I'm not trying to be different, but I have a different opinion.
1. The D-44 in the front of a JK being "in name only"
well, les compare it to the strongest front dana 44 ever made that I can think of, a 1979 F-250 8 lug dana 44
a) the 79 F-250 has a pumpkin that has cast gussets and 1/2" think tubes with very strong forged outer C's
a) the JK has an acceptable pumpkin, but the tubes and C's are way too light duty under a JK. If you sleeve them the will bend at the pumpkin.
b) the 79 has high pinion reverse cut gears that are 30% stronger than standard cut gears in the front
b) the JK has larger high pinion gears that are even stronger than the 79
c) the 79 has 297 series U-joints
c) the JK uses larger, stronger joints
d) the 79 and JK use the SAME SIZE ball joints(yes they also are the same on dana 30), yoke (1310), and inner axle shafts (1.31" 30 spline shafts)
e) 79 uses 16 spline outer axle shafts and locking hubs.
e) JK uses 30 spline unit bearings that are much stronger.
As you can see, the JK axle is equivalent or superior to the BEST dana 44 in every way except the axle tubes and C's. This is not a small problem. As with most decisions it depends on what you want to do with the jeep. If you purely rock crawl (or mud) the JK axle with sleeves and a truss should last a very long time. If you get the front off the ground ever, then you better think about upgrading the tubes and C's. bending the axle is not usually a catestrophic failure. You still drive home and have time to deal with it.
Now, your question was should you swap a JK 44 into the front of your jeep. Of course the answer depends on who you are, how and where you drive, and how much the JK axle costs. For most folks that answer is probably no, but there are still a lot of people that this makes sense for.
1 more point, the ARB fits fine in sleeved axles, the 35 spline 1.5" shafts just won't fit in the 1.5" bore of the shafts. the same would be true for and 35 spline locker
