If you do decide to pull the Axle case out, you do not need 2x the width. As you extract it from the passenger side you can walk it forward to get an angle on it. Just watch for the fuel line and tank.
Removing with diff in place is a heavy affair, far easier is to drain the oil (undo prop, plug out and jack the diff node and leave for a few hours), then pull the 1/2 shafts until they clear the diff, then take the diff out. It weight a fair bit, but is manageable with a bit of help.