If I was taking the rear end apart to change the ring and pinion I'd put all new beatings and seals in it. Just because it's apart anyway.
Yeah, I thought that too and a friend told me that he's rebuilt several and the bearings are typically in pretty good shape.
There's an installation kit for the ring/pinion that include the bearings for the rear axles, but it's about $400. I wanted to try and re-use any of the bearings I could, but your comment about the tapered bearings caused a rethink on that.
From what you were saying the front was more important, and I can do the bearings after the ring/pinion.
I got my truck and trailer in working order today. I will use it to haul the pickup to the scale and to the DMV to get the VIN verified, then I will take it home in, hopefully, a couple weeks to get the ring/pinion in. I suspect it will take a bit longer as I need to visit my Mom next week, she's 6 hours away...
