Holy crap! Note to self: never have any maintenance done in Michigan.
40$ for a socket is crazy, I got mine and a 3/4" drive breaker bar at tractor supply for 21$. And they're out of their minds on the u joint/hub swap, It shouldn't take more than 2 hours to change out both sides.
The chunk? You mean the carrier? Put the hubs and wheels back on (without the axles) and line the carrier up with a tree or the hitch of another truck, then wrap a come along around the carrier dead in the center and have someone crank on it for you while you lay under there to catch it. If you can't get any help then you can put a box under the diff with a bunch of denim in it for padding to prevent carrier damage.
You don't need a case spreader if you still have stock gears.

 

Mine was the same way, keep prying, i had one pry bar wedged in the spider gears (but not on the teeth), and one on the top of the big ring gear, and i pryed so hard my veins were popping out of my arms, and it finally budged free, then i just pryed fom each side till it fell out...be careful it is heavy.

 

I been out there prying at it for about 3 hrs now, I like the come-along idea, I'll see if the neighbor will bring his truck over and hook it to his hitch. Why didn't I think of that? I can't pull too hard because a back surgery a year ago. As for the socket, it was a "specialty tool" or Mac tools, that's why it costed so much. It'll go in my "why did I spend so much drawer" LOL

 

I didn't even try pry bars on mine. I grabbed a small chain and wrapped it around the bell shaped part of the carrier right next to the ring gear and hooked the come along to it, then I had my dad crank on the come along with it hooked up to his hitch.
Do you have a heavy dead blow hammer? You will need it to get the carrier back in. It'll take a couple tries to get the bearing races lined up just right before you can start hammering on it. I was hitting the ring gear and just tapping the bearing races for fear of damaging the races.

 

I still cannot get the damn thing out, I need a break! It strted to come out, it is no longer in contact with the bearings but it won't budge. I have a good sized deadblow but can't get it in until I take it out...

 

BUMP I need help! Like the last post the carrier is still not in contact with the bearings but it seems stuck on something... I even tried a coil spring compressor in combination with a tow strap but it broke the tow strap. That was a rediculous amount of pressure but it still wont budge. I need this thing done TONIGHT. I'll get a picture asap but for now I need some suggestions please

 

Did you slide the intermediate shaft out of the carrier all the way? It is on the left side of the hole when you look at the axle where the cad unit attaches.

 

Attachment 7891

Attachment 7892

Attachment 7893

 

I'm pretty sure, that's as far it is will go. The picture above shows the CAD section.

 

That is just bound up. Smack the right bearing race with a dead blow to get it to move back in just a little, then pry from the top on the left and when it looks like its coming out evenly, pry on both sides.