Rev. Tom Wenndt said:
The advice about the HMA account is very good. I only wish that the Elantra
had one of those "Haynes"-type manuals available. For things like brakes,
they are indispensible. Maybe someday soon that will happen, now that
Hyundais are getting more and more popular.
I'm not sure why you feel the need for this, as the HMA site gives all
the instructions you need, plus detailed diagrams.
First of all, I will say that you have more guts than I do. There are a
number of neo-do-it-yourself jobs I will do on a vehicle, from tranny fluid,
to all my oil changes, to bulb replacements, a good sized list. And on a
couple of occasions, I have replaced brakes (both front and rear) with the
help of a fellow who, while also an amateur, has done it a number of times
and is not intimidated by it. But I have no guts (yet) to do it myself.
IMO, replacing brake pads is actually one of the easiest DIY mechanical
jobs one can do.
But my son's '02 Elantra (basically identical) just had its front pads
replaced. So I will give you what I learned from that.
Obviously, make sure you have a set of jack stands to put the vehicle on
after you have jacked each of the front wheels up (never leave it on the
jack while you work on it - just use it to pump the car up, then put the
stand in place).
For any front disc brake job, you will need a large C-clamp to push open the
caliper once you get it off, along with something (a small block of wood
will do) to put across the surface of the caliper. This is necessary
because the new brake pads will require the caliper to be opened
significantly more than you will find it. I have also used a simple bucket
to have a place to lay the caliper on so it doesn't have to hang by the
brake hoses.
As Eric said, you are not "opening the caliper", but pushing the brake
piston in. Personally, I don't use a C-clamp. I put a block of wood over
the piston and pry it back in place. It moves slowly, so don't force it.
Either method will work.
If the car has ABS, the piston cannot be just pushed in, you need a ~$10
brake piston tool and a socket wrench with an extension to twist the
piston back in. This tool is also needed for all Elantra rear disc
brakes, ABS or not. When you start twisting the piston, watch the rubber
seal to make sure it releases from the piston. If it's stuck, it can
tear when you twist the piston. If need be, coax it loose with a
popsicle stick or similar blunt object, then turn the piston in.
On the subject of the caliper, opening it wider will mean opening the cap on
your master (brake) cylinder, and maybe removing some of the brake fluid, as
opening the caliper does force more fluid into the master cylinder.
Sometimes on these jobs, the fluid level (for me) has stopped close to level
full, and sometimes I have had to siphon some off. If you do have to, throw
out the old fluid, and replace it with new DOT4 brake fluid.
While there are a couple of special tools you definitely need for rear
brakes, for front, you won't need much more than your lug wrench, etc. to
get the tires off, a set of needlenose plyers (to remove the caliper), a
mallet to get off the rotors, as they sometimes are on awfully tight, and
some special brake grease that is used on the back of the pads and on a
couple of pivot points.
You don't need to remove the caliper for most brake jobs. I assume what
you're using the pliers for is to remove the clip that holds the brake
line, not the caliper. The caliper itself is held in place by two bolts
(12mm, IIRC) that run in bushings that allow it to slide laterally.
Work the bushings back and forth to ensure that the caliper can slide
freely. If need be, these should be greased with a high-temp brake
grease, by pulling back the seals and applying grease onto the bushings.
Given the age of the vehicle, I'd expect that lubrication will be necessary.
Your dad is ABSOLUTELY correct in saying that the rotors need to go to a
local shop and be re-surfaced (usually called "turned"). If you want proper
braking, you must have a perfectly smooth surface for the brakes. Most auto
parts stores have the necessary lathe, and will need the rotors for around
2-3 hours.
I disagree. Aside from the fact that turning the rotors is rarely
necessary, one problem with Elantras is that the rotors rust in place.
Removing them generally requires cutting them off. This is virtually
guaranteed to be the situation on an '01 car, if it has the original
rotors. To try to get them off with a hammer would require so much force
that you'll damage the rotors and possibly the wheel bearings. Given
that, unless the rotors are warped or severely worn, leave them alone
and just replace the pads. The new pads will bed into the existing
rotors after a few stops. Contrary to popular misconception, there is
nothing wrong with doing this and there is no loss of braking performance.
If the rotors need replacement, it's a somewhat more involved job, but
not especially difficult or expensive. Replacement rotors are generally
under $30 each. There are two large Phillips screws that hold the rotor
to the hub during assembly at the factory. More than likely the heads
will snap off them when you try to remove them, as they will be rusted
in place. If that happens, it doesn't matter, as they are there to make
it easier to handle the hub assembly at the factory and are not
necessary otherwise (the rotors are held in place by the wheels on the
Elantra). Once you have dealt with the screws, you can try giving the
rotors a few whacks with a mallet (rubber, plastic or wood faced) to see
if they'll come off, but it's very doubtful. If they won't budge, it
takes 10-15 minutes per rotor to cut them on both sides down to the hub
with a hacksaw, then split them with a screwdriver or cold chisel driven
into the cuts (it's easier than it sounds). Once you do that, the
sections of rotor come off pretty easily with a few hammer taps. You'll
probably need to brush and perhaps file off some of the rust on the hub
in order to get the new rotors to seat properly. Don't get too
aggressive, just clean them up enough to get the new rotors on. Once
they're in place, reassemble the brake with the new pads and you're good
to go.
I am almost aghast at how many people seem to think this step is
unnecessary - they just replace pads, and on they go. But for your brakes
to work properly (something for safety's sake I think you would insist on),
you would want a perfect mate to the surface of the pad. Warping, stones,
etc. have virtually guaranteed that the surface will not be ideal for new
pads until it is re-surfaced.
Sorry, but that's simply incorrect. In fact, the increased surface area
of a worn rotor actually increases stopping power compared to one that's
perfectly smooth. As long as the braking action of the car is smooth
now, with no pulsation that would indicate warped or unevenly worn
rotors, there is nothing to be gained by replacing them unless they are
simply worn too thin, which is unlikely unless this car is already on
its second set of pads, or more.
I had to replace my rotors at the first pad change, due to a defective
original brake pad causing one to wear improperly. Part of the rotor was
not contacted by the pad at all, resulting in a 1/2" raised ridge near
the periphery that would have caused a problem with new pads. Had it not
been for that, the rotors would have been fine. One unexpected advantage
to the new rotors I installed (Pep Boys standard rotors) is that they're
far less prone to rusting than the stock rotors, which rust rapidly when
exposed to moisture.
