How to change the brakes pads on Elantra

If you don't know how to do a brake job already - as evidenced by your question, then I'd recommend going out and buying something like a Haynes manual for your vehicle. They cover most everything you'll probably ever get into in well documented detail. Lots of valuable photos. The Haynes manual is available in most aftermarket auto parts stores for under $20.

First though... why do you feel you need new pads all the way around? Not to suggest that you don't, but my first reaction to a question such as yours (it's clear you have no experience in this area) is to question the underlying reason.

Does your Elantr have disk brakes in the rear? If not you won't find pads in the rear. If it has drum brakes in the rear, you'll have shoes, not pads, and they may well still be serviceable. Typically, drum brakes are out of adjustment in less than 10,000 miles and suffer no further wear on the shoes. If this is the case, all they will probably require is an adjustment to bring them back up.

Nice post, Mike. You've said most of what I would have said, only better.

I'll just add that changing brake pads is a rather simple task on the front. On the rear, you're likely to need some special tools (screw-type caliper compressor for pads or drum brake tools for shoes) and it'll be a little more complicated.

I don't think we're so much trying to withhold information as to make sure the OP doesn't receive the impression that he can, with no brake experience, go change brake pads based on some advice here. The Haynes manual is an excellent idea. Similarly, having someone who knows how to do brake work (even a do-it-yourselfer) watch and coach while doing the job would be a good idea.

Thank you sir. I'm not sure about the "better" part though. You hold your end up pretty well here.

That's one of the difficulties with net-advice. Anyone can do a lot of the repairs to keep a car running, and sometimes with not much more than advice from a forum like this. Then there's things like, oh say... drum brakes. Not so easy to walk someone through this for the first time in a newsgroup. Especially if they got rambunctious and took both wheels apart already. Having someone on hand who has already done brakes is a really good idea for the first timer adventurer.

I believe there are DIY instructions with photos on the Elantra Club and Elantra XD sites.