I saw the biggest traction improvements with sticky tires, which is kind of a forgotten part of suspension. Other than that the best bang for the buck is LCA's and LCA relocation brackets. If you are looking to cut corners through mountains, I think you should look into subframe connectors and a larger front sway bar.
As for shocks, I can only tell you to NOT buy kyb agx single 8-way adjustables; they are crap and not worth the money I spent on them. Everyone seems to swear by Koni shocks for both handling and ride quality.
Tons of Suspension Info (Ls1tech)