[restorevival]

Full X-member vs component swap and power steering upgrade…?

First of all, thank you to everyone for the wealth of info. This is my first post, though I have been reading this forum for quite some time. I think I have this all figured out, but there are a couple points that I would like some confirmation/correction on. Can someone please review and tell me what I am missing…

My truck: ’66 GMC 1000, 305 V6

This is my daily driver, so ultimately I’m looking for the least amount of down time for the truck. A weekend would be stellar. In the end I want to have front power disc brakes and power steering, though the brake upgrade takes priority over the steering upgrade.

From reading this thread, I have gathered that a full cross member swap would be least amount of future maintenance the least amount of down time if I rebuild all necessary parts on the donor suspension (don’t have a donor yet) and bolt on some aftermarket 6 lug rotors prior to putting my truck on jack stands. What can I expect to run into with the engine in the truck? I'll likely need to drill/"stretch" some holes, what else? According to post #197 I may not even need to drill any holes… But according to posts #216-217 this is not the easiest way of swapping…

If I upgrade steering at the same time, surely there are other things to do. I have not searched the forum for steering upgrade threads yet. I have read CPP’s page on how to do it, but their instructions are based on my ’66 suspension. What do I need to grab from the donor vehicle to make the steering upgrade as complete and painless as possible? (suggested links?)

I’ve never taken on a project quite this large (on my own) but have plenty of experience otherwise. Just don’t want to get myself half way through and start kicking things in frustration…

Also, my truck has aftermarket wheels. If there is going to be a caliper clearance issue with my wheels, where would it be? What part of the wheel should I measure to see if they will work?

Necessary adapters...?:
brake booster adapter plate, power steering box adapter plate, possible brake line fitting adapters, what else?

Donor requirements…?:
1.25” rotors
’73-’87 pickup; ’73-’91 suburban

And finally: can I use a 1987 G20 Conversion Van as a donor?

Thank you in advance!

Here's the truck as it currently stands, all stock... except for the bed of course.