Differential Case blues

[tphsmith]

well I got my NEW ring and pinion gear set Friday, Excited to do the swap Saturday, (wife was working so no Distraction) removed the housing cover drained the gear lube. pulled the tires off and drums came off removed the pinion yoke took lock pin out slipped the C clips out. slipped the axles clear of the case.(I worked at a American Axle plant in mexico setting up for the NEW dodge lockers for 2 years) the pinion shaft was difficult to push out?? well it came out and it was all gaulled up on top and bottom of the shaft, strange! with the pinion gears out after the shaft was removed well the I pushed the case out with help of tapping the pinion from the front she was out in my hands. there were some small metalic fines as I wiped and washed the axle huosing out. I didnt have the right puller to pull the bearings off thew diff case so i called my buddy up and he brought his tools over. (he had the right tools, he use to work at a dealership here). we couldnt get the bearings off the diff case so he suggested to break the roll cage then cut the race off, no problem. NOW here is the killer the spider gears were still in the diff case. we had to drive them out with a big large drive punch, guys the gears were frictiion welded into the diff case bad. but the axles still rotated. this would have been a very devistating issue if I had been driving the truck this way. (the truck has been a garage queen for close to 5 years now trying to get it up and running by MAY this year) So now with this issue of needing new internal gears and now needing a empty diff case I was not ready for this set back.. (this truck sure likes to spend my money for some dang reason) well so now I need to go to the parts board here and see if anyone has a good diff case. I had no idea the diff case was shot. bummer