Anyone replaced these?  Looks (relatively) easy in the service manual, which shows this done with the flange plate in place.  But a friend/mechanic said he'd need to remove the flange plate and/or axle shaft (4+hrs) to get at it.

I've done the job with only removing the calipers and rotors.  Didn't have the correct brake tools at the time so there was a fair amount of cussing going on when putting things back together.  Overall it isn't too tough a job, just time consuming without the right tools. Norsky2006-10-26 11:14:13

 I have done this. And used the stainless hardware and springs. The one anchor pin for the brake shoe retainer the back one. is almost impossible to ge out. It is behind the backing plate and the caliper support is in the way. The only way I did it was to remove the spindle, caliper support and backing plate. Alot of work for just the one anchor pin. 

Yep, bin there done that om my '81. Yep one of the pins
is a major, at least it was until I figured out a magic
solution! I emailed another C3VR member the step by step
details complete with pix, and the magic pin solution,
a wee while ago... I'm sure I still have it all on my
computer if you would like me to send it to you. Let
me know your email address if you do.

With the pin hassle sussed replacing the park brake shoes
becomes pretty straight forward. Wheels off, calipers off, hubs off, shoes off. Then reverse. The GM Workshop
manual said you can move the calipers off without
disconnecting the brake lines, but on mine the lines
went across the top of the bolt heads for the calipers
so had to disconnect them and bleed brakes when finished.

Cheers
Kiwi Chris.

Here's the link to the more detailed post I made at
the time...

https://www.c3vr.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61700&KW=&PID=201607#201607

Kiwi Chris

Clickable LINK to above...

I NEVER would have thought of that.  Thanx.

  I recently did the Parking Brake Shoes on my '80. I have done them Three Times since I bought the Car. Just enough Time between to forget How I did it the Tme before. I study'd Three different Books before I started and Got Three Diffrent ways of Doing it. As mentioned above if there is a need to replace the Pin that Holds the Aft Brake Shoe then Your Screwed. If not then Your Just Fluster'd. I found the GM Shop Manual way as the best way to assemble as they make it sound really Easy.  The Correct Tool to Buy from any of the Vendors is Just a Cheap Screwdriver with a Notch Cut in it To Pull the Springs in Place. Once Your to that Stage You have allready done the Hard Part anyway. Doing the GM way of attaching the Top Spring First and Slipping Both Shoes on Togeather Worked Best For Me. Then the Tuff Part is getting those Blasted Keepers onto the Retaining Pins!  After many All Mosts and lets Try it this way I came up with a way that worked just Fine. Take a Pair of Needle Nose Vise Grips and Grind them Down till they are about 1/2 as thick. Then You can Slip them between the Shoe and Hold that Little Pin. Pick up a 6" Piece of 3/8" Copper Tubing and Cut a Notch out of one end. You can Now Slip this Through the Hole in the Flange to Turn the Keeper onto the Pin. The Notch is so You can see whats going on. It Took some Trial and Err to come up with this way but once I figure'd it out on one side the other side was easy. Then the only thing left is the Bottom Spring and anything with a Small Hook on it including the Special Scewdriver Sold will Work. I used a Small Hook Sold at Sears. The Special Screwdriver I had Ordered Showed Up the Day after I was done. I still have no clue as to how I did it both Times Before. Richard...