[trukman1]

If I remember right 73-87 trucks came with spacers on the power steering boxes. Since you'll have to use a 4x4 steering box anyway it would make since to get it off the newer "square body" trucks and just use the spacers that come on it as well. Yes, you can drill the extra hole if needed. I've yet to see a three hole 4x4 box but I hear they are out there. I'd stick with the 4-hole unit though.

Seems to me as I look at that adapter plate and the spacers it would be about the same as the spacers I mentioned. As for the weak point, that's true of all the c-channel frames but I've only had one crack after terrible abuse and after welding it I never had it crack again either.

Looks like making a plate with some spacers couldn't be very hard. Just remember to radius the corners. Sharp corners are a "punch point" to the metal they are up against.

Just my opinion.