I've never thought of installing a solid front axle on mine. My "4 by 4ing" is pretty much limited to logging roads etc. that I use to go fishing or hunting. I decided to do my lift after I had to pull a cow elk I shot out of some brush back to a very small access road. I realized I would have felt more comfortable with a couple more inches of clearance and a bit larger tires.

As for proper 4x4 off-roading I'm sure you are right about having that somewhere here in ID. I do know that Potlatch Corp. has had plenty of bad experiences with people tearing up their roads so that they had to implement a fee for access program that just punished the rest of us respectful users for the actions of a bunch of yahoos who acted like bratty kids.