68 bus front brakes, anyone familiar?

There is no retainer clips and springs on the front drum brakes on my DC. When I put the new shoes on they are bowing out. Have tried different spring arrangements but none will pull them in? Any thoughts?? There is no hole in the backing plate or shoes for one, but the kit came with them? Maybe covers different years?

There should be just two springs that hold the shoes together. You have to lay one side in the wheel cyl. and pry the other onto the adjuster screw. There's a pic in the bentley manual, and the springs are behind the shoes, with the ends facing you as you sit there looking at it. Just did a 70 with the same setup.

Plus if the shoes aren't chamfered on the leading edge, they will howl.

Got them figured out, thanks for the replies! The spings from the kit are different from the stock ones, had to put them on the grinder to make them work.
Now looking into an issue with the rears, the keeper pin/springs/clip fit fine on the pass side, drivers side they only stick thru the shoes maybe 1/4". The ones I pulled off are the same but the springs are half the lenths of the replacements. Even using the og they will not go on??? Thoughts?? can set the large springs the same as the fronts and they will hold, but a bit wary....

Are the new shoes any different? I've got a couple sets of "universal" Beetle shoes which are way too narrow (crap from china for those wanting to save a buck). Maybe you should use the original springs?


Sometimes "new" isn't better.

Shoes are nearly identical, have not mic'ed them but holding up side to side they are right. Going to pull the other drum and check to see what is different today.