So I found out the other day that my right rear axle shaft is bent . I found an axle shaft at a junkyard for around 40 bucks, so my question is, How hard is it to replace an axle shaft and is this something that needs to be done by a professional.

 

e-z as pie

Put the truck on jack stands and pull the tire and drum off the side with the bent shaft.
Pull the diff cover and drain the gear oil.
Pull the cross Pin retaining bolt.
Push the cross pin out or if its a factory notched cross pin rotate it with the notch facing the bad axle shaft.
Push the axle shaft toward the differental.
Push the C-clip off the end of the axle shaft.
Pull the Axle shaft out.
Reverse with new Shaft.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Hopefully everything goes smoothly

 

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Be VERY CAREFUL not to round-off the head of the crosspin bolt, use a 5/16ths, 6 point boxend wrench or socket & pop it with a mallet, as it has loctite on the threads from the factory.