Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
When I first bought my '96 back in '99, one of the first things I discovered was the rear brakes were worthless. After taking the drums off to see what the problem was, I discovered that my driver's side had the shoes on backwards to what I've always known to be the correct position: short shoe in front. The passenger side did have the short shoe in front. So I switched the driver's side to match. The rear brakes were still bad and always have been, but after years of being on TDR I know it has more to do with the tiny wheel cylinders than the shoe position.
The other inexplicable thing I noticed is that Dodge took the most round-about route for the driver's side parking brake cable and made it loop clear around and enter the backing plate in a sharp U-turn from the rear
The passenger side enters the backing plate from the front like a normal vehicle and without any sharp loop.
The backing plates appear symmetrical with a place for the p-brake cable hole to be drilled for either left or right side of the truck; and either front or rear entry. I actually ordered new cables some time ago and thought I had what I needed. It turns out both new rear cables (left and right) are too short, or at least the housings are, even though I ordered them for an extended cab 2500. The drivers side cable I received would be a perfect fit if mine entered through the front of the backing plate like a normal vehicle and like the passenger side does.
Combined with all the various cable lengths available for a '96, this leads me to wonder if my truck is some kind of oddball? I already found out that there were two entirely different hardline configurations from the abs & prop valve to the frame in '96, so Dodge clearly toyed with changes that model year.
Does anyone else have a 96-ish truck with a D-80 rear that has both p-brake cables entering the backing plates from the front side?
The other inexplicable thing I noticed is that Dodge took the most round-about route for the driver's side parking brake cable and made it loop clear around and enter the backing plate in a sharp U-turn from the rear
The passenger side enters the backing plate from the front like a normal vehicle and without any sharp loop.The backing plates appear symmetrical with a place for the p-brake cable hole to be drilled for either left or right side of the truck; and either front or rear entry. I actually ordered new cables some time ago and thought I had what I needed. It turns out both new rear cables (left and right) are too short, or at least the housings are, even though I ordered them for an extended cab 2500. The drivers side cable I received would be a perfect fit if mine entered through the front of the backing plate like a normal vehicle and like the passenger side does.
Combined with all the various cable lengths available for a '96, this leads me to wonder if my truck is some kind of oddball? I already found out that there were two entirely different hardline configurations from the abs & prop valve to the frame in '96, so Dodge clearly toyed with changes that model year.
Does anyone else have a 96-ish truck with a D-80 rear that has both p-brake cables entering the backing plates from the front side?
