2007-2012 Hyundai Elantra Brake Job Tools and Torque Specs

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A front or rear brake job on a 2007-2012 Hyundai Elantra needs only ordinary hand tools plus one item people skip: a click-type torque wrench. Every Elantra of the 2007-2010 generation came with four-wheel disc brakes, so both axles use the same basic procedure - caliper off, bracket off, rotor off - and every one of those fasteners goes back to a factory torque value, not to feel. Below is the full tool list, which fasteners must be torqued and in what order, and the two brake-related recalls to check before you start.

What brakes your Elantra actually has

Hyundai's launch material for the 2007 Elantra (GLS, SE and Limited) lists four-wheel disc brakes as standard on every trim, which was unusual for a compact at the time, along with a 4-channel, 4-sensor anti-lock system with Electronic Brake-force Distribution. The same release gives the rotor sizes:

In MotorWeek's road test, a 2007 Elantra stopped from 60 mph in 124 feet, which the reviewers called stable and a good result. That is the baseline a fresh, correctly torqued brake job should get you back to.

Two cautions on fitment. The Elantra Touring wagon (2009-2012) uses different front pads from the sedan, and the 2011-2012 Elantra sedan is a new generation with its own brake parts. Always match pads and rotors to your exact body style and year, which is why our listings name both - for example the EBC Redstuff ceramic front pads for the 2007-2008 Elantra 2.0L sedan versus the EBC Redstuff front pads for the 2009-2012 Elantra Touring.

Check these two recalls before you buy parts

NHTSA lists two brake-system recalls that cover this Elantra generation, and both can look like a brake problem you might try to fix with parts:

• Campaign 13V-113 (stop lamp switch). Covers certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring models, part of a 1,712,336-vehicle campaign. A faulty brake light switch can keep the brake lights from coming on, keep cruise control from disengaging when you brake, interfere with the shift-out-of-Park interlock and turn on the stability control warning light. Dealers replace the switch at no cost.
• Campaign 20V-061 (ABS module). Covers 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring. Moisture can get into the anti-lock brake module and cause an electrical short. The remedy is a relay added in the main junction box, at no cost.

If your ABS light is on or your brake lights are intermittent, run your VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup first. New pads will not fix either condition.

The tool list

• Floor jack and two jack stands. Never work under a car held only by a jack.
• Lug wrench or breaker bar with the correct lug socket.
• Metric socket set and combination wrenches. The Elantra is metric throughout. You need sockets for the caliper guide bolts, the caliper bracket bolts and the rotor retaining screws, plus an open-end wrench to hold the guide-pin flats if a bolt spins the pin.
• Click-type torque wrench. One that covers the low range for guide bolts and the higher range for bracket bolts and lug nuts. Two wrenches is fine.
• Piston compressor or large C-clamp to push the caliper piston back for the thicker new pads.
• Wire brush and brake cleaner for the bracket abutments where the pad clips sit, and for the hub face.
• High-temperature brake grease for the guide pins and pad contact points (not on the friction surface).
• Impact driver (hand type) if the rotor retaining screws are seized.
• Bleeder wrench, clear hose and a catch bottle if you open the hydraulic system or flush fluid. Use only the fluid type printed on your master cylinder reservoir cap.

Which fasteners need a torque wrench, and in what order

There are four fastener groups on each corner. Each has its own factory torque value in the Hyundai service manual for your year and body style, and they are not interchangeable - the bracket bolts take far more torque than the guide bolts. We only print a number when we can confirm it from Hyundai's own documentation, so look up the values for your VIN in the factory service information or ask a Hyundai service department before you start, and write them on a card next to the car.

1. Rotor retaining screws. Small screws that hold the rotor to the hub during assembly. Snug only, to the service-manual value. They do not clamp the rotor - the wheel does.
2. Caliper bracket (carrier) bolts. The highest-torque bolts on the brake itself; they hold the whole caliper to the knuckle. Clean the threads, install dry unless the manual calls for threadlocker, and torque to spec.
3. Caliper guide (slide pin) bolts. A low torque value. Over-tightening these is the most common mistake on this job and can strip threads in the bracket or bind the slide.
4. Wheel lug nuts. Last, with the tire on the ground, in a star pattern, to the value in your owner's manual. Re-check them after the first short drive.

Avoid running lug nuts all the way down with an impact gun. Uneven or excessive lug torque distorts the rotor hat and shows up later as pedal pulsation that people blame on the new rotors.

The job, step by step

1. Loosen the lug nuts on the ground, then lift and support the car on stands.
2. Remove the two caliper guide bolts and hang the caliper from the spring with wire. Do not let it hang by the rubber hose.
3. Remove the pads and clips, then the two bracket bolts and the bracket.
4. Remove the rotor retaining screws and pull the rotor. Clean rust off the hub face with the wire brush; any scale left there causes runout.
5. Clean the bracket abutments, fit the new clips, and grease the guide pins. Make sure the pins slide freely and the boots are not torn.
6. Install the rotor, screws, bracket and bolts, torquing as above.
7. Compress the piston slowly while watching the reservoir so it does not overflow, install the pads with the wear indicator in the position the old one was in, then install the caliper and torque the guide bolts.
8. Mount the wheel, torque the lugs, then pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the car.
9. Bed in the pads with a series of moderate stops, following the pad maker's procedure.

What to replace together

Replace pads in axle sets, and replace rotors whenever they are below the minimum thickness cast into the rotor or have deep scoring or a lip. New pad clips and lubricated guide pins prevent most noise comebacks. If a guide pin is seized or a piston will not retract smoothly, replace the caliper rather than forcing it - see our brake calipers. Browse brake pads and brake rotors for options by vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2007-2010 Elantra have rear disc or drum brakes?

Hyundai lists four-wheel disc brakes as standard on all 2007 Elantra trims, with a 10.3-inch solid rear disc. Confirm the rear setup on later years and the Touring wagon by checking the car or your parts lookup.

Can I tighten the caliper bolts by feel?

No. The guide bolts and bracket bolts have very different torque values, and guessing either one leads to stripped threads, a binding caliper or a loose bracket. Use a torque wrench and the service-manual values.

Why is my ABS light on after a brake job?

A damaged wheel speed sensor wire is one cause, but on 2007-2010 Elantras also check NHTSA recall 20V-061, which covers moisture shorting the ABS module.

Do I need to bleed the brakes after replacing pads?

Not if you never opened a line or the caliper. If the pedal is soft after pumping, or you replaced a caliper or hose, bleed the system with the fluid type on the reservoir cap.

Are the sedan and Elantra Touring pads the same?

No. The 2009-2012 Elantra Touring uses a different front pad from the 2007-2010 sedan, so buy by exact body style and year.

Sources

1. Hyundai 2007 Elantra launch release (The Auto Channel) - standard four-wheel discs, 4-channel ABS with EBD, 10.8 in vented front and 10.3 in solid rear rotors
2. MotorWeek 2007 Hyundai Elantra road test - 124 ft stop from 60 mph, standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS
3. NHTSA recalls for the Hyundai Elantra - campaigns 13V-113 (stop lamp switch) and 20V-061 (ABS module), scope and remedies
4. NHTSA recall 13V-113 filing - stop lamp switch defect and dealer remedy