Thanks for the response, I could definitely see where it can be intimidating. There are definitely a lot of different directions you can go with your build and I did my SAS for a lot less than $8,000. (I did a lot of the work myself.)
If you want to go rock crawling, the difference in performance from torsion bars and IFS compared to coil overs and a solid axle is dramatic. Where and how do you want to wheel? There are plenty of people that will never need an SAS'd rig. But it sounds like you want to go big.
There is a lot of knowledge on this forum and we are all happy to share if you have questions.
End of thread jack.