Chinook Alternative Truck Chassis Questions

[zero]

I'm beginning to think I may not be able to drive a stick-shift or a truck with manual steering anymore. My right arm has become pretty-much useless over the past year. In fact, I just gave my Dodge diesel to my son in Colorado due the long reach needed to shift it with my right arm. I'm probably getting a replacement shoulder-joint this spring but can't do it until I'm done moving all my stuff out of NY in April. I also don't know how much better my arm will be after they replace my shoulder-joint.

This leaves me with the issue of my 1978 Chinook that I REALLY want to keep. I already tried to come up with a way to add power-steering and it seems it's near impossible for that generation Toyota truck.

So what I'm thinking at the moment is a truck-chassis swap. I'm finding out that getting good specs on certain measurements is not so easy.

The Chinook came on a Toyota truck with a 110" wheelbase. But later Toyota trucks with similar wheelbase specs are too different (at least it seems).

1978 Toyota truck chassis with 110" wheelbase has a distance of 48.7" from the back of the cab to the center of the rear wheels.

1985-1992 Toyota truck chassis with 112.2" wheelbase has a distance of only 43.9" from the back of the cab to the center of the rear wheels.

Ford Ranger with a 125" wheelbase only has 37.7" from the back of the cab to the center of the rear wheels.

So far I haven't been able to find specs on other trucks for the cab-to-rear-wheel distance. So I may have to start finding trucks in the real world and take out my tape-measure.

I'd like to find a truck with a similar rear distance like the Chinook was designed for. I'd like to avoid relocating the rear axle and suspension to match.

So, I'd like a truck with the correct rear distance, power steering, maybe an auto-trans with lock-up, and the best fuel-mileage potential. It appears the Chevy S10 with a 2.2 engine, Isuzu 2.2, or the Ford Ranger with the 2.3 engine give the best hopes for MPGs but I know the Ranger has the wrong measurements in back.

If anybody here has measurement specs for the back of any trucks, please post them.

[linda s]

An extra cab long bed Toyota has a wheelbase of 121. Possible you could cut the cab off where you need it and weld over the holes left by the little rear windows. Easier than lengthening the frame.

Linda S