If I remember correctly, a 1990 XJ Dana 30, while high pinion, is a CAD (central axle disconnect) so it's not really an upgrade from your '05 Dana 30 unless you swap your TJ axle shafts into your XJ housing. Your spindles are the same as the XJ one unless. Unless your XJ knuckles have a higher tie-rod end position, there is no reason to spend the time swapping them from axle to axle. As far as gears, it would depend on what kind of wheeling/driving you do. IIRC, the steepest gear set you can get for a HP D30 is 4.88s. Is that going to be enough gear for your wheeling/driving/tire size?
The Dana 30 can be upgraded into a decent and dependable axle. A lot of people dog on them, but I ran my '04 TJ Dana 30, with 4.56s, OX Locker, Warn manual hub kit, and 37" MTRs without any issues. If it's upgraded smartly and beefed where needed, the axle will serve you for a number of years.
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