I have a 88 with a d35 non c clip. I have been wheelin it since 97. It had an re 3' with ez locker in it until 01. I did alot of trails with it that way. I put 33"s on it in 01 and did the Dusy Ershim trail 3 times on that d35. Last year I did the Rubicon with it and broke an axle on old big sluice. I was pushing way too hard at the time and I knew it. My bad. I have a XJ D44 but chose to save it for my MJ build. I opted for the super 35. I already had 4.56 gears in the 35 so the cost difference between gears/locker for the 44 and the super 35 kit was negligible. If I would have factored in the cost of purchasing the 44 too, it would have more expensive than the super 35. Sooo, it mostly comes down to two things. 1. How well do you maintain your vehicle? proper maintenance is a must for long life, and 2. How do you drive? If you drive like a 16 year old in Dad's rig, you will break it. If you are careful and crawl over obstacles, it can last a long time. I have 35"s on it now and haven't had any problems yet. Still have the 30 up front too.