Hey all. I'm sure you get ridiculously tired of these swap questions; this question was over in HiPo but was told I may get a better response here...so here goes:
I have a '58 1 ton dually, which is apparently a beast of beasts with its 5-something gear ratio. Powertrain is a built '85 350 with a 700r4. Problem is, I want to have my cake and eat it too: 4x4, disc brakes. Sounds strange maybe, but I don't really care about power steering; if I get it I get it, if not oh well.
So, I've been looking at doing a 3/4 or 1 ton S or DRW chassis swap with a kit for the 73-87. But, I don't necessarily want to lose that rearend...or do I? Can I keep my frame and rearend and just swap the front axle and change the gears (either front or rear) to match? Would the newer front be too wide and look funny with the stock rear? Or...should I just swap both front and rear axles?
I'm also more fond of manual transmissions, so I may swap for a 4 speed- if that changes your recommendations.
So the options are:
Stock frame, swap the front axle (4x4 & discs), then match the gears
Stock frame, swap both axles with matching gears from 73-87
Swap frame, matching axles from 73-87
I need to be able to pull a bumper-pull camper or a trailer occasionally, deal with the occasional snowfall in the mountains, and be able to drive it daily if needed.
