Originally Posted by
67tony
Neat.
So, I could feasibly use this handle and lift the spring right over that nut?
(P.S. I just acquired the bike...thus the layer of grime.)
Exactly. This makes it much easier to connect/disconnect the straddle cable, which is needed when you're removing the wheel.
Releasing the tension on the spring also makes it easier to adjust the alignment of the brake shoes, which that bike desperately needs.