How to Remove the Brake Pads From a 2005 KIA Optima

The Kia Optima was introduced in 2001 to compete with cars such as the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. The 2005 Kia was equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, capable of producing 138-horsepower in the base model EX sedan. A 2.7-liter, 170-horsepower V-6 engine was optional in both the EX and LX models. The outboard brake pads on both sides of the Optima are held in place by a metal retaining clip. Proper lubrication of the caliper parts is essential to the upkeep of the pads and rotors on the 2005 Optima.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of the Optima. Check the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir. The fluid should naturally be low due to the wearing of the brake pads and fluid displacement in the lines. Remove fluid, if necessary, so that the level is about 1/2 inch below the "Full" mark. Use a turkey baster or small bottle siphon to remove the fluid.

2

Loosen the front wheel lug nuts, but do not remove them. Raise the front of the Optima with a jack. Place jack stands beneath the two front subframe rails, underneath the engine compartment. Lower the car onto the jack stands. Remove the front wheel lug nuts, then remove the front wheels from the car.

3

Remove the caliper bolts from one of the calipers, using a ratchet and socket. Remove the metal retainer clip from the outboard side of the caliper, using pliers. Lift the brake caliper off the rotor assembly, using a small pry bar, if necessary. Hang the caliper from the front strut spring, using a metal clothes hanger or metal hook. Do not let the caliper hang freely by the rubber brake hose on the rear, or it could tear the brake hose.

4

Install the old inboard brake pad against the caliper piston, on the inside of the caliper. Set a C-clamp around the rear of the caliper with the screw-splined end against the old brake pad. Tighten the C-clamp slowly onto the brake pad to compress the caliper piston completely. Turning the C-clamp too fast can rotate the piston seals and possibly inject air into the brake caliper.

5

Measure across the vents of the rotor to determine the thickness of the rotor surface. If the rotor is less than 7/8-inch thick, then the rotor needs to be discarded. If the brake pedal pulsates when you push it down, then the rotors are probably warped and should be replaced.

6

Install the new inboard brake pad onto the caliper mounting bracket. Install the new outboard brake pad into the caliper housing. Insert the retainer clip on the outboard side of the housing, using pliers. Remove the caliper from the hanger and set it over the brake rotor assembly.

7

Pull the caliper guide pins out of the rear of the caliper. Lubricate the guide pins heavily with caliper grease. Insert the pins back into the caliper and position the caliper onto the caliper mounting bracket. Install and tighten the caliper mounting bolts between 19 and 21 foot-pounds with a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket.

8

Repeat Steps 2 through 6 to complete the brake pad replacement on the second side of the Optima. Install the front wheels and tighten the lug nuts snug with a tire iron. Raise the Optima off the stands, then remove the stands from beneath the car. Lower the car to the ground, and tighten the front wheel lug nuts to 85 foot-pounds with the torque wrench and a wheel nut socket.

9

Check and fill the brake fluid reservoir to the "Full" mark, if needed. Install the reservoir cap and tighten it, by hand. Sit in the driver's seat of the car and slowly pump the brake pedal several times. If the brake pedal does not stiffen or become harder to depress after five pumps, stop pumping the pedal and bleed the front brake calipers.