1954 GMC 4WD Ideas

[69l46vert]

Greetings to All from here in Maine,

I am thinking of building my 54 GMC 101 into a 4wd using the stock frame. Not so much for hard core off roading but I do plan to have a snowplow on it for winter weather and want to have the capability to tow a mid sized trailer (3500 lbs max).

There doesn't seem to be a lot out here on the web about such a build. I do already happen to have a NP 205 mated to an SM435 that I thought I may be able to use. Does this seem like an ok starting point?
One aspect that I have no clue on yet is what to use for the steering. A recent post here on the Forum suggested pre 1986 Toyota axles. I'm not averse to this but might want something a little heavier. I don't want axles that are too wide and put the tires outside the fenders.

As far as my experience goes, I have done frame up rebuilds on a CJ5, a 4wd F250, and am just now finishing up 69 Corvette. All work done by myself including paint so I'm not totally green but these have all been stock rebuilds. I have not yet done any car/truck building that used parts from different vehicles. Everything I've done so far has been pre engineered so this aspect is completely new to me and it's a bit worrying. I do have a well equipped shop, welding and machining skills. (My job).

I'd appreciate any links or advice about a project of this type. What to avoid and what to look out for, Parts that might work for me and such things as that. Especially regarding the steering.

My plan is to gather some more parts for this project while I'm finishing the Corvette (est. July 2015) and jump right onto the 54. Thanks for any help or advice. Links very much appreciated too, Rick

Here's a pic that I'm using for inspiration