Outside of mods (because I can't find any good mods for werewolfs that don't make them overpowered), what are some good tips for a werewolf character? More specifically, what should you do or have on hand to get the most out of beast form?

I've got the Lord Stone. That should transfer over, correct? It's an active spell effect and not a racial bonus (according to UESP, racial bonuses don't carry over, spell effects do). This helps with a bit of defense (AR and magic resistance)

I read that light armor skill effecting AR until 1.3, is this correct? Also, does damage level with the character? I seem to be doing pretty good damage to draugr wights and overlords. My only problem is defense, and there is no healing other than "feeding" and you can't feed on a draugr (ew!)

I don't have any alteration spells, only illusion (buffing Meeko), and conjuration (improved familiar).

Also, according to UESP, you're supposed to encounter wild werewolfs, but I've read here that this is not the case (I've also never encountered one). Is it true?

Light Armor skill and the "Agile Defender" perk did grant extra Armor to Werewolves until Patch 1.3, when they removed their base Armor Rating on accident. Claw attacks do scale with your level, but they're also based on your 1H Skill. I've heard that the "Avoid Death" perk in Restoration will work in Werewolf form, but it's not that useful due to the fact that the attack has to bring you below 10% Health, but not kill you. If the attack does enough damage to not only drop you below 10% Health, but also drop you to 0 Health, "Avoid Death" doesn't proc, and you still die.
One thing i like to do before i transform, is to drink a Elixir of Regeneration (+100% Health Regeneration for 300 Seconds) or a custom made Regenerate Health potion.

Wild Werewolves do not spawn in the wild in vanilla Skyrim. That part about them spawning in the wild on the Wiki, is incorrect. Only place they exist is in the Silver Hand Cages. Besides Sinding.

So their base AR was removed incorrectly? I wonder how that happend. The regen potion is a good idea. Avoid death would be too, but I have no restoration skill.

Here's a cheat or exploit if you prefer the term.

Gather together the materials to make a great many potion of fortify restoration and fortify alteration. Equip your fortify alchemical gear set then make and drink one potion of fortify restoration. Unequip and requip your fortify alchemy gear. The potion made the gear temporarily more powerful. Repeat this step a few times. Infact save your game and see how many loops it takes before the potion of fortify alteration projects its %%% into the negatives. Make it before that happens.

Now with your potion of fortify alteration some ungodly number drink it then cast dragonhide which can then last for thousands of hours. So long as you never cast an armor spell.(which will override the dragonhide). You can enjoy 80% damage reduction for the rest of the game.

how do i become a werewolf? where should i go to get this disease??
XD

join the companions and do the quests..