Take the drum off, and have a look...

 

This is what it looks like when I pulled the drum off.

 

That was the side that was getting hot. The other side looks the same and the shoes look like they were touched. The other side obviously was showing wear. What's going on here?

 

I had to look up a picture to compare. Look at the lever in your picture and the one below. It looks like it has been warped/twisted outward and therefore not catching the starwheel (pic in from internet, never mind the oil all over the place). The anlge is different, but that might be just the picture, you will have to verfiy this. Another thing, , is that the spring that should pull that lever back (the one with something green on it in your picture) might not be doing its work good enough, and therefore not pulling the lever up enough to let the lever engage the starwheel).

 

In person it doesn't look bent or twisted, it's just still a little lower. And both sides are doing this. I noticed the cable in the picture seems a little loose, could adjusting the parking brake pull that cable tight thus pulling that lever up?

 

(I edited my post, during you posting yours)

 

Just saw it, thanks. All the hardware is new as you can see. I don't know why that spring with the green on it wouldn't be doing it's job. The lever appears to look like the same in the picture. I think I got the hardware kit from Autozone. Should I go get another hardware kit from Napa or something?

 

Here is a view looking down. It looks like the spring with the cable is pulling it to one side therefore giving the appearance in the first picture of being bent. Do I have that hooked up correctly? It appears to be the same as the picture.

 

Here is the problem. I went and bought a hardware kit. The stud where that lever pivots on the shoe was too long. I confirmed with napa I have the right shoe. Not sure why this stud is longer than it's supposed to be. Ugh

 

This was what I was talking about.



Also, the guide piece that the cable sits on behind the spring was not seated properly. I switched out the studs and properly seated the cable guide and everything seems to be fine. I am going out to test drive now.

Thanks all for your help.