you'll do great. Just make sure you follow directions & run rags into your axle housing before you start drilling. I used wire on mine & tamped them in with a broom handle. After all the holes are drilled you simply pull on the wire & out comes the shavings with the rag. Shine a flashlight in there afterwards & make sure you got all of the filings out.

 

I removed mine also. I had the same thought process. I am not the best welder so I wanted to make it as easy on myself as possible. It made the drilling a lot easier too.

 

back to the bering issue. not only are the berings sealed, but the axle has an inner seal pressed in from the diff side that keeps the oil out of the axle tubes. IF oil is in your axle tubes you have bad seals. FWIW