Chrysler Repair: CV joint or differential problem?, good vibration, place thanks

Question
QUESTION: Hi Roland.  1997 Intrepid.  About a year ago I would occasionally notice some vibration that I thought was the RF wheel out of balance.  Had it balanced, no change.  I'd notice it mostly when accelerating on the freeway.  Last week it became more pronounced.  Pretty good vibration when going up a long hill on the freeway.  But nothing when coasting or going down hill.  Based on your advice here, it looks like the CV joint or motor mount.  I jacked up the right side and got under the car.  The boots are OK.  But how much play should there be in the joint?  I don't have anything to compare it to.  I don't know how much slack should be there when holding the inner joint/housing still and turning the wheel.  Where I see a lot of free play is between the housing and the differential.  I guess it's the differential.  The unit the CV connects to.  I can move the inner CV joint, the metal housing, in all directions quite a bit.  Is that normal?  I'm wondering if it's going to cause further damage to drive it to my repair place.  Thanks so much for your help.

Mike

ANSWER: Hi Mike,
It would be difficult to assess much less to describe what is normal from a distance. My suggestion would be to compare the left side to the right side because you thought it was unilateral when it started. See if that is the case as far as looseness is concerned. My experience with cv's is that they make noise/vibrate when they are under load most noticeably, which is what you are experiencing. So my hunch is that the outer cv is worn (but why, unless the grease seaped under the clamp slowly over time and thus has run dry without the boot being torn?). So if you can check the left half-axle for the same movement behavior it may tell you more.
Roland

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QUESTION: Hi Roland.  I replaced the right axle and the vibration seems to have gone away.  Though the joints on the old axle didn't have any obvious problems, nothing I could really detect by hand.  The shaft coming out of the right side of the differential can sure move a lot.  Is it designed to float around?  I'm going back to thinking that the bearing there needs to be replaced.  My Haynes book doesn't go into it and I can't find any help on-line on how to replace the differential bearing, if specialty tools are needed, etc.  It looks like the plate on the differential comes off and I suppose the bearing with it.  Maybe a seal, too?  If you have some advice that would be great. If not, I understand.  You've already given me a lot of help here.
Thanks,
Mike

Answer
Hi Mike,
Quoting the manual,"If any bearings in the differential require replacement, all the bearing on the differential carrier and transfer shaft must be replaced. The differential adjusters must also be replaced." There then follows 17 pages of detailed text and figures, and several special tools. I would not pursue this without certain knowledge that you have the problem. Let me know if you want the pages and I can xerox and postal mail them to you. It costs me 10 cents per side and the postage would be about 60 cents, which you can reimburse me after you get the pages. I would wonder if this can be done without removing the transmission from the vehicle as well.
I am please to learn that the half-shaft replacement reduced the noise.
Roland