Thanks everyone for the help. Getting out there this morning with my glasses on (yesterday I was wearing my contacts which don't give me good up close vision)and armed with all the replies I got I was able to figure out those retaining clips, which really aren't that bad. i now have new brakes all around and fluid flush, so I'm pretty much set.Except on my test drive , by the end the squeal was starting to come back-I was getting a loud squeal from the rear brakes prior to the brake job.

Jeff Stewart

----- "Jim Arnott " < jrasite @ EONI .COM> wrote:

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