I have this axle in my Cherokee too. I'm running 33" tire and it's strong enough for me. It roughly the same rearend that Dodge puts in the Dakota and some of their 1/2 ton trucks. If you've got the 27 spline 8.25 and are worried about breakage carry a spare or install alloy axles. It's not to rough to change. Just remove the tire, crack the pumpkin, and remove a c-clip.

I did break a stock 27 spline axle doing something really stupid on the Rubicon after I installed a locker. I broke a big rock in half as well as my axle. I don't do stupid stuff as much and I've since installed alloy axles. I had no issues with this axle since.

If you've got the 27 spline 8.25 you can make it stronger by installing 29 spline alloy axles and a locker to match. Or just install 27 spline alloys as I did. IMHO this axle doesn't need swapping if your running up to 33" tires. The D35 that under most jeeps is a POS with bigger tires and thats why you hear alot of swapping talk.\