If you want to "just throw mud" do us all a favor and don't...
I'm not going to get super into it, but people "throwing mud" is what causes trails to be closed, where I live, there are 2 ohv areas, total between the two of them, there is about 1/10th of the trails open that there was 15 years ago, this is because people go in and destroy them for fun...
Now if you want to go and use it responsibly, like others have implied, go get a 4wd, if you need a little more traction for winter, dirt roads, boat launches... Then go get a l/s out of a mustang or explorer... If it is the same gearing, you CAN just swap in the carrier, although your gears won't mesh perfectly unless you properly adjust it... If you want to change gears, you will need to change the pinion, adjust the.... Backlash? That's not right... I forget the term, but adjust the spacing, and you're done, where as if you swap the whole axle, no adjustment needed, 6 u bolts, 2 shock bolts, brake lines, ebrake cable and call it a day... Literally, that swap can be done by anyone who knows how to turn a wrench with even a moderately equipped garage, with no need for precision tools or measuring anything
Sent from somewhere naughty!