99 Altima GXE-Tips needed on changing rear brake shoes

[tomcas]

I'm changing the rear brake shoes on my daughters 99 Altima. Its the plain drum brake design, not the disc brake and drum emergency brake design. Should I remove the hub to make access easier?It is hard to pull the hub, maybe using the wheel with loose lug nuts as a slide hammer?I've read that the hub needs to be replaced after removal. Is this because of the axial force needed to pull the hub off the shaft and is the hub replacement really necessary after removal?Does the self adjuster work off the emergency brake and if so can I use just the E brake to adjust the shoes after installation?

[tomcas]

The brake job is done- here's my findings.Yes- pull the hubs, it makes changing the brake shoes a lot easier.The hubs slide right off because the bearing inner races are a slip fit on the hub shaft.The self adjusters on this car don't work off the emergency brake but rather they work when you apply the brakes while backing up. There is no need to pre-adjust the brakes, just pump them while backing up at least a couple of dozen times.