Well, couldn't get the pinion nut off even with a 3/4" drive breaker bar or (supposedly) 1,000 ft/lb impact wrench, so Nancy is sitting at a local shop waiting for service on Monday. It's funny how the truck can be outside for decades and now that it's mine I feel bad for leaving it out in the rain...
On another note, it's looking like I either need to learn to weld or befriend someone who is proficient at it. The frame needs a good bit of repair... one rail is rusted through where the wood bed rested, and the crossmember at the shackles had a brute yank on it at some point... I'm sure I'll be digging through all kinds of threads on this topic, but does anyone here have any frame repair experience? I'm wondering if this work can be done with a MIG or TIG welder, or if arc is the only way to repair steel this thick. Would like to get a welder that I can use for this and also for future bodywork.