With that tire diameter and the stock backspacing, I wonder if you will be rubbing the sway bar when steering to full lock. I think you should definitely use a diff drop bracket to save your CV's. I dropped my diff and have been using the same Mecatec boots for a year and a half, I think, without issue. The low-profile front bumpstops may help you out too since you may be going large on lift. You may want to contact WiSdOm here as he usually has a lead on 4.77 gears for cheap. 4.77's should mesh really well with that tire size. So you could lift now and add tires, then perhaps watch the boots fall apart. If you decide on the gear swap, a diff drop and boot change at the same time makes a lot of sense. You probably noticed the topic of ball joint flipping as well...? I also recommend the braided brake lines to get your braking back.
Have fun!