Brake backing plate orientation.

Does it matter which way the backing plates are orientated? I took the brakes off my 56 beetle and when looking at diagrams in parts lists and in my veedub book they are orientated differently to how mine were on the car. The brakes on the car are a mix of different year cylinders and shoes so wouldn't surprise me if the previous owner put them on in a different orientation.

On the rear, my wheel cylinders are at the bottom. where as all manuals picture them at the top. And also my hand brake cable comes in differently to that pictured in manuals.

My front wheel cylinders are at the top and in all manuals are pictured as being rotated 90deg clockwise to this position.

Should I be rotating to where the manual pictures them?

your front wheel cylinders should be at the side towards the rear of the car, not top or bottom...

the rears, should be at the top of the backing plate...
however, if the brakes on the rear are from a 54, they need to be flipped, as the handbrake cable goes in the top instead of the bottom.
If they are the only backing plates and rear brake setup you have, I would leave it as is.

They may be a little harder to get bled with the cylinders down low, but other than that it doesnt matter.