I have a question about working on the rear drums for a 73 F100. Pictures would be useful but my camera is broken so try and bear with me.

I bought a complete rebuild kit from NAPA that comes with the blue, brown, and red springs. I hope these are universal colors. In the Haynes manual, it shows what should be the red spring going from the anchor pin to a hole in brake shoe that is nearest the handbrake link (secton 9-2, picture 2.5). When I tried to put my red spring in those holes, the spring was overstreched and is deformed. Clearly it can't go that far. Therefore I put a new red spring from the anchor pin to the hole nearest the wheel cylinder. Everything assembled, but is this correct?

I've been looking for photos online, they show set-ups going both ways.
This shows how mine look:

This is the alternative version:





Let me know what you think. I hope there isn't a clear link on all this because I checked and hate to waste peoples' time.

 

I also have a hynes manual for 73 - 79 Ford Pickups. copyright from 83. In Figure 9.2 Light duty drum brake assembly (Sec 3) it shows the spring in the first hole (closer to the anchor pin). This also matches the Figure in my factory manual for 78 Ford light duty trucks. Hope that helps.

 

3rd picture is the way to go

 

Interesting. My Hanyes is copyright 2004. I went with the configuration in the third picture, though the spring in question is much beefier in my kit.