Abstract: A brake assembly of the type having a brake shoe platform and one or more brake plates mounted on the platform, each brake plate having a brake lining and a backing plate attachable to an outer surface of the platform, is characterized in that the platform has a series of circumferentially spaced apertures each adjacent its rear edge, and a series of circumferentially spaced recesses communicating with its front edge. The backing plate has two rear flanges each being L-shaped and having an inner portion depending from its inner surface and a rearwardly projecting outer tongue portion, these rear flanges being sized to pass through the apertures in the brake shoe platform. Also, the backing plate has two front flanges, each having an inner portion depending from its inner surface and an outer tongue portion, these front flanges being arranged to slide into the recesses at the front edge of the platform.