The FIRST thing you need to think about is what you're going to do for a rear axle, 'cause the 8.5" ring gear, junk axle your truck was probably built with has nowhere near the strength needed, nor the gearing needed, nor the brakes required.
I'd expect a half-ton with a '700 to have the base (weak) 8.5" rear axle, 3.42, maybe 3.73 gears. I'd expect 254mm (10") leading/trailing shoe brakes, which aren't adequate even with small OEM-sized tires.
Why do you need a solid front axle if you're not doing extreme off-road activities? Seems like a total waste of time, money, effort, and enthusiasm.
By the time you buy parts and add your labor to convert the rear axle, and fabricate the front axle, you could sell your truck, and just buy a 3/4-ton 8-lug squarebody with a solid front axle and save two weeks of headaches and parts chasing.