[bobbader]

John, it’s sometimes hard to figure out some of your problems because you move, rather quickly, from one predicament to the next. You’re new at this and you have a vehicle which has been laying around for many, many years, if I remember correctly.

I’ve just reread this entire thread. Your original posting doesn’t give much info as to what you had done before the problem on one rear brake assembly cropped up. Did the other three go back together with no problem, or was this the first one you tried to assemble? Were the linings in the original 2 pictures new? (It doesn’t look like it) if they were not new, why did everything fit before whatever work you did ……. roller tracks. floaters, etc. If the linings in those pictures was new, were they the “Snyder’s linings” you’re referring to?

As per your premise that everything fit “on the floor” (or off the car), this points to everyone talking about things not being centered. When you try it off the car, the backing plate/shoe assembly can “float” into fitting together, because the drum measures 11” and the shoe distance is less. However, when you mount all back on the car, the axle centers the backing plate and the drum in a concentric plane. If the shoes don’t align in that same plane or something in the assembly is taking them out of that plane, the drum will not go on. I’m fairly sure Les Andrews book explains shoe centering. Don’t ask 15 different people to chime in on Fordbarn. Read, reread that text and see if you can understand how it works. See if slowing down your process can help you proceed with your process.