I just rebuilt my PBR/LT1 rear caliper, which was not fun.
Now I need to put the e brake tension springs back in to the brackets and can't for the life of me figure out how. I've tried using a small wrench and flat head screw driver to guide/force them in but it's not happening.

Good thing is I wasted the extra time cleaning/painting/waiting on drying to make everything look all pretty so it could get scratched up while assembling everything.

So anyone have a trick for getting those spring back in? Looks like it may be easier on the thirdgen brackets since they are open where the 4th gen LT1 style have an extra part that hold on the weight.

 

Never mind. I took an old flat head screw driver and made a notch in it to keep the spring in place while pushing it it.
Doesn't matter anyway, because the calipers won;t even come close to bolting up. The bolts are way too long for one, the cage hits the outside face of the rotor, and the lower control arm relocation brackets interfere even WITH removing that counter weight and bolt. If I cut the extra part of the bracket that's left over it may clear but it still won't let the caliper rotate down to change the pads.

I've had it with this car.