Oh thanks, I'll try that out tomorrow when I get home. Is it hard to remove the springs? Actually, is it possible to bend them too far out? I'm not going to the straightening them out completely I assure you, but just wondering how much of a bend out I'm looking at.

Strangely, I am sure the front brake is of the same age as the rear brake as the bike was a one owner and he claimed to not have replaced any components. So wouldn't that mean the front brake should be exhibiting the same problem? But in even a more exaggerated form since it is used more than the rear so the spring should be weakened too right?

Thanks for the help, I truly appreciate it. This thing is driving me batty
-Donny