Rear Brakes 96 LT

I had noticed that my brakes were getting to be kinda iffy and my right rear seemed to lock up at the most inopportune times. I pulled the rear drums and found that I seemed to have two different size shoes. The two on the right side were longer than the driver side. I was always under the impression that the longer of the two went to the rear and the shorter on the front side. Also both shoes on that side were full of cracks. An overheating problem maybe?
I replaced the shoes and bled the brakes but still the brakes seem real mushy and if I stab the brakes it still takes a while to stop and they never really grab. Heaven forbid I have to make a sudden stop before I get this straightened out. Is it worth the time and labor to maybe get a rear with discs and make the swap? What is involved? I believe the 99 went to rear discs but I'm not sure. Any ideas anyone?
Jeff

You are correct, the primary shoe is the shorter of the two and always goes to the front of the vehicle. The cracks are from overheating, probably from the incorrect installation. The drums should be resurfaced as they will have "hot spots" and possibly be out of round. Make sure the shoes are adjusted correctly: Raise the rear wheels and support the vehicle, (do not remove the wheels). Put the transmission in neutral (do not start the engine). The rear wheels should spin freely by hand, and you should be able to hear the shoes drag slightly and evenly on each drum.