If you can weld and want to keep the cost down, try to locate a ford 8.8 out of a 95-2000 explorer, it will have disc brakes and the ones in the mountaineers had 4:11 trac lock units. (all mountaineers are V8's, some explorer V8's will also have this set up) Order a mount kit for about $40 from rubicon express or MORE off road and weld away! The only other thing you will have to pick up is a yoke kit which is farly inexpensive. I have read articles where people have gotten though this swap for as cheap as $400.
The 8.8 is acually stonger than a D44 has 31 spline axles (oposed to 30 spline ) and is not a lower centered carrier like the 9 inch. The only other thing I would recomend is that you weld the axle tubes up and get a new re-enforced diff cover!
Johnny
