Yup...exactly what I had to do. Very nerve racking taking a grinder to a 2500 screw up but I had no other way to do it. Getting the diff out is pretty straightforward.
- remove the frame cross member
-remove rim hub center cap and break axel nut lose
-remove tire
-remove upper control ark and sway bar link( gives you enough room to get the 1/2 shaft out and saves you disassembling everything)
-remove 1/2 shaft
-remove passenger side axel carrying tube( there is a small bearing inside at the end where the seal is that my rebuild kit didn’t come with so take care not to get dirt or dust inside it)
-remove drive shaft bolts( to the yoke) and use rubber mallet to break lost the drive shaft from the diff
-undo diff breather hose and remaining mounting bolts. And trans oil cooler will have to be unbolted and slid up out of the way( diff is heave so have a jack present to take the weight.
-push rear of diff( yoke side) up and slide towards rear of the car so the front can drop down and out. Prepare yourself for lots of cursing because it’s a b****
As for splitting the case and bearing removal I did what Beemernut said. But to each his own. Left and right bearings on the diff ARE DIFFERENT sizes so make sure you put the correct bearing in place when reassembling.
Let me know any other questions and I’ll try to help out
