Tried the needle nose vise grips, still couldn't get the spring compressed enough to hook it back on the shoe. Just not strong enough, I guess. Hell to get old..........

 

try giving yourself more slack, by loosening off the tension on the cable at the handbrake lever end inside the car.

 

Hate to be a PITA but is there a "how to" for the hand brake adjustment somewhere? I found a UTube for the Cobalt but not for the HHR. Looks like the Cobalt is a two piece take apart but the HHR is one???

 

It is a true PITA to get the hand break cable on the shoe. I went down to the local NAPA store and they showed me a special tool just for this. They wanted a tad over $50.00 for it and it was not in their “tool rental/loan” program. They do have a pretty large selection of tools in that program, just not this particular one.

I went back home and tried to fabricate something similar. After several failed attempts I ended up using two pair of vice grip pliers. One set was fairly small set of genuine 'vice grip' brand needle nose and the other was a pair of POC made in India vice grips.

Somehow I managed to get the cable back on the shoe without too much blood.

If my little brother had not been there to help I doubt I would have the parking brake working on the car now. I probably would have cut the damn wire off and left it go at that.

I'm still working on making a tool for this if I ever get something that works I'll see what I can do about posting it so other folks can build one too.

 

Do this.

After spending way too much time trying to hold that spring back when I changed mine, I loosened the handbrake cable when I did my wife's Saturn ION. It takes 5-10 minutes max and you get to readjust it for the fresh shoes. In comparison, I must have wasted close to an hour and lost patience a dozen times pulling on this d**n cable.

Yves

 

OK, what did you have to do to get the console cover off??

 

I couldn't tell you, I only thought about doing this on my second attempt, on a Saturn ION. I suffered and bruised my knuckles doing the HHR. That being said, I'm pretty sure that it's not rocket science; I just don't want to give you advice if I haven't done it myself. You just need access below the e-brake handle with a deep socket.

Yves

 

OK, guys, I hate to admit this but, I called a mobile mechanic to help me out and he twisted that cable on in about 4 seconds or less with his bare hands. He finished the right side then did the left side and finished the job, that's includiing adjustment and rims back on in less than an hour. We're rolling again.............

 

Remove cover (just pry off...no screws) over hand brake and loosen cable...)10mm socket !

 

Roger Vogel
Read the date on that post you quoted. It was from 12 years ago. He hasn't logged on here in about 6 years.