliper Guide Pin Bolts

• Use a 14mm socket to remove the two rear caliper guide pin bolts.
• If the guide pin spins, hold the flat area of the guide pin with a 17mm wrench while loosening the bolt with the 14mm socket.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket.
• Support the caliper on the suspension with a bungee cord or place it carefully so the brake hose is not stretched.

Step 6: Remove the Old Brake Pads

• Use a flat-blade screwdriver 6-inch to gently pry the old pads out of the caliper bracket.
• Note how the inner and outer pads sit before removing them.
• Remove the metal pad clips from the bracket by hand or with needle-nose pliers.

Step 7: Remove the Caliper Bracket

• Use a 17mm socket and 1/2-inch drive breaker bar to remove the two caliper bracket bolts.
• Remove the caliper bracket from the knuckle.
• Set the bracket on a clean surface.

Step 8: Remove the Rotor Retaining Screw

• Use a Phillips #3 screwdriver to remove the rotor retaining screw from the face of the rotor.
• If it is stuck, use an impact screwdriver. An impact screwdriver turns the screw while you strike it, helping break rust loose.
• Press firmly into the screw to avoid stripping the head.

Step 9: Remove the Rear Rotor

• Make sure the parking brake is fully released.
• Pull the rotor straight off by hand.
• If the rotor is stuck to the hub, tap around the rotor hat with a rubber mallet.
• If the rotor moves slightly but will not come off, the internal parking brake shoes may be holding it.
• Use a flat-blade screwdriver 6-inch through the rotor access hole to turn the parking brake adjuster star wheel and back the shoes off slightly.
• Small turns make a big difference.

Step 10: Clean the Hub Face

• Use a wire brush to clean rust from the wheel hub face.
• Spray the area with brake cleaner spray nozzle and wipe it with shop rags.
• Apply a very thin film of anti-seize compound to the hub face, avoiding the wheel studs and braking surfaces.
• Too much anti-seize can sling onto brakes.

Step 11: Install the New Rear Rotor

• Clean both sides of the new rotor with brake cleaner spray nozzle and wipe dry with shop rags.
• Slide the new rotor onto the hub.
• Install the rotor retaining screw with a Phillips #3 screwdriver.
• Tighten the retaining screw snugly by hand. Do not over-tighten it.

Step 12: Service the Caliper Bracket

• Use a wire brush to clean the pad clip contact areas on the caliper bracket.
• Install the new clips from the rear brake hardware kit by hand.
• Remove each slide pin from the bracket by hand.
• Wipe the pins clean with shop rags.
• Apply brake caliper slide pin grease to each pin, then reinstall them into the rubber boots.
• Slide pins are small pins that let the caliper move evenly as the brakes apply.

Step 13: Reinstall the Caliper Bracket

• Place the caliper bracket over the rotor.
• Thread the two bracket bolts in by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a 17mm socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the caliper bracket bolts.
• Torque to 79-94 Nm (58-69 ft-lbs)

Step 14: Compress the Rear Caliper Piston

• Place the old inner brake pad against the piston.
• Use a rear disc brake piston cube tool with a brake caliper compression tool to turn and push the piston back into the caliper.
• If your caliper piston face does not require turning, use a C-clamp 6-inch and old pad to slowly press it straight in.
• Watch the brake fluid reservoir while compressing the piston. Use shop rags around the reservoir if needed.
• Do not force the piston. If it will not move, stop and inspect for a seized caliper.

Step 15: Install the New Brake Pads

• Apply a light coat of brake caliper slide pin grease only to the pad ears where they touch the metal clips.
• Do not get grease on the pad friction material or rotor face.
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the caliper bracket by hand.
• Make sure the pads slide smoothly in the clips.

Step 16: Reinstall the Rear Caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads.
• If it does not fit, use the rear disc brake piston cube tool or C-clamp 6-inch to compress the piston a little more.
• Thread the caliper guide pin bolts in by hand.
• Use a 14mm socket to tighten the guide pin bolts while holding the slide pin with a 17mm wrench if needed.
• Torque to 22-32 Nm (16-24 ft-lbs)

Step 17: Repeat on the Other Rear Side

• Repeat Steps 5 through 16 on the opposite rear wheel.
• Always replace rear brake pads and rotors in pairs so braking stays even.

Step 18: Reinstall the Rear Wheels

• Place the wheels back on the hubs.
• Thread the lug nuts by hand first.
• Use the 21mm lug nut socket to snug the lug nuts in a star pattern.

Step 19: Lower the Tucson and Torque the Lug Nuts

• Use the floor jack to raise your Tucson slightly off the jack stands.
• Remove the jack stands.
• Lower the vehicle until the tires touch the ground.
• Use a 21mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to 107-127 Nm (79-94 ft-lbs)

Step 20: Pump the Brake Pedal

• Sit in the driver seat and press the brake pedal slowly several times until it feels firm.
• This moves the caliper pistons back into position against the new pads.
• Do not drive until the pedal feels firm.

---

✅ After Repair

• ✅ Check the brake fluid level and top off with DOT 4 brake fluid if needed.
• ✅ Start your Tucson and press the brake pedal again. It should feel firm, not sink to the floor.
• ✅ Test the parking brake on a safe, flat surface before driving normally.
• ✅ Drive slowly in a safe area and make several gentle stops to confirm normal braking.
• ✅ Bed in the new pads: make 8-10 moderate stops from about 30-35 mph down to 5 mph, allowing a little cooling time between stops.
• ✅ Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles unless it is an emergency.
• ✅ Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles using the 21mm lug nut socket and 1/2-inch drive torque wrench.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$320 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$430 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-2.0 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.