Ok, first the main drive from the trans is solid. So both front and rear have the same power distrobution. It'd be awesome to change that, but either way, solid is more durable.
Second, going to front wheel drive is going to suck bud. Trust me. Once you try it, you're gonna hate it. The main fact is that there isn't enough weight up front for the wheels to grab. It's going to spin like nothing else, and you're gonna end up getting really angry. I've had many grub screws in the rear outdrives snap. I know what FWD is like, and spinning on pavement like that, it's horrible.
Second, best idea, as bmc said, loosen the slipper. This way, the initial torque won't be delivered straight to the wheels. This will reduce the wheelies a TON, and also give it less acceleration.
Want a really good idea? It requires taking out the diffs. Put some 50-70k diff lube in the front diff, then run 20-30k in the rear. More grip in the front. I'm going to be running 80k up front and 60k in the rear first to see how it works. I'm probably going to end up hitting 100k up front and 90k in the rear, but I want to try 60/80 first. This method will give you a bunch of options, and having the rear slipping more and the front more "locked" will help greatly with climbing. 🙂
Hope this helps out Nate. 🙂