Thanks, I should be good getting the VX to the test drive. After that,your lift might be a real help for making adjustments.
I researched quite a bit on steering. Initially, I was going to use a FJ60/FJ80 box because they have a forward facing pitman arm. I believe the splined u-joint on the steering shaft is the same but the gearbox hose connectors are a different size. I found that with my axle location, I could get away with using a rear facing pitman arm and save $500 not using a toyota setup.
I had read the same about the F-250 box but that's even more work than using the toyota box because it would need a new steering shaft. The F-250 is a bigger box but I believe the gearing is the same. I'm not convinced you would get much extra benefit of a bigger box without a larger, higher pressure steering pump.
I figured for now I would keep it simple and cheap by using a stock ZU box. If I have issues with weak steering, I'll look into a new setup &/or hydro assist when I have more time.