IMHO, locking the front will HELP the longevity of the drivetrain by minimizing the wheel speed when the tire lifts off the ground (which is common due to the lack of downtravel) and allowing you to crawl obstacles instead of using momentum.
I would not weld it though - one it won't turn, and two you'll go through steering components in a HURRY. I have ARB in the front, and I still kill power steering pumps.
