I'd go right to the steel billet driver's side carrier bearing cap and 1/2 studs and forgo using just the reinforcement type diff cover. Alloy 30 spline axles and an aftermarket carrier are defiantly the way to go also !
Stick or auto, BBC or SBC , Nitrous / supercharged or NA, how bad will the abuse be ??
Are you using factory or aftermarket gears ?