hughes,
The egrbrakes recommendation is a good one. Here's another.
For a cheap and relatively easy upgrade to the rear drum brakes, replace the wheel cylinder with a larger diameter one. I went 1/8" over stock on my 2000 Dodge 4x4 and noticed a slight improvement. If I were to do it over again, I'd go 1/4" over stock.
Good luck,
Loren