I'm in the learning phase of the Jeep addiction, but I'll chime in for what it's worth. I have a 2 door and running 37s on my front D30 (tires actually measure 36). I intended on getting a new front axle first but it didn't work out that way as I got the tires on a deal I could not pass on.
Having said that, I have not spent one dime on my D30 and won't. I have not taken it out on anything other than small trails as I feel very confident the axle will not last with the heavier tires (and they are heavy). And for me, after reading many WOL threads, I soon realized it's not just the front axle that has to be addressed when going to 37s. I have to deal with an appropriate lift, bumpstops, pinch seams, brake lines, drive shaft and gears to make my rig truly functional in order to maximize the 37s for the type of wheeling I would like to do.
So in my case, just throwing on 37s without taking care of the other issues, more than likely, made my rig less functional. But I was warned before I did it. I decided to build my rig around the tires I got. I like the 37s and will stay with them, it's just taking my money to get the build I want!
Bottom line, my 37s are holding up just fine driving it to the grocery store!
If I missed anything please chime in.
And really, there's nothing wrong with anything that you did. Like you, I got impatient with my old 2009 JKUX and threw on a set of 37's before I had a chance to replace the Dana 30 on it. Like you, I just didn't waste any time or money on it but rather, ran it as is until I could afford a ProRock 44. The whole time I ran that setup, I knew full well that it could easily break.
Again, the only thing I find laughable is when guys come on here to say how they've added sleeves or a truss to their Dana 30 as if it really matters. They go on and on about how hard they wheel and how often and to that, all I can say is that everyone has a different idea of what "hard" or "all the time" really is. Maybe I just suck at wheeling but, I've been able to blow Dana 44's and even a semi-float ProRock 60.