Looking for the best choice in a front dana 44

[Gunfighter97]

Heyo, due to the previous owners of the world, my current front axle has some bush fixery on the passenger side spring mount (next to the pumpkin) which results in a sketchy mount to the spring. Took this apart to try and un-PO it, turns out the diff pumkin is fubared. So not wanting to mess about with it, I'm looking for a new front end. The current axle is a FA 25 open knuck 8 lug from a late 60s early 70s 1200 or 1210. This is going in a 65 PU, stock springs. My question having never needed a new front end before is what should I put under there while I'm tearing it apart anyways? High pinion? Cut/rotated? Ect. I dont really know what to ask here, so any input is apreciated. IHPA will probably be the source for a new one. I'd like to be able to simply replace everything in between the two brakes and nothing else(if not less). However that pinion is the lowest part of the vehicle up front, I'd like to get it up under the truck a lil farther. I'm not opposed to gutting this axle and moving the parts over to a new one(I know about setting up ring gears and the like). Another factor is the front drive line was just freshly rebuilt, never installed. So while I do want more ground clearance on the pinion, I'd like to avoid having to have the shaft shortened. Thanks in advance.

[Scoutboy74]

Fubar-ed huh? That sucks. The least upsetting to the apple cart is probably going to be a similar FA25/26 that hasn't been fubared. I don't think IH offered a high pinion D44 FA. If you go some other make, it has to be from a passenger drop setup, which is generally GM. Most Ford and Dodge are driver side drop. Then there's gear ratio agreement between front and rear axles for 4x4.

[Gunfighter97]

Yup, you about covered it. 4:10 gears currently, I would need a new set if I did go high pinion, but like you said, I only saw driver side pumkins in high pinion axles with preliminary googling.
Bear with me here, I admittedly dont know much about this other than what I saw in a picture as I scrolled by. I thought I saw somebody cut the housing and rotate the ends for better caster angle??? My axle currently has no shims installed and the pinion is pointed slightly down. The u-joint is very nearly the lowest hanging part of the running gear up front, I thought maybe, "cut-n-rotate" might help with that? No clue feel free to brutally educate me
*edit: just thought how much I would love to be able to afford an ox locker right now...

[1975IH200]

Get a high pinion Dana 60 form a Ford or Dodge, then cut the tubes off and swap them side-to-side. Adjust pinion angle if necessary.

Scout guys do essentially the same thing on their Dana 44's with the "cut-n-turn" modification.

[Gunfighter97]

Ooooooo, now THERES an idear. Hehehee I might just look into that, thanks! Wait, how complicated is this "cut-n-splice thing? I did want to reuse my old warn hubs, I like their look but dual D60s would be cool. Also just got new rims so if thats any diferent it might be a deal breaker unfortunately IHPA doesnt have one laying around.