Well, if you plan to go to 35s anyway you may as well SOA on stock springs. Softer ride than any 4" I've ever driven/ridden in. I run stock shackles in my front, hit a rock from time to time, but hit rocks on lots of other places too. I am sure that even if I had a S/R with custom hangers tucked nicely up out of the way I'd still hit them now and then, kinda goes with the territory.
I've been really pleased with siped BFG mudders in both deep fresh snow and hard, icy snowpacked roads, have run 31x10.5, 33x10.5 and 35x12.5 on various cruisers. Unlike other people, I don't think they are noticably noisier than A/Ts, which I've also run. They last about as long, and do surprisingly well on-road. Siping makes a huge difference in mudders, on wet pavement, on ice, in snow and on dry pavement too.
I have seen swampers do really well in the snow too, but they wear out really fast on pavement, and are tougher to balance than BFG or Goodyear mudders.
I also used to run Firestone town and country snow tires in 235 size for a lot of years, one of the best snow tires I've ever used. They stopped making them about 5 years ago, and 235 was the largest size they made them in.
Short of tracks like a snow cat, nothing beats chains though.
I've driven nothing but Land Cruisers, primarily 40s, for the last 23 years, so obviously my cruisers must be commuter-capable. I have never been able to afford a dedicated trail rig, trailer, tow rig, etc.