9" rears dragging

the "green" shoes are less likley to hang-up on any ware on the back plate
the "Red" shoes are more likley to hang-up on any ware on the back plate, or indeed ware the back plate and hang up on the ware...

both styles are ok

check the back plate sections where the shoes ride and dress out any ridges wipe the areas with copper slip

without the strut in id guess the shoes can move to positions that they can't when the strut is there.... don't dicsount this as something causing your problem.

what type of shoe mounting do you use? early cone spring and square based hook style anchor or the later Pin spring and twist cap

the later version holds the shoes paralell with the back plate better than the cone spring hook things but you will need a bag of washers to stop the pins falling through the holes in a back plate designed for the square anchor things.

and if its all new you can more or less guarantee that the drum and shoes are not the same curvature so the middle or the ends of each shoe will drag when adjusted up as per the service manual...which expects perfect OEM parts

set it up so that the brakes are adjusted badly i.e where they would be by the time it needs a service. not dangerouse but in need of adjustment start there....

none of this "adjust until drum drags on shoe and back off a smidge"
adjust so it drags and back off lots of smidges.
Check peddle drop leave enough so it doesn't hit the floor but you want the rear shoes away from the drum when cold and hot to give them a chance to bed in nice without dragging.

drive it for a few weeks then adjust up propely by that time the shoes and the material on them will match the drum shape and you have a better chance of cool running rears.

if you want to delete the auto adjuster, you need the proper spring set. if you use the standard set, you may find 1 spring is just too short, and it pulls the shoes out of parralell with the back plate.

then the outer edges really drag and the drums get very hot.

old 9 inch stuff doesn't sell in the volumes that the 10 and 11 inch stuff does.
post 73 stuff kinda works better i.e the cup pin spring shoe mounting hardware

Dave