Yes easier without the hub in the way.

Gosh.... Pliers?  What a pain.  Just go get the right tool for the job.

Brake shoe retaining spring tool:

http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak03.html

Sears has 'em, NAPA has 'em, shoot, even your friendly local discount
chain auto parts store will have 'em. If they sell brake shoes,
they'll sell you that tool.

More below:

On Oct 2, 2010, at 3:08 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:

> <snip>
> that will get you started. I bet I could write at least 20 little
> deails or
> tips or nuances of getting it to turn out really nicely in the
> end.   30
> even.

Me too. Once you do it once, you'll figure out your own list.

> And as drum brakes go ..
> they are not bad, not at all.
> Sure is nice not to fiddle with tiny crimp-clips to held the parking
> brake
> lever onto the brake shoe ....as some brake shoe designs use, for
> example.
> oh ...lube the points on the backing plate that the shoes slide on ...
> raised flat spots .....anti-seize compund there.
> If those slide-contact points are left unlubed ..you get a squeak as
> the
> shoes move out to the drum.
> Lube all pivot and contact points sparingly - anti-seize compound or
> lubriplate white grease.

There really is "brake grease." Formulated for this very application:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/CRC0/05352.oap?pt=N0448&ppt=C0069

Me? I use Lubriplate sparingly.

Jim