trev,
believe it or not, taking the entire axle is not that bad. you will have everything off anyway, all you will need to do it pull the 4 u-bolts, 8 nuts, and 2 shocks off and it would be so much easier doing on a bench instead of under the truck.
just my 2 cents worth...good luck.
i am gonna try to bleed my system in the morning.
leonard