Ive had two LP D44 gearsets in my hands out of chevy front ends that had intact shafts, with stripped ring gear teeth, One was a 5.14:1 gear set, the other was a 4.10:1 gearset, One was out of a 3/4 ton frontend, the other a half-ton. I purchased both front ends for their flat top knuckles and got a killer deal on both because they had blown out gears.
And as long as were having the WhipOut contest, I may not have a piece of paper with my name on it that says Im an engineer, but I do have practical expirience and rational thought (With a bit of mechanical engineering schooling). Mechanically, the LP front end is at a serious disadvantage (in the forward direction) because it pulls the preload off of the inner pinion bearing (not because it puts pressure on the coast side of the gear teeth as many would lead you to believe). When you pull preload off of the inner bearing, the pinion deflects causing less tooth face contact and shearing of the teeth. Now as said above, yes the LP does have an advantage in the reverse direction, however, 90% of obstacles are approached in the forward direction, especially the ones which put enough stress on the front axle to shear ring gear teeth.
Now I dont need the same WebJockies over at ButtPirape4x4.com to explain to me that a D60 LP front from a chevy is stronger simply because it was put on a truck with a bowtie on the grille. Its simple physics, under a 4x4 that spends the vast majority of its action in the forward direction, a High Pinion front axle is significantly stronger than a low pinion front end.
If you seriously defend the other position, you dont deserve your degree, period.