I'm willing to admit I'm in over my head. I can do simple things like an intake manifold etc etc, but I'll have to pay someone to do the rear end. What do you think it'll cost me to have a shop (mopar friendly) do the gears?
Go to a shop that specials in 4x4 work. They will be much more experienced at doing that kind of work.
A shop with the proper tools should be able to do it in a couple of hours. The pinion is marked with the depth it is supposed to be at so if they have the correct tools there is no trial an error with the marking paste involved.
FWIW, it took me about 5 hours of slow and careful work to swap gears in my 8.25 and get it set up. That was with the axle on the bench.