I've never done it without a dial indicator. I bought mine at a local tool dealer with the magnetic base for $25. You'll want somewhere between .0051 and .0071 inches of backlash according to the FSM. That is all you'll need to worry about since you didn't mess with the pinion at all I hope. Set you carrier bearing preload to around 100 ft/lbs. No need to worry about the pattern it'll be identical to what it was before.
