XJ rear D44 axleshaft removal

So, I picked up a rear XJ D44 a few months ago. It's a little corroded, and I'm replacing more bits on that I'd thought I'd have to. Among other things, the bearing retainer bolts are getting cut off, they're completely rusted in place.

Which brings me to the axleshafts. After the retainers are loose, the shafts should remove relatively simply, maybe with a couple of light taps on the flange. No such luck. I'm also gonna have to chase down a different slide hammer, or make a new adapter plate, it is just a shade too big for a 5 on 4.5 pattern.

Any other suggestions for removing this recalcitrant hardware?

You can't pound the bearing retainer bolts out of the axletube flange?

Yes the shaft should come right out. Sometimes they put up quite a bit of a fight (I've had to wail on one with a sledge before). But if you're trying to salvage those shafts I'd do my best to make a slide hammer adapter.

I used a slide hammer to pull my D44 shafts (you are separating the bearing as you pull it). I used the 2 or 3 jaw pulling arrangement and grabbed the wheel mount flange instead of trying to use the wheel studs.

I was able to get a 6pt socket through the wheel mount flange to get to the 4 retainer nuts and got them all to break free (lots of PB Blaster soaking).

Re: retainer bolts. They get cut off, they're so rusted that even a tight fitting 6pt socket just rounds them over. The retainer plate came loose pretty easily.

I do need to keep these axle shafts, springing for replacements ain't gonna happen right now.

The jaw puller for my slide hammer ain't big enough to grab the wheel flange.

I'll have to see if I can get a slide hammer with the right flange puller, or make my own.

put a wheel on the studs and spin the lugnuts on loosely, ala redneck-slide hammer style?

Jeff

<chuckle> The axle is on jackstands..... and all I have that will fit a 5 on 4.5 pattern are 33x12.50 MT/Rs. If I get my neighbor to sit on the other end of the axle, though...