I'm swapping in a rebuilt 3.27 diff to a case that originally had a 2.77. I discovered the original pinion head bearing (HM88649) is not the one listed for the axle (HM89446). The original is smaller and I was going to reuse it but wrecked it removing it from the old pinion. Is it possible or even worth it to try changing to the bigger bearing? The cone that is mounted in the axle would need to be replaced as the pinion already sits way too high even without shims. Can the cone in the housing be replaced? The only GM axle I could find on the Ratech site with that bearing was in some Corvettes. I'm concerned the axle had been replaced in the car I got it from ('86 TA) and I'll have trouble getting the right parts if/when I do a full rebuild. Any info. and/or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Of course. No different from any other bearing out race in that regard. Just knock it out and knock in a new one, same as the factory did. It'll have the part # on it; replace it in like kind.