are there any tricks to getting these things back on? Its been 4hrs and i cannot figure it out.

 

LOL. Yeah they take me maybe 20 seconds for each side! Take a set of vise-grips(they are the locking pliers) and clamp them on the big ball part! Pull on the cable(make sure your ebrake is disengaged) I tried one time with it engaged and wondered why it wouldn't move???..lol Pull on the line with the pliers and use a flat head screw driver to push the mechanism forwards. It shoulg go right in!