Hi Guys!

I posted this in the 61' - 79' truck section, but thought I would get some great advice from this section too. I am new and if this double posting is taboo or something, then I apologize.
My question was:

I was fortunate enough to find a 1978 F150 Ranger Lariat 4x4 with only 110K original miles. Needless to say, I scooped it up immediately and it is now in my yard =).

I was wondering if anyone knew of a 18inch lift kit so I can slap 44 inch swampers on . . . just kidding ;-).

Seriously though, the owner had put 11.5 inch wide x 32 inch tall tires on it. I am thinking about putting 35 inch tires with a mild lift, maybe 4 inches.

I was looking for advice and the experiences of any members who may have such a setup and which setup they would recommend. It is for mild offroading and back-country camping/canoe trips.

My specific questions were, for the 35 inch setup:
A) can my axles (Dana 44 and Ford 9 inch) handle tires these large? I would rather not regear.
B) can my stock brake system handle tires these large? I can't afford to do major brake upgrades right now.
C) Has a lift and the larger wheels (more specifically the 35's) significantly changed the ride characteristics of your truck at all? Steering less responsive? More unstable? More bumpy?
D) Can you offer an experience comparison between 33 and 35's?

Sorry for my elementary questions, I am new and excited about learning and working on my new truck and the advice I receive will be valued and weigh heavily in what I decide to do. If recommended against such a setup, I might even go with more conservative 33 inchers, in which case I don't think I'll need a lift kit.

Thanks you guys for your time!

Steve