I've driven plenty of times in the snow with my 85, and have a detroit in the rear. The only times I had trouble was when I stuck my foot in it going around a corner, the rear would slide every time and I would get a big ol grin.
Go with a detroit in the rear and just learn to drive with it. Save your money for an arb in the front.
Autos are smoother because the slip in the tranny.
I've got a detroit in the rear, driven 35,000 miles on it, snow, ice, wet, dry, all of the above. Stay smart, and take it easy and you'll stay on the roads. I've lived in CO, and I know the roads out there, its not whats being driven, but whos behind the wheel. I've seen a VW bug with chains do better than a toyota runner simply because the driver knew what he was doing. MY detroit has be pretty dang predictable for me, don't stomp it in a turn, and you don't slide
If you've got the coin though, you may as well go with the ARB
