Rear brake caliper parking brake spring R&R

Anyone who has tried to fiddle with the stiff spring for the parking brake on the rear caliper knows how tough it is to install once removed.

I needed to remove them so I could paint the calipers, and figured out how to do it on an old caliper.

Here's how to install one. Works just as well for removing one without first removing the mounting post.

Install the mounting post and spring on the post. Vice grips to stop the spring from moving. Top jaw against the spring which needs to be rotated as far left as possible:

Note that there's a gap between the end of the spring and bottom jaw which needs to be plugged so that the spring can't rotate:

Use another set of vice grips across the elbow at the other end of the spring.

Caliper can now be put in a vice to hold it, or use a large screwdriver in the main caliper slot to get leverage against your hip so you can do it in your lap.

Ratchet used just to get the right angle for the pic:

Nick Chrimes, BaySHO Performance