89 Dodge 4wd half ton rear diff

89 4wd half ton, got a 9 1/4 rear, this thing never goes off road (for now) and the Sure Grip parts in the diff just let go. Springs flew out of one side, plates or whatever you want to call them are in pieces. Can this stuff be removed and it run as an open diff? Maybe later on after some work on the suspension, tires, etc, thinking of maybe Trac Loc or even an air locker. But for now, do I need to replace the sure grip?