76 K5 Blazer - Restomod

I've owned it for 20+ years, used it as a daily-driver and a hunting rig and my daughter drove it while in high school. In 2004 I added a Rough Country 4" lift (springs front, blocks rear) and 35" M/T tires. In 2006 I replaced the 350 with a built 406 (from magazine article 'Impersonator 406' in Chevy High Performance magazine). In 2016 I had the TH350 rebuilt with all heavy duty parts and had ORD frame repair and frame brace kit installed.

In 2022 it lost a cam lobe - probably my fault for not putting additives (zinc?) in the oil. I pulled the engine and then decided the rest of the truck really needed/deserved to be addressed. Now it's fall 2024 and I'm finally, hopefully, ready to move forward.

What I want:
I want it to look good; not show-quality but not primer either.
I want to use it primarily as an off-road, Moab, fun-to-drive truck.

I don't plan to do the body work myself; I thought about it but I'm old and don't want to stretch this project out for a decade.

Things I don't know yet and I'm seeking advice on:

• Engine/transmission - stick with the 406 and TH350 or do a swap to a late-model 5.3/6.0/etc.? From what I've read the swap sounds expensive.
  • If I do keep the 406 my plan is to have a shop go through it (the journals all look good) and then install a roller-cam and also do fuel-injection, e.g. FiTech, Edelbrock, etc.
• Suspension - stick with leaf springs (longer, shackle flip, etc.) or do a 4-link?
• Gearing - I plan to run 37" tall tires; current gears are 4.11. Is 4.88 enough?
• Axles - the truck has 12-bolt rear, Dana 44 front. Do I need to go to 14-bolt rear?
• Steering - Pretty sure I want/need to do the cross-over steering; is hydro assist also required/recommended?

Also, please chime in if I'm missing something critical.