Certainly not an expert on the main subjects of this discussion, but generally speaking your use dictates which front axle to do.
If you already have a 30 then at the very least you need to truss it well.
In fact, for your stated usage I would truss a 44 too.
I hear you when you say you are not going to be abusing it or scaring the kids (too much), but sand dunes in general wreak havoc on smaller, thinner tube axles because of the force that is applied when bouncing around or hitting the bottom of a dune at speed.
Even a 44’s long side will break under the right circumstances.
This doesn’t really have as much to do with engine torque as much as tire size and usage. And obviously in 2-wheel drive the front end is hardly stressed at all.
Except in the dunes..
Another aspect of strength are the internals of course. What gear ratios are you contemplating?
The lower the gearing (higher numbers) the weaker the pinion gear in a Dana differential.
Just a few things to take into account.
) so I went 2". I have a 77' that I picked up a couple of months ago and I want to build a LUBR with a coyote.... I have a 1" BL on my shelf and I plan on giving it a try on that build... I hope to start later this summer/early fall.
