John, The springs around the drum are meant to be noise and vibration dampers. Supposed to help absorb and quiet the squealing/ringing of the drum when brakes are applied. On another note, your existing front brakes are "Huck" style which Chevy discontinued in 1951 with the Bendix style brakes for the 3100 models. Not a total surprise to see an earlier axle may have been transplanted into your '53.
Only reason I bring this up is the lower bolt holes for the backing plate and steering arms are a different size (7/16" vs 1/2") on the earlier Huck brake units and may require drilling out to fit your disc brake conversion kit. Before you start assembly, check the holes and redrill as needed.
