Brake issue and I am at a total loss.

Also, did you replace the drums or use the old ones? Drums if turned too large cause all sorts of problems, not the least of which is poor brake performance. This is because as you turn a drum out larger, the two circles, IE the circle which the shoes make, and the circle of the drum, become much different. The shoes now only contact in the mid-part of the shoe, using very little of the surface area.