Hello All,

I have a brake question that has been bugging me. I have an ’05 Elantra. Brake noise from the right (passenger) rear, caused me to look at the brakes. A brake pad had come semi-loose from the shoe, so it was time to replace them.

Purchased new drums and shoes. When I went to put them on, I noticed that the new brake shoes were marked “L” & “R”. Great, except the one marked “L” matched the one on the Right (Passenger) side of the car and the “R” matched the Left (Driver) side.

Looking at the online pictures, the old ones on the car seemed correct. The indicator being the fact that the emergency brake operating lever is on the inside of the shoe. Now, I can’t imagine how the aftermarket manufacturer could get that wrong. The only reference to a similar thing on the internet was a statement about Japan & Australia calling the driver side of the car the right side and passenger the left. No reference to Korea.

Everything went on alright, but it still makes me wonder. Has anyone else run across anything similar?

Thanks,
Dan

 

I was hoping for something from somebody.

 

Your comment about Japan and Australia calling their Drivers side the Right side is exactly the same RIGHT side on our cars because the drivers in those two countries drive on the opposite side (our passenger side). Confusing? Regardless of which country the car is in, sitting in the driver’s seat, facing forward the direction of the right side of your body is the RIGHT side of the car.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has mandated that the right side - left side of the car will be identical worldwide.

Ray

 

Ray, unless the drivers in Japan and Australia face the back of the car, your explanation does not make sense, and does not explain why the right brake shoe had an L on it and the left had an R. I'm not questioning which side the driver seat is on, I'm questioning which side of the car is considered the right side and which is the left.

Dan

 

What Ray said is exactly correct. Sit the in car facing forward. To your left is the left side of the car to your right is the right. It doesn't matter what side the driver is on.

 

You too missed the point. I'm trying to comprehend why the brake shoes are marked backwards, with the possibility of the reason being that some countries name the sides of the car while standing in front and facing the car.

My comment about Japan & Australia was in reference to what we call the right side and left side and not on which side the driver sits.

I can see that no one here has the answer, so I will look someplace else.

Thanks for your time.

 

No, you still don't get what we are trying to say. EVERY country calls left and right based on how you sit in the car. What side the driver sits has nothing to do with it. When you sit in the car facing forward, to your left is the left side of the car and to your right is the right side of the car.

My guess is you bought cheap brake shoes that were labeled incorrectly. However, brake shoes are not left and right specific. They are identical left and right. What matters is which is the primary shoe and which is the secondary shoe. Based on your questions you appear to need help with replacing brakes so I'd advise you to go to a real mechanic before you damage your car.

 

I totally understand the right and left side based on the driver. I get IT but It did not explain the markings on the shoes.

The shoes were a premium series from Wagner and were not cheap.

The two sets of shoes are different. The emergency brake lever on the one brake shoe for one side is a mirror image of the brake shoe for the other side.

The shoes went on fine. The car works fine. I'm guessing even the best of you "real" mechanics would have questioned the markings on the shoes. Not sure how you translated that into me needing help with the brake job, unless that was just your attempt at a put-down.

 

Well then I guess you should have bought OEM Hyundai shoes if you were confused.

 

And you would not have been confused by the markings? Is that how you as a "Super Moderator" help people in this forum? First by questioning my intelligence and then by taking shots. I come for help and only get angst.

later