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Hyundai Tucson Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to change the front disc brake pads on a third generation 2016, 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Tucson SUV.

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2018 Tucson Front Wheel
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Slightly Loosen Lug Nuts
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Raise Front of SUV
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third generation (2016, 2017, 2018 plus the updated 2019 and 2020 model years) Hyundai Tucson SUV in changing the front disc brake pads and lubricating the caliper slider pins.

Owners of other Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles such as the Santa Fe, Kona, Elantra, Sonata, Accent, Veloster, Ioniq, Nexo, G80, G90, Stinger, Rio, Forte, Optima, Cadenza, K900, Soul, Niro, Sportage, Sorento and Sedona may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: ACDelco 14D1847CH, Bendix CFC1847, Power Stop Z23-1847, AM Autoparts AM-1728980796, Wagner QC1847 and Raybestos EHT1847H.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, an "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease.



 
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Spin Off Lug Nuts
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Five Lug Nuts Removed
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Rotor, Bracket, Caliper
The first few steps are to park the SUV on a level surface and turn off the ignition.

Then place wheel chocks on both sides of the rear tires and engage the emergency / parking brake to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the front wheel by turning them in the counterclockwise direction about 1/4 to 1/2 turn with the tire iron.

Raise the front of the SUV with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three wheels on the ground for extra safety.

Spin off the five lug nuts in the counterclockwise direction and set them aside in a safe place.

Carefully remove the front wheel and set it aside.

Once the front wheel is out of the way, you'll be able to see the front rotor, bracket, caliper, pads and suspension.

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Front Brake Caliper
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Loosen Lower Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Upper Caliper Bolt
The front brake caliper is held in place to the bracket by two bolts located on the back side of the caliper with the bolt heads facing in towards the engine bay.

Loosen the lower caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

Then loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the SUV) with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

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Spin Out Bottom Bolt
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Remove Top Bolt
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Two Caliper Bolts Removed
Spin out the two caliper bolts by hand and set them aside in a safe place.
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Pull Caliper Out of Bracket
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Rest Caliper On Rotor
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Two "V" Spring Clips
Carefully pull the caliper off the old pads and out of the bracket.

Rest the caliper on the rotor or suspend it from the suspension spring with a bungee cord or some twine.

Try to avoid stressing, kinking, bending or pulling on the rubber brake fluid hose.

There are two "V" shaped metal spring clips attached to the front outer edge of the OEM pads. These are used to keep the pads from dragging on the rotor and causing friction that reduces your fuel economy when the brakes are not in use.

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Remove Top Spring Clip
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Remove Bottom "V" Clip
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Remove Old Outer Pad

Gently pull off the two metal "V" shaped spring clips and set them aside in a safe place.

Your new brake pads may be equipped with the holes on the outer edge of the pads for re-installation later on. The new pads might also include new "V" clips.

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Wear Bar - Top Inner Pad
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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
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Replace Top Clip
Pull the old brake pads out of the bracket.

Make a mental note of where the wear indicator bar or "squeal bar" is situated on the old brake pads.

The wear indicator bar on this 2018 Tucson was situated at the top of the inner brake pad.

If your new set of front brake pads includes replacement hardware, pull the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket.

Clean off the bracket, lug studs, caliper and rotor with some brake parts cleaner spray.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to the top and bottom of the bracket and both sides of the new pad abutment clips.

Push the new pad abutment clips into the top and bottom of the bracket. Make sure they are fully seated.



 

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Pull Out Caliper Slider Pins
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Lubricate Caliper Slider Pins
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Attach "F" Clamp
In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins or "guide bolts" need to be well lubricated.

Pull the caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots on the bracket.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to the smooth parts of the two pins and push them back into place.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, the caliper piston will have to be compressed back or "retracted".

Attach the "F" clamp to the caliper and use the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston.

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Brake Fluid Reservoir
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Twist Off Reservoir Cap
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Compress Caliper Piston

Move to the right (driver) side of the engine bay and locate the brake fluid reservoir.

Remove the round black plastic reservoir cap by twisting it off it off in the counterclockwise direction.

Removing the cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the system when you compress the caliper pistons.

Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction until the caliper pistons are just about flush with the rubber dust boots that surround them.

Since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), be sure to replace the reservoir cap as soon as possible by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

Continue pushing back the caliper piston until it is just about flush with the rubber dust boot that surrounds it.

Try to avoid pinching or otherwise damaging the rubber dust boot.

Once the piston is fully compressed, detach the "F" clamp from the caliper.

 If your Tucson previously exhibited shuddering, pulsations, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the first front brake job on your SUV and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two Phillips head set screws, remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

If you have a torque wrench, the torque specification for the caliper bracket bolts in the service manual is 57.9 to 72.3 lb-ft of torque.

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Replace Reservoir Cap
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Install New Outer Pad
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Wear Bar - Top Inner Pad
Install the two new brake pads into the bracket.

The wear indicator bar should be located at the top of the new inner brake pad.

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Push Pads Against Rotor
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Re-Attach Lower "V" Clip
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Replace Top Spring Clip
Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor.

If your new pads are equipped with the small holes on the front outer edge, re-attach the old "V" spring clips or use the new ones if they were included in the bag of new hardware.

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Lower Caliper Over Pads
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Spin In Lower Bolt
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Spin In Top Bolt

Carefully lower the caliper over the new pads and into the bracket.

Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with their corresponding holes in the caliper slider pins within the bracket.

Spin in the two caliper bolts a few turns by hand in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

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Tighten Caliper Bolts
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Rubber Valve Cap
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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
Tighten the two caliper bolts in the counterclockwise direction with the 14mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet to just past hand tight or about 20 to 25 lb-ft of torque.

Double check that the two caliper bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain a few air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT 3 brake fluid or you can also use DOT 4 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper just below the upper caliper bolt.

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Push On Front Wheel
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Spin On Five Lug Nuts
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Slightly Tighten Lug Nuts
Carefully push the front wheel back over the lug studs and spin on the five lug nuts a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Slightly tighten the lug nuts in a "star" or "criss cross" pattern with the lug nut wrench.

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Lower Car From Stands
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Torque 65 To 79 lb-ft
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Front Brake Pads Replaced

Carefully lower the SUV from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the 5 lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern to about 1/8 to 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 65 to 79 ft-lbs of torque.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with an 80lb-ft torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and firmly press the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, pour in some fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of fresh brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and also verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, check out all of my 2016-2018 Hyundai Tucson DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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