Originally Posted by highonpottery

i just did this a couple weeks ago, solo. it's much easier to swap out complete diff housings than just the guts. if you do the guts/gears, it'll need to be set up properly and the diff would have to be out anyways. as for the removal and install of diff housing, it's pretty straightforward, but afterward you'll know why shops charge so much to mess with the front diff:
-remove IFS brace if you have one - hopefully it's not welded in!
-break loose and unbolt all 12 CV studs.
-unbolt the 4 driveshaft studs and tie the driveshaft up and out of the way with a piece of string.
-although it would make things MUCH easier, do not remove the front crossmember or you risk the a-arms shifting since they will no longer be tied together.
-unbolt the 3 bolts that hold the diff up there - i suggest remove the front bolt and the passenger side ones, then put a floor jack under the diff and THEN unbolt the driver's side bolt so it doesn't come crashing down on you or your fingers, 'cuz that SOB is freakin' heavy!
-the diff has to drop at a funky angle in order to get the two side mounts to clear the lower a-arms. unfortunately it has to go back in at a funky angle which is NOT easy to do on your own.

install is pretty much the reverse, but a couple things that make it easier:
-eat your Wheaties!
-pound out the 12 CV studs from the diff housing (put a nut on the end so you don't jack up the threads) and grind off the little ridges, making them into bolts. this will make it a lot easier to go back in as well as make future CV changes easier as well.
-when installing, try to get the front bolt/mount in first by lifting the front of the diff higher than the rear, then once it's above the mount on the crossmember, bring the diff forward a tad to get the rear mounts to clear the a-arms. once the a-arms are clear, it should just seat itself nicely and you can bolt away.
-use loctite on pretty much everything.
-torque specs are in the repair manuals.
-like Jay said, extend your diff breather while you're at it. either get the proper nipple to replace the stock breather or do what i did and remove the dust cap and secure breather hose with a hose clamp to keep it on there.

unfortunately for me, i didn't use a wide enough bead of RTV (or didn't clean the mating surface well enough) to seal the diff cover on and developed a leak. not going to remove the whole thing, but just the cover this time because let me tell ya, that thing was a major pain in the rear! good luck, you'll feel like you'll need it.