1971 3/4 swap to 1/2 ton

[Charlesdur]

Hello everyone,

I have been searching like mad and need some help. I just snatched a 1971 fleetside with a screamin 454 for $1000.00 (family deal). It is a 3/4 ton with rear leaf springs and drum brakes. Front has coils and disk brakes. I want to convert it over to 1/2 ton so I can have 5 lugs and do a 4/6 drop on it. I will list what I have currently been told and have been searching threads, but starting to think that I might be out of my mind. I could buy a 1/2 ton and move my engine over, but it was the grandpas truck and cant do that.

#1 (REAR) need to swap out the rear end and find a 9.5” 14 bolt semi floating rear differential so that I dont have to get a new drive shaft. These come in 5 and 6 lug, but the 5 lug is hard to find and expensive.
Any direct bolt on advice woule be GREEEEEAAAAATTTT...

#2 (FRONT) I can buy a complete kit from ECE or LMC truck and swap it all over. My question is that since these kits are made for 1/2 ton trucks and I want mine as a 1/2 ton will it work?

#3 Find a 1971 or 1972 with all of its suspension and transfer over

Added some pictures of my 390 and bagged 66 tbird and the 454 in my new 71 3/4 ton.

Thanks