I've been trying for a couple days to get the left rear axle out of my car but it just won't budge. I was able to lever the right side quite easily with a crow bar, but the left side won't budge. Is there a special tool for this? I yanked on the crow bar until the car nearly slid off the jack stands, but it still didn't budge. Any suggestions?

Just have to ask, you did remember to remove the axle nut on that side right?

Undo the lower control arm and disconnect the tie rod. This allows more movement to slide the axle out of the hub.

The whole hub is off the car and only the axle is sticking out. I have a bungee cord holding the end of the axle level. I can stick a 30" crow bar in between the frame and the transmission and put the blade between the tulip and the transmission case and then lever on the crow bar hard enough that the car starts sliding on the jack stands, but it doesn't budge. The fulcrum on the blade of the crow bar is about 2" from the end of the blade. I'm wondering.. Do I need some sort of special tool to do this?

I don't know if this helps but I find it's the shock that pops it out, like an impact. Even constant pressure often times seems to bind it up sometimes. Just don't slip with the bar, it's hard on the knuckles.

No special tool. Usually a good short burst of force (Bill's "pop") will get you past the detent (not sure that's the right description) and she'll come right out.

I made a special tool that works like a charm. It's made of 1/8 " steel shaped like a U At each end of the U I threaded two long bolts that go against the trany case and I take turns tightening each bolt till it pops. You have to make sure the bolts go against the reinforced ridges of the case, not the flat part or it might very well damage it. It takes time to get the design just right, but boy does it work! Pat

Use a long (large) flat tip screwdriver slid between the transmission and axle, as close to the axle as possible, and tap/hit the screwdriver to wedge it apart (small sledge hammer may be needed). Try from multiple sides if one side doesn't pop it out.

breton wrote:Use a long (large) flat tip screwdriver slid between the transmission and axle, as close to the axle as possible, and tap/hit the screwdriver to wedge it apart (small sledge hammer may be needed). Try from multiple sides if one side doesn't pop it out.

Bob, are you saying to hit the screwdriver handle on the end so as to drive the screwdriver along it's axis toward the axle using the wedge of the screwdriver blade to pop it out? Or do you mean to hit the handle on the side so as to lever it out? I was wondering if a ball joint removal/separating tool might work? Or maybe a couple of screwdrivers at the same time, one on each side of the axle?

Well Hmmmmm... Obviously something isn't quite right with my left rear axle detent. I wedged 2 big screwdrivers between the tulip and the transmission case and then tapped on the ends of both screwdrivers, driving the wedge of the screwdrivers into the gap between the tulip and the case. Then I got a small sledge hammer and pounded on both screwdrivers quite hard until I was afraid I'd break something and still it wouldn't budge. I put enough force on the screwdrivers that you can clearly see where the wedge of the screwdriver has deformed the tulip slightly. I'm guessing that the circlip that's on the end of the axle shaft is not depressing as I put force on the tulip. Instead it's trying to get chopped up into pieces by the splines in the end of the axle shaft and transmission.