I'm having a bear of a time reinstalling my cables and springs... anyone have any tips or tricks on this procedure?

Make sure the E-brake is off. What I mean is, make sure that the cable is slack; make sure the E-brake warning light on the dash isn't on (when the car is on). If the cable is as loose as it can be, the cables should reach just far enough to connect to the levers on the brake calipers.

What I usually do is put the spring over the cable, then stick a flat head screw driver though the spring. I pry against the lever on the caliper to compress the spring enough to get it partially onto the lever. Once its partially on the lever, you can move the cable into the right place (usually with pliers) then pry and push the spring all the way on to the lever so its seated.

Springs are a snap. Compress them in a vise and run zip ties through to hold them compressed, it will take three equally spaced. Install cable end and cut ties, presto, all done. No muss, no fuss, and you still have feeling in all your fingers.

JazzMan

Use JazzMans procedure. Makes mine look like barbarism.

I do a similar thing - that is, slip the spring over the cable, but to compress the spring, I use a miniature pry bar (looks like a "Wonderbar" nail-puller) about 6" long. The pry bar has a notched end, for nail-pulling purposes - but here you'll use the notch to push one side of the end of the spring.

With the car well-supported on jackstands, reach around the strut to grab the inboard side of the spring with the "front" hand, pulling the end of the spring forward (towards front of car). At the same time, push on the outboard side of the spring using the heel of your hand against the "L"shaped end of the prybar, and catching the end of the spring in the notch on the prybar's straight end. You're using the prybar as a pusher. It kind of looks as if you're giving the strut a hug.

Between the one hand pulling the spring on one side, and the other hand pushing on the other side of the end of the spring (using the little prybar), you should be able to manage to get the spring hooked onto the E-brake lever on the caliper. Once that's accomplished, you can slip the cable end into its slot of the E-brake lever, either by hand or using slip-joint pliers

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Zipties??? Brilliant!!! Definitely form the "Duh, why dint me think uf that" department!!

+'s all around for the help. Thanks!!

[This message has been edited by joedirt (edited 07-12-2004).]