Back from FTX and workin on John Lee Jr in the rain. Squeaky front breaks so figured I'd remove the aftermarket brake shoe plungers and replace em with factory originals. The shorties that pop out of the shoe on the right....the factory plungers on the left....same length but the factory ones have a deep slot to hold the shoe better.
After wrapping a tie down strap around the shoes and pulling things in close to where they should be, the factory plungers fully supporting the shoe and they wont' pop off like the dinkey short ones that were in there.
Drum is back on and the shoes adjusted for light drag....might as well.....still sittin a bit low on the drivers side front, must be a worn spring. They are original after all...so loosen the lower ball joint but don't remove the nut. Remove the lower shock bolt and support the lower control arm on a good jack....lotsa power still in that ancient compressed spring.
Take off the outer tie rod too. This will allow the spindle to swing out and off the lower ball joint when I pop it loose. The boot is already torn so no loss, a new suspension in the fall is in the plans. So, I'll just grease it more often for now.
With the lower control arm hanging and the jack about a quarter inch under the control arm to catch it and prior to the photo, a chain to hold the spring to the upper control arm....about 100 mighty blows from the medium smasher whacker on the lower portion of the spindle surrounding the lower ball joint and the spring pops it free of the spindle....the nut still on the ball joints stops the motion before the spring is fully released and the jack under the control arm is double safety to keep that control arm from slammin down if the nut should give way.
