8.8's are dime a dozen, if your not finding them for $100-150, you probably not looking the right place. Go to a junk yard and ask them if you pull the axle how much, they will give you some BS price, tell them, I'll give you $100, 99.995% of the time, they will say fine.
The 8.8 (and D44) are good axles, I personally would not go larger than 38" tire with them all built up, but I do wheel with a guy who has a mild built 302 running a 8.8 rear and runs a 37" red label tire. he has one season on this set up and has not blown the rear up yet.
D35 is simply not worth any investment, I know people who wheeled stock D35 with 35" tires for a while and did not break them for a while.. but that is for a while, simply put the design of the D35 is not up to what we expect from a wheelable axle.
D44's from first gen rubi's are not that much of an upgrade over stock TJ axles and are very pricey for some reason. the only advantage the rubi D44 front has over the D30 is the ring gear size and the spline count on the shafts. the U-joints, which are the weakest point, are still the same, as is the unit bearing, inner and outer castings, pinion yoke etc.. Gen 2 D44's are a slight inprovement from the first gen, but they are not with out issues. seen a number of jk D44's bend where the long tube presses into the diff and at the inner castings. again, the D44 front still uses all the D30 outer parts.
If I were you, find a 8.8 or d44 for the rear, keep your front, just swap in TJ shafts and a new Pass. side diff seal and wheel, you'll be more than fine with a 32-33" tire.
for lockers, Aussie lockers are in my opinion the best lunch box locker, I would avoid lock-rites like the plague.
