After spending this morning rebuilding the ford 8.8" rear end and getting confirmation from the driveshaft shop that I would get a quick turn around I decided to disable truck and start to swap the rear end this afternoon.
The axle is a 31 spline 3.73 gear unit with disc brakes and a trac lok diff. I installed new axle bearings and seals, new parking brake shoes, new rotors, calipers, and pads. To top it all off I installed the carbon fiber trac lok rebuild kit. It's reported to be more durable and have a higher break away torque rating.
What the truck looked like at 1:30 this afternoon.
What the truck looked like at 5:00 today.
Next day off I'll swap in the T19 trans so that I can measure for the driveshaft modification and then start on the front brakes and master cylinder. I'm already eagerly awaiting the first drive after these mods are complete.