ORIGINAL: moonz

I always use an 8 inch C-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper. I 've never found the need to use a tool specifically designed for the job.

I guess you know to be sure you have the top off of the brake fluid reservoir when you push the piston back into the caliper. This allows the displaced fluid some extra room to expand. Sometimes a really full brake fluid reservoir will need to have a small amount of fluid temorarily removed while you do the brakes, and then topped off when you finish the job.

Don't push the caliper pistons in too far...just enough so the caliper with new pads in place will fit over the rotor. Pushing the pistons in too far can sometimes cause them to stick, or may even screw up the rubber piston boot.

ORIGINAL: moonz

I can't seem to find any instructions at Hyundai's HMAservice online manuals that describes a special tool for rotating caliper pistons on Elantra rear brakes, and a procedure that claims rotating the pistons to depress them is necessary to change the rear pads, although it may indeed be the case. Maybe I'm overlooking it on the website. What does the inside of the rear caliper piston bore look like that would require you to rotate the piston to depress it? a spiral spline? Now that would be very unusual, and expensive to manufacture. I don't own an Elantra, so I don't have any first-hand knowledge of the brakes. But, as a comparison, my Mazda has 4-wheel discs, and the rear calipers are no different then the fronts. You can replace the pads the very same way, front and rear.

I'm beginning to think I was real lucky not to have bought an Elantra.