Do you need Pro version of Titanium Backup to be able to remove those preinstalled apps? Because in the free version I don't really see the option to do this.Titanium Backup will backup almost everything on your phone but it's a little iffy for your Text Messages and System Settings. The paid version has an XML export which is supposed to work between different ROMs better but it's still not perfect.
As for your contacts the answer's simple: Make them all Google Contacts. Then they'll be backed up automatically and restored automatically when you sign in with your Google Account.
And how do you make them Google Contacts?