Never in my life would I have thought it would come to this

The Ford 8.8 rear is a cheaper alternative and it's been proven.

The 8.25 and 9.25 Chrysler rears seem to be a mystery for a lot of folks. Each can be built fairly in inexpensively, each avaible with disk brakes if you're so inclined (disk being "better" is another debate left for another thread) and each available easily enough from every "U Pull It" salvage yard from Dakotas and Durangos.