Ok, just finished the rear brakes, thank god i got the tool it saved me a lot of trouble. i still had about an 1/8" or so of pad left, the drums were good so i didn't turn them.i released the emergency brake at the junction thats the way to go. if i hadn't talked to you guy's and watched youtube i would have had a hell of a time.it would have been easyer if GM left the drum brakes the way they were instead of this single spring brake.

 

actually, they use both the conventional retaining springs and the single spring design