well as it says, i'm trying to remove the axle from my b18 swapped hatch, well when we pulled the motor we couldn't get it out so now its sat since then and well it still won't come out, i've beat the crap out of it (hitting a piece of wood to not mushroom the head) but now i'm fresh out of ideas? Should I just take the whole knuckle off (since i'm already doing that to replace all the bushings) and just have the shop press the axle out?

 

I think you answered your own question.

 

you will have to sacrifice an axle nut for this method, but it might be worth it to you:

thread the axle nut onto the axle, leaving a few threads hanging over the edge. this is what will be absorbing the impact.

grab a 5 pound sledge hammer and give it a good solid whack.

make sure you're doing this with all the suspension pieces still connected. if not, force will be absorbed and not directed into the frozen axle splines.

 

for the longest time a block of wood (or brass hammer, or anything softer than the axle stub...) in front of a 2lb sledge did the job for me. recently i've run into 2 or 3 very stubborn axles that just shrugged off my efforts.

i did two things that i think may help you out. first is to soak the splines with penetrant then immediately give it a "push" from an air nozzle. you want to use just enough air pressure, not too much. you'll see it working when you get it right.

the second thing was using a large 3-jaw bearing puller to force the axle out of the hub. i've broken a cheap puller doing this, but a higher quality puller worked like magic.

 

this is why you Grease the hub. I learned my lesson when this happened and ruined a hub and had to buy another one. But if you are replacing the bushings and having to take the spindle off just take it to get it pressed out. A machine has more force than a human being lol. I hope you got it out btw. Good luck.

 

what i do is make sure you have the axle removed from the trans so its hanging and you can get a punch for a air hammer thats fits in the little dimple of the center of the axle and it will pop it right out every time.

 

this one! i like that idea.

 

My ef kicked my *** so i called my tool guy and bought me a air hammer!!!!! Bit&# came right out,

 

I've had this happen to me, heat that some bitch up with a torch then use a brass punch and BFH, give it a good whack, should come out. But first smooth out that mushroom you've got going on because that will only fight you more on the way out. But heat is a mechanics best friend lol

 

I dont see how you could have mushroomed hardend steel with hammering on wood. I use a 1/2" extension right ont he axle nose and tap it through. But as suggested use heat if its stuck.

 

it's not hardened all the way through and if the hardened area extends even to the splines from the CV bell it wouldn't continue to the threaded area.

I've found if it's stuck hard enough to require a good pounding (sufficient to mushroom the end) the wood block won't always transfer enough energy and may just break apart before the axle has budged.

 

As many said above. Use heat and something extremely solid pressed firmly against the axel.