[Andy]

On modern cars, the wheel cylinders are alway are fully compressed and the adjustment spreads the bottom of the shoes. With the early brakes with the adjustment at the sides, the wheel cylinders expand. Turning the side adjusters all the way in would help get the air out. Readjusting the brakes would be a pain.
I thought about redrilling the plates. I decided it would not work due to interference with the spring mounts.