I have one for my 9" and am contemplating doing the swap myself. How hard is it and do I need any special tools? Do I need to check the backlash if I keep the original shims?

I would suggest taking a pattern off the gears prior with backlash. The Old shims should give you a great start and there is a chance that it will come out close. As you are using your old gears you defenitely do not want to have a pattern or backlash change of any significance as you could see premature wear or failure. If the pattern is not the same you may get a howl in the rear end, on or off throttle. Another solution is to weld / fill in the side gears leaving two teeth across from each other and re-assembling (poor mans locker) until you get the time to get her done right.

Removing the carrier and replacing it with another is very easy. Just make sure everything goes back where you got it from. There is a chance you might have to mess with shims but it should be really close. The Voodoo comes in when you start changing the pinion. Thats when I tuck my tail between my legs and take it to a shop.

Thanks for the tips/advice.