Steve,
I don't have exact answers to your questions, but a few thoughts and ideas.
Narrowing an IFS cross member and fitting a 454 at the same time may not be possible?
I used a 78 IH Scout II steering box on my 1 ton, and it is a very good fit, but requires crossover or Y type steering linkage. so a bell crank on the passengers side will need to be made if you use an original axle.
For my 1 ton when I get around to reinstalling axles I'll find an I-beam 8 lug front axle from a step van with disc brakes, single wheels if I can find them or swap hubs, but dual wheels if not, and narrow it as needed. Not sure yet if I will have power steering or not, probably will. I'll look at using the step van steering gear box, as I already have one.
When I did the axle swap with disc brakes and PS conversion on my 1 ton several years ago I looked in junk yards and on trucks and vehicles any where, looking for parts I thought may work. Then pull them from the junk yard, or go to the junk yard in search of what I had just seen on the street.
You may find an even better PS setup on you own than what you may find by looking at what others have done, as there are not that many that have done what you are planning to do.
Grigg
