To Rebuild or not to Rebuild...

Probably still gonna end up using the ones currently on the truck, just because the bearings have 120k less miles on them.

 

Then you can pull the donor shafts and replace the axle seals before starting work on the truck.

 

Yep, already did that a few weeks back, ended up messing up one seal when trying to install it so I ended up buying 3. Also already have all the brake hardware torn off the axle since the junkyard left the lines unusable. Just gonna carry over all the brake lines from the current axle housing to the new one.

 

That's what I did, too. Left them connected to the truck and just unhooked everything from the axle. Don't really have any tips; mine just made a mess. I tried sticking the ends into plastic water bottles and that helped, but... still messy.

 

I feel you, I’m never doing any work on a differential that isn’t at the shop ever again, left my parents garage smelling like sewage for a week. I can mop up all the brake fluid after as well.

Did you actually separate the differential from the axle at any point? If so what RTV did you use to reseal it?

 

It arrived! Now I’ve gotta make up for lost time by painting the axle with POR-15, ordering the mopar RTV (research courtesy of Project Farm), and getting everything buttoned up. Then I’ll get my new leaf springs, put them on the axle housing and grab new bushings and a shackle kit so when I get to the day of the swap all I have to do is move everything under the rear and put on 4 bolts.

 

I did have to open the 3rd member/differential; my donor axle and donor diff were different so I had to build it up. Used RTV, but don’t remember exactly which one.

 

Holy crap, it's not that heavy!!!
Three healthy dudes and a couple of boards can get it out.

 

Rebuild the stupid drums while you have it in a comfortable shop