Have you had the balance of the shaft checked? Even a small ding on the D/S can cause a vibration.
Removing the carrier bearing and going to a 1 piece shaft isnt a big issue, like you point out you get rid of a couple sets of U-joints this way, make note of the D/S angle you may need to shim the r/r axle to get the right angle back, this can cause vibration too.
Removing the carrier bearing and going to a 1 piece shaft isnt a big issue, like you point out you get rid of a couple sets of U-joints this way, make note of the D/S angle you may need to shim the r/r axle to get the right angle back, this can cause vibration too.