Best method to removing stuck axles?

[iKhanh]

Over the July 4th weekend I started on the differential swap project. All was going pretty smoothly up until the removal of the last axle.

I knocked out the rear right side just fine. The rear left seems to be seized in the hub. Now, it's unbolted from the flange on the diff, so the end of the half shaft was just hanging below it at this point. 4lb mallet + wood square on the spindle end, and it still wouldn't go through. I went beneath the car and pulled on the axle itself while my friend would swing away with the mallet on the spindle, and I ended up pulling the axle out of the joint (oops!)... but it's still stuck! I've used a lot of penetrating oil; soaked it for a couple nights too. Tried a claw pulley puller thing, I forget what it's technically called, but it's the tool that has three claws that grab the back of the hub and has a large screw in the middle with a tapered surface that fits nicely into the chamfered end of the spindle, and all you do is keep torquing it down until it pushes against the spindle... well, that didn't work either.

At the moment, I have taken the knuckle out of the car with the axle still attached (albeit dangling since I pulled it out of its joint). I was planning to take it to a machine shop to see if they could hydraulic press it out, but I've read about how it can damage the hubs and/or wheel bearings. I've also read about taking a blow torch to it, but then now I wonder if it's gonna heat it up so much that the grease in the bearings start to degrade or something? Last thing I can think of is going to a salvage yard and hopefully salvaging a replacement knuckle w/ hub....

So! My questions are, what are my options at this point? Any advice, suggestions, anything? I want to minimize damage to all components.

[Hyper]

you can remove the entire rear hub assembly, go to a machine shop and use a hydraulic press to get them out but if I were you, just get pissed and hammer them out, no need to worry about damaging the hubs dude.

[— kung fu jesus —]

Not uncommon. Heard of a guy who left his loaded under a 40t press over night with no luck. I would still try the press first before continuing to hammer on it. You may want to have a source for another upright on tap, just in case.

[★ Unk577 ★]

Air chisel with a pointed chisel in the dimple in the end of the axle works very well. Easy to do on the car. Since the hub is off, set the hub on a vise with the axle hanging down and it should only take a few seconds.

[iKhanh]

Thanks guys, I'll try taking it to a shop first to press it out, and if that doesn't work.. maybe they have that air chisel on hand and they could try it. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

By the way, is there any difference between an air hammer and a rivet gun? Because they look the same besides the tips you insert.

[iKhanh]

$50 and two hours or so later, axle is free! Thanks for the helpful suggestions guys. While I'm here, another quick question:

Since the hub still works, and the old spindle is out of it... since it was corroded in place before, should I clean the splines in the hub with a wire brush? And just put a good amount of anti-seize on the new axles right?

[— kung fu jesus —]

YES. Or a marine-grade grease.