Owners of other Kia and Hyundai vehicles with similar rear disc brake hardware such as the Forte, Cadenza, Rio, Optima, Sedona, Sorento, Sportage, Sonata, Accent, Elantra, Veloster, Azera, Tucson, Santa Fe, Genesis and the new second generation 2014 Kia Soul may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

Then slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the rear wheel in the counter clockwise direction with the tire iron.

Raise the rear of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with 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 in the counter clockwise direction and set them aside in a safe place.

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

The rear brake caliper is held in place by two bolts on the back side facing towards the middle of the vehicle.

Then loosen the lower 14mm caliper bolt in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the car).

Spin out the two caliper bolts and set them aside in a safe place.

(Note - The service manual's torque specification for tightening the rear 14mm caliper bolts is 15.9 to 23.1 lb-ft (or 21.6 to 31.4 N*m).)

Try to avoid stressing, kinking or bending the rubber brake fluid line.

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

On this 2013 Soul, the wear indicator bar was located at the bottom of the inner brake pad.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1445 brake pads since they have great 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.

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

Pull the upper and lower caliper pins out of their rubber dust boots, apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to each one before pushing them back in to their rubber boots.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new brake pads, you'll need to compress back the piston.

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.

Removing the brake fluid cap will allow the fluid to more easily travel backwards through the lines when you compress the caliper piston.

Slowly turn the "F" clamp handle in the clockwise direction to compress the piston back in to the caliper while repeatedly checking the level in the brake fluid reservoir to prevent it from overflowing.

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

Clean up any spilled brake fluid immediately since it can easily damage painted surfaces.

Replace the brake fluid cap as soon as possible, since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

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 (cancer causing) if inhaled.

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

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two 17mm 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 and the back of the new pads. Do not apply brake parts lubricant to the friction surface of the new pads or to the face of the rotor.

Note - The service manual's torque specification for tightening the large rear bracket bolts is 47.0 to 54.3 lb-ft (or 63.7 to 73.6 N*m).

Push the two pads together until they are flush against the rotor.

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

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

Spin in the upper and lower caliper bolts in the counter clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Note - The service manual's torque specification for tightening the rear 14mm caliper bolts is 15.9 to 23.1 lb-ft (or 21.6 to 31.4 N*m).

Double check that both 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 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.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack until the rear wheel holds enough weight to keep it from spinning.

Continue progressively tightening the lug nuts in a criss cross or star pattern to 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 80 ft-lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or a torque stick with an impact wrench to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Note - The owner's manual torque specification for tightening the lug nuts is 65.1 to 79.6 lb-ft (or 88.3 to 107.9 N*m).

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 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 verify that the lug nuts are still tight after a short test drive.

For more, check out my other Kia Soul DIY Maintenance Guides.