Hmm... I had a couple beers at lunch so sorry if this comes off snarky or whatever. No spare... that's how I rolled too - only carried fix-a-flat & tire plug kit - but I admit it was kinda dumb to think that was sufficient, even for the minimal time I spent away from home. No regard toward a real jack or spare says you don't expect to do anything all that challenging or rugged which means to me, HD links, diff guard, HD steering parts would all be a waste of money. I would agree with you, diff drop is unnecessary for your application. If you are not flat-towing then the hubs are also a waste of money (IMO). So it sounds to me like after brake upgrades you are just about ready to go!