I'm putting my rear brake drums back together again and, even though I'm sure I kept all the bits from the original there seems to be something missing:

There is a conical spring that hold's the shoes into the backplate with a hook on the end that goes through the backplate. The backplate just has a largish hole in it for the hook to go through. Does this engage with something the otherside of the plate, or just hook over the side of the hole - which seems unlikley. The Haynes is unclear on this.

Any help gratefully received. I even took a photo b4 dismantling, but it doesn't show what's going on at the back!

there is normaly a thing that looks like a nail with a hammer head where the point would be,that comes in from the back then a spring then a cup washer with a slot holds the lot together

Just looked in my manual there is a T section plate with a hole in it that the spring goes through

Thanks mate, I know what you mean as it's in my haynes, but I'm sure they weren't there originally....better get some tho'

They have been known to rust and dissapear into the brake drum

If you go to your local motor parts emporium they will sell you a 'service kit' for drum brakes - it's made up of a set of new springs, plus the bits you describe.

Really cheap.

David