Just had the safety inspection done on 89 Dakota 2wd and they said the brake shoes were on backward. I got it home and checked. Left side appears correct (rear shoe has more lining than front).
On the right side the rear shoe has less lining than the front. I thought I could just swap them but there is a pin which the lever spring goes on which is only on one shoe (the one with the least lining). On the left side, this pin is on the shoe with the most lining and on both sides the pin must be toward the rear of the truck because thats where the spring is mounted.

Doesn't the shoe with the most lining go toward the rear of the truck? It appears that the way these shoes are made, that can't be done.

Am I looking at this all wrong? I can't count how many brakes I've replaced but this is the first one that's given me trouble. Help!

 

You can knock the pin out and put it on the other shoe. Sometimes you have to use the old pins as the new brake shoes do not have the pin installed.