I agree that if it's just a street driven, looks cool type of build an open diff 10 bolt will last a long time. The factory Gov Lock locking differential is extremely light duty and fails easily which in turn takes out other parts.
Going with a tall lift you'll likely need a CV joint at the tcase and then cut & turn the diff to rotate the pinion up, that should fix any lift vs driveshaft angle problems. Whatever you do, don't drop the tcase crossmember! Some folks do this in an attempt to relieve the rear driveshaft angle but it worsens the front angle and sometimes causes the frame to crack at the bolts (depending on how it's done, abuse, etc).
In addition to the lift, consider things like steering box braces and the XJ steering shaft mod. Crossover steering is a great mod but not always necessary, especially for a street truck. All of those can noticeably improve and tighten the steering feel. If you stay with push/pull steering be sure to get enough corrective parts, you want the drag link to be very close to horizontal.