2021 Gladiator Rubicon stuck rear axle shaft

[Nate W]

Any insight is appreciated. I have a bad rear wheel bearing, so decided to upgrade axle shafts. Usually once you take the bearing retaining plate bolts off, and the ABS sensor, the axle easily pulls out, sometimes leaving the outer race to get out. Well mine wouldn't budge. After putting a slide hammer and torch on it and beating it for an hour until my hands blistered, it would not move. Any suggestions? 2021 Gladiator Rubicon.

Thanks

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[Minty JL]

Dry ice or liquid nitrogen to shrink the race some.

I would get in there with a dremel and cut off wheel and make some relief cuts to weaken it

 

[JTenn]

After removing the 4 bearing plate nuts there's nothing but the shaft seal left. Dumb question but you did remove all 4 nuts, right? I had to bang on mine the first time I pulled the axles.

 

[Bbannongmu]

Any insight is appreciated. I have a bad rear wheel bearing, so decided to upgrade axle shafts. Usually once you take the bearing retaining plate bolts off, and the ABS sensor, the axle easily pulls out, sometimes leaving the outer race to get out. Well mine wouldn't budge. After putting a slide hammer and torch on it and beating it for an hour until my hands blistered, it would not move. Any suggestions? 2021 Gladiator Rubicon.

Thanks

I just went through this on a TJ. Took hours to get the axle shafts out. I see you are from VA in your profile. I chuckled at this “…the axle easily pulls out”.not sure if your Jeep has seen road salt…. If you are a rust belt warrior, almost nothing comes apart easily. I see someone already suggested the freeze /shrink method and relief cuts with a dremel. PB Blaster or something similar with heat is important. If you can give the axle several solid raps with a sledge while rotating sometimes breaks it free even when a slide hammer failed - just be careful you don’t destroy your hub / backing plate or you can sacrifice a brake rotor as a striking surface. Good luck!

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