Brake Assembly

[PeteVS]

I'm trying to assemble rear brakes of the '48 era. I have the backing plates on the bench to (hopefully) make things easier. My problem is installing the clips that hold the shoes against the backing plates. I have everything else in place and I'm fighting like crazy to get the clips in. Should I have had them in place before I placed the shoes? Is there an age old secret technique I've never been exposed to? Thanks for any help!!