Seven weeks of looking at a dirt pile and nobody said a word?

Level the bench first, then check your square. I keep a pack of those plastic shims in my apron for this exact reason. Also watch out for a crooked floor if the bench has been scooted around.

Stories like this always seem to happen on a Sunday, don't they? Same deal as when a water heater goes or the fridge quits, it's never a Tuesday morning when you got time to deal with it. And that crawl home in 4 low is its own little test of patience, 25 mph for two hours gives you way too much time to think about every noise the truck makes. Tearing into a diff is one of those jobs where the price tag can sneak up on you, because once you see one chewed gear there's usually more damage hiding in there. A used complete axle from a salvage yard is often cheaper and faster than a rebuild, you just gotta make sure the gear ratio matches what you got now. If you go rebuilt chunk, get the ratio stamped on your old ring gear first so you don't end up with the wrong one. At least it made it to the driveway instead of the shoulder, that counts for something.