Travis,
It shouldn't be that hard. I'm sliding up the front axle this week, and then cutting down the 1250 frame to the proper length. The joint in the middle is where most of my thinking efforts were spent, and I decided to use a heavy duty precision heim joint up top with the piviot point directly over the universal joint at the rear hydro. The lower link is made from two precision heim joints in what looks to be a very short 3-point 3rd link that's at the bottom of the frame.
I'll have to admit that i've been looking long and hard at the pictures of the articulated 1450 that Kraig sent me pictures of, and am patterning many things off that design, because they just work. One of the main features that I wanted to incorporate was the enclosed engine housing that the '82 series have. It should just take trimming the front fenders out so that the side panels can be removed and installed.
I was lucky to find that power steering unit and cylinder that Ryan had on the for-sale pages. Saved me a ton of time looking locally for one. I've got a question on that, tho.
I'm assuming (yeah, yeah, I know) that the orbital valve is open-center. Are the hydraulic valves on a, say, 782 open center or closed center? If they're open, can I put the valve in series with the orbital valve to get PS and hydraulics?
--Mike