Ok so my "truck" is a project that my grand-dad started well over 40 years ago, he got too sick to work on it anymore so he gifted it to me to finish. He said he got it as just a 72 Highboy chassis (stock closed knuckle dana 44 front, 133 inch wheelbase), he stripped and repainted frame and axles, ran new brake lines, put a '65 blueprinted 300 I6 and a 4 speed manual with a married np205 in it(no driveshafts), and then dropped a 78 cab onto it. That's how it sat for the last 20 years until he gave it to me.
I finally have time and funds to fix it. There are things that I want to change on this project to make it more reliable and a good driver. I want a later model high pinion dana 44 or 60 up front so I can run disc brakes and fab up power steering easier, and I want to replace the 4 speed with a ZF5.

My issues are that I know that the chassis came as a divorced transmission and transfer case set up from factory and I know that marrying them can cause bad driveshaft angles, so even with the ZF5 being approximately 2 inches longer than the 4 speed and having the high pinion front diff, that front shaft angle would still be pretty steep, which I think I could get away with by using the double CV joints, but I'm not 100%
The other option is returning it to the factory divorced transfer case set up. If I did this I would have to find a divorced np205, the crossmember, and shifter linkages. This is kind of the route I'm leaning towards, it'll suck having to get a new transfer case and crossmember and adding another drive shaft, but this route will help my driveshaft angles so in the future if I hypothetically want more of a lift, no worries, I won't have to shave the tail housing of the zf5 for the 4wd shifter, and in stock configuration I can start with buying stock 72 Highboy driveshafts and just shorten the trans to t case shaft, instead of having to get later Ford shafts and adding double CV joints.
I want this truck to be right and tight and sturdy, not janky. I'm going to drive it everyday, and keep it forever, I'm redoing the top end of the engine, getting a rebuilt ZF5, and rebuilding the axles so everything will be almost like new.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Keep the trans and transfer case married or go back to a divorced set up?

 

Sounds like a great project! It’s awesome you got your grandfathers truck. I am very jealous.

When I did my project I contemplated getting a 205 to marry behind my nv4500. I too was worried about the driveshaft angle but in all honesty I don’t think it would matter.

When they went to the married setup they were able to lower it because it wasn’t needed to be so high anymore but plenty of people lifted those trucks and things worked fine.

If there is any significant concern of angle I would measure the distance and angle and go to a driveshaft shop and see what they think.

I wouldn’t do your driveshafts until you get your high pinion in because you will have to shorten it further since the pinion is higher.

The different axles won’t really change your options on power steering so I wouldn’t worry about it that much in that respect.

im kind of a sentimental fella so I vote that you leave it as grandpa had it and build it.

get us some pictures!

we look forward to seeing your project progress!

 

I have to agree with Moto on the sentimental aspect. Swapping the front axle and keeping the married transfer case is the way to go. Are you going to install a 78 bed, or a flat bed? Since the 72 frame has a different wheel base than the 72 a flat bed would be easier.