Escape rear brake question

Hi! I've got great advice from this site in the past and hoping someone can answer a couple of questions. I have a '02 Escape 4x4 XLT. I can't get the rear drums off. I have a Hayes repair manual and it says to back off the star adjuster. Which way do I rotate the adjuster to get the drum off.( clockwise or counter clockwise). Also, do I need the remove the large nut in the middle of the axel to get the drum off? What is this nut for. The manual shows pictures that do not have a nut in the middle of the axel anywhere. Any info would be great! Thanks!!! Kevin

The drums should knock off with a hammer. The nut is for the axle and should not be removed. The best way to see which way the adjuster turns, is to turn it some and see if it gets tighter or looser.