Yeah, I am running 37's on the Dana 30, and have bounced it and dropped it on some pretty challenging rocks. But, I agree. Even with all the upgrades I've thrown at this little bitty axle, it's just a matter of time before it goes belly-up on the trail. I spoke with Superdawg this past Friday, he says he has a D60 ready to go into the YJ. . . all it takes is money, and / or for the D30 to blow apart!
However, I do like the ground clearance the tiny D30 provides in the front. Coupled with the Tera R60 that has a little more ground clearance than the D44, I can easily point and shoot over many rock gardens without letting any boulders touch my diffs. I run TJ u-joints, stouter axleshafts, 456 gears, an ARB Locker, and, of course, the Warn lockout hubs (got rid of the dual passengerside axles many years ago).
Admittedly, I do attempt to pick my battles (rocks/challenges) these days, but it's difficult not to thrash the Dana 30 on rocky trails no matter how much you want to protect it by attempting to use the front axle sparingly; or, how well you can pick the best approach/line over an obstacle. I will say this about the Dana 30, it is typically under-rated by most four wheelers. My experiences have proven its iron (toughness)!