You really should try it with the motor braking. When I first did my conversions, I thought I'd miss the mechanical brakes, but an electric really does drive differently as compared to a nitro truck. As an overall package, I've grown to like the motor braking. There is no fade as things heat up and it's very consistent.

As for the truck setup, motor, esc, and batteries depends on how much you want to spend.

A popular setup for a truck would be either an 8XL or 9XL Feigao with a Mamba Max esc on a 4S 8Ah lipo pack. The Feigao motors have their issues with the endbells and heat, but they are inexpensive.

You could also consider a Mamba Max/Lehner setup or a Quark/Neu setup, if your finances allow.