Shouldn't dodge rear brake adjustment starwheels be right and left, in other words one has right hand thread and one has left hand thread? Is it possible to reverse them side to side so brakes don't auto adjust? I haven't had these apart yet, but it seems to me that I am turning starwheels backwards to adjust brakes out!

You can flip them over and be going backwards too. I always set them up so when you tugged on the adjustment cable they turn towards tightening. So pull the drum off and verify the direct of the ratchet arm direction and the starwheel is indeed tightening.

I'm going to need to replace at least the star wheels as they are all chewed up. My E brake pedal has been getting lower and lower, I guess because adjuster has been loosening brakes 

Sounds like someone flipped it over installed it backwards. 

The advantage of having bought your truck new and doing all your own work, you know what has been done in the past

Might be true for the 2002 Dodge. As for my 1996 Dodge 1500 that is not true. I bought is used back in 2001 with 112k miles on it. Still in all low failure rate with the 1996 Dodge only big thing was 46RE rebuild I did a year ago.