I don't know if a Dana 44 will hold up any better than the Toyota axles. A buddy used to run a Dana in the front of his rig, all he had in it was the 4.3 vortec, and even w/an auto transmission, he was able to blow apart the Dana, even after buying all the upgrades. I think you would have to run 60's to guarantee reliability.

Since it sounds like you don't need an SA for the type of off-roading you do and would only need it for the V8 swap, you might want to look into a 2jz or 2jzgte swap. The 2jzgte is a twin turbo motor which produces 320hp in its stock form, and you would be able to use the Toyota V-6 transmission. The sequential twins give you good power throughout the power band, enough torque to snap you back into your seat, but not so much torque to snap your drivetrain.Supratrucks.com, might be worth a look. The 2jz swap usually runs about $5k(about the same as any any other engine swap), w/o the added expense of a SAS, or custom axles.