HELP, How to reinstall the Parking Brake retainer Spring

It was hell getting my rear rotors off to put on my new ones and the Parking Brake retainer Spring became dislodged in the process.
I can't figure out how to get it back on and insde the parking brake drum at the same time.
I have looked at my 99 manual and it just says "reinstall the Parking Brake retainer Spring "

Anyone have a trick that I can use ??

PLEASE

 

Check autozone you can buy a tool that will make it easier but it is still a pain in the azz. My local shop just cut a slit into a flat tip screwdriver. Good luck

Mark

 

Just went thru this a couple of weeks back. The trick is to put spring in parking shoe and then hook it to the back plate.

Get a very then flat blade screwdiver and push the spring onto the retaining clips. You'll see some holes in the brake shoe, slide the screwdiver in there to reach the spring.

Took me about a half-hour a side.

 

Deeper searching yielded the following.........as a result I got-er-done

Thanks to all

Look at the pictures rws.1 posted. You have to get the brake shoe off, put the spring inside, then, reinstall the brake shoe behind the wheel hub (the spring will not be attached at this point.)

I tried using small screwdrivers, inserted through the holes in the hub, to clip it back in but I couldn't get it to work. I went to the basement and found the largest nail I had. I cut the tip off so it was flat, then, cut "V" into the end with the hacksaw and a file. I used this "tool" through the holes in the hub. It only took me 2 tries to rehook the spring.

You can do this job. Get plenty of light, look at how it is supposed to hook in, then use something to reach in and attach


There is a trick that makes the entire process much easier. Use the adjustment screw and open the shoe all the way out. Note the approximate number of turns that you use so you can reverse and close it up after installing the spring. This will give you about 1/2" more clearance around the hub. Plenty enough to get long nose pliers in and locate the spring. Slide the shoe all the way to the left, lock the spring in the clip then slide the shoe to the right and lock. Readjust and reinstall the rotor. Took me about three rotor jobs before i figured it out.


Well, I got it back on. I figured out how it went back together pretty quick, but getting it back was a small pain. I connected one side and shoved a small screwdriver in the hole threw the hub to secure it, then took a small screwdriver and pushed the other side down to snap it inside the the pad..took a few times but it went in. I was calling myself every name in the book Thinking this was going to cost me a penny!! I still really don't understand why it happened. Putting the rotor back on took a little force with a rubber mallet. I checked everything and it looked fine.

 

Just make sure your wheel turns freely. The shoes slide around a little and you have to play with them a bit to get them centered.

Kudos on getting it back together.

 

OK,

I did get them back on..........but after a week the parking brake shoes are groaning at slow speed and the rear rotors are getting really hot (discoloring the clear coat I sprayed on the hats already)
So I removed the right rear that had been the problem and again I couldn't get the rotor off without taking the parking brake shoe with it.

So the shoes are way too tight inside the rotor. Yes I adjusted the setting to as low as possible, still too tight.So for now, I have removed the shoes until I can figure a solution. As I see it there are only two choices: have the parking brake drum surfaced to remove some metal or drum sand the shoes to remove some of the brake lining......which is pretty thin to begin with.

Suggestions would be appreciated,

Jim

 

So I pulled off the right rear again......must be the 3rd time in two weeks And again found the shoe stuck to the drum......so the process was slow and again dislodged the retainer spring

I had planned to have the drum turned to give more clearance......but once off I was able to just drop the shoe into the drum so seemed like clearance was not the issue.

So I once again went to reassembly assuming I must have done it wrong last time ?? This time I was better prepared with a modified cheap screwdriver that I had cut a V slot into to work the spring.
I also had read every post I could find on this issue on CF.......this was helpful.
And I had thought of what I hoped would be an easier way to get the damn spring back on the clips while it was still inside the shoe.
Once I had the shoe with the clip inside back on the backing place and on the adjuster ends, I carefully used the adjuster to spread the shoe as wide as I could get it to go.........a VERY slow process, but it gives you more working room to get the spring on the clips. Once spread to the max I used about 15" of fine wire, like picture hanging wire in a loop
and threaded the two ends through a hole in the hub plate so that it went around the part of the spring that was to fit into the lower clip on the back plate. Pulling this tight around the spring from behind the backing plate I could pull the spring down and push it into position with my V tool........WORKED the first time and I then wrapped the ends of the wire around the caliper bracket to hold the clip in place for the next trick.........the second clip!
Once again I rotated the hub around to align a hole with the upper clip position. This time I couldn't use the wire trick as there is no access be hing the clip in the upper position But using my V tool and a second small screwdriver I was able to get it to click into place. Now with both clips firmly attached in their clips all I had to do was use the adjuster screw to reduce the spread on the shoe until the rotor drum would easily fit over it. This proved much harder than adjusting it outward.........as there was nothing to leaver the screwdriver against to turn the notched adjuster
I tried a bunch of different tools and finally settled on a small long nosed vice grip that would allow me to grip the adjuster wheel and turn it about 1/4 turn per grip...........took awhile to get her down to the bottom. Test fitted the rotor/drum over the shoes......it fit easily. Rotated the rotor and it turned with no drag
So I removed my trick wire by pulling it out from the rear of the backing plate with pliers.......reinstalled the caliper bracket with the calipers already attached........tried my best to torque the bolts but there was no way my torque wrench would fit in that tight space......so I used red loctite and snugged them down with my ratchet with all the force I could muster in that tight space. Remounted the wheel, rechecked the ability of the assembly to turn freely, reconnected the parking brake cable........and went for a test drive. No noises were heard.........will keep an ear on it.

Anyone attempting to replace the parking brake clips inside your brake shoe..........I suggest having on hand before you begin:

PATIENCE
21 mm six point socket for the caliper mount bolts (12 pointers just slip off too easily in the space.
a decent breaker bar and dead blow hammer........unless your impact wrench will fit back there......mine would not.
A modified cheap screwdriver with a small V carver in the blade.....invaluable tool.
Some fine wire, like picture hanging wire
A LED style head mounted light as it is near impossible to get enough light in there while you are fishing for the clip brackets
Several adult beverages and Advil for afterwards

 

Mine came out easily....i released the parking brake, took out a rubber mallet wacked it from the inside and it poped righhht out!