Owners of other Hyundai and Kia vehicles such as the Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Azera, Veloster, Tiburon, Genesis, Lavita, Veracruz, Santa Fe, ix35, Equus, Cadenza, Forte, Optima, Rio, Soul, Sedona, Sorento, Spectra and Sportage may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a 14mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp and a tube of brake parts lubricant grease.

The compatible replacement brake pad part numbers may vary depending on the model year and whether your Tucson is a "FWD" (front wheel drive) or "4WD" (four wheel drive) model.

Please verify the correct replacement part number for your Tucson by consulting your dealership's parts counter, calling an automotive parts store or by using the Amazon Part Finder before purchasing new brake pads.

Then slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the rear wheel by turning them counterclockwise with the tire iron.

Raise the rear of the SUV with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

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

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Remove the rear wheel to reveal the caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension.

Loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

Then loosen the lower caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

Carefully rest the caliper on the suspension or suspend it from the spring with a bungee cord.

Pull the old inner and outer brake pads out of the bracket.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1398 brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon. I also like how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the built in insulators.

On this 2014 Tucson FWD (front wheel drive) model, the wear bar was situated at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

If your set of new rear brake pads included replacement brake hardware, pull the old metal pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the top and bottom of the bracket and install the new ones in their place.

In order for the caliper to operate smoothly, the two caliper slider pins inside the bracket need to be well lubricated.

Pull the caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots, apply a thin layer of high temperature brake caliper grease to each before pushing them back in to their dust boots.

Attach the "C" or "F" clamp to the caliper using the back of an old brake pad to evenly distribute the pressure across the piston.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay, near the driver's seat, and twist off the brake fluid reservoir cap in the counterclockwise direction.

Slowly turn the "F" clamp's handle in the clockwise direction to push the piston back while repeatedly checking the level in the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it doesn't overflow.

Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately with a rag and flush the area with water.

Brake fluid can easily damage automotive paint.

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

Replace the brake fluid reservoir cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (readily absorbs moisture from the air).

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray.

Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since breathing in brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (causes cancer) if inhaled.

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

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, 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.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper piston. Do not apply brake parts lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or to the rotor.

Install the new brake pads in to the caliper bracket with the wear indicator bar situated at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

Carefully lower the caliper down over the new brake pads and in to the bracket.

If the caliper won't fit over the new pads, you probably just need to compress the piston back a bit further.

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

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

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 some 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 or 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.

Replace the rear wheel and spin on the 5 lug nuts by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Carefully lower the SUV from the jack stands 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 65.1 to 79.5 ft-lbs of torque.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a 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 rear 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/or not perform as well.

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

For more, check out my other Hyundai Tucson DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.