I have an '04 Sonata and plan to change the front rotors myself since they are warped and they have already been resurfaced once. I won't be changing my brake pads as they have plenty of brake material left. Never having replaced brakes and/or rotors before, how easy is it to remove the rotors? Any special tools needed for removing the rotors? After removing the wheel, what is the procedure for removing the brake calipers? To remove the rotors, do I remove the nut in the center with the cotter pin through it? I appreciate any advice given.
It will vary with the amount of rust involved. A rubber mallet or a hammer and a block of wood will come in handy. There are two bolt that hold the caliper on. Remove, them and hang the caliper out of the way. I piece of coat-hanger wired hung off the coil spring works well for this. No. The rotors are held in place primarily by the wheels and are separate from the hub/bearing assembly. There are two small screws on each rotor that attach them to the hub. Remove the screws, then pull the rotors off. You may need the mallet/hammer to "persuade" them to come off. A little Liquid Wrench or WD-40 squirted into the hub/rotor interface from the back may help a bit.
Brian, Thanks for the reply, it doesn't sound too complicated at all. As for the two screws that hold the rotor in place, what is the recommended torque value when re-installing them? Thanks again. Ed
I don't know, but from what I've read, the screws are more of an assembly aid than a structural part and can even be left out without any problems. The rotor is sandwiched between the wheel and hub and the entire assembly is held together by the lug nuts. Given that and their small size, the torgue setting can't be critical, so "tight" should be good enough.
Sorry again. Yet another post I've entered without actually being posted. Everything above is pretty much correct, but presuming you have less than 60k on your car, why don't you take it to the dealer and have the work done under warranty. Rotor warpage is a warrantable condition.
