Rich basically covered it, i'll add a bit...
4. Ovurson offers a locker also that's much better than a detroit. i think a spool as well?
6. with some of the recent backyard tech on pirate, wheel brakes are becoming much more affordable. you can get out with a GOOD setup for ~500-700 in parts depending on exactly what calipers you go with.
7. with a stock pan, around 60 clearance. shaved you can get them just better than a 44. that's only one point, where the ring gear is. if you do a mohawk style, you can take the sides up even further to nearly even with the bottom of the tube (not quite even, bearing caps hang down a little).
8. yep, really depends on your rig... but, most people i've questioned are running 4-6 inches of clearance between the chunk and the closest offending part. driveshaft usually isn't a big concern unless you've got things REALLY crammed in there like pheery's buggy. personally, i've only got 2 inches but i'll have a thin bumpstop on a crossmember that will limit center uptravel. i'm at the max of where i want my overall height to be, so if i need any more clearance it'll have to be with a drivetrain lift.
