So I was stupid. I removed the rear end from the vehicle. Now it isn't anchored to anything, so the slide hammer has nothing to pull against. I don't wanna have to put it back into the truck to get some resistance weight, but I will if i have to. Any ideas? Maybe a specialty puller instead of a slide hammer? I'm not above renting a tool or buying something if it might continue to be useful.

 

I've done rear ends on a bench before using a slide hammer on some and a hammer and punch on others and had no problems with the rear end moving .

 

If you're using that much force with the slide hammer maybe you can tie off to something so the rear so it cant move ?? Also keep rotating the slide hammer so you don't hammer just one spot or you could pull the inner ring along with the rollers..Then you'll have some real work to do getting that outer race..

 

Well since you asked.........Don't laugh I did it once, they slid out like butter. My Dad raced stock cars in the 50's, they used whatever back then. Every lil specialty tool money went for parts.

Old school hillbilly redneck axle bearing removal tool, metal pipe. Find a pipe smaller diameter than your axle, slide pipe through til it pokes out other side of rear-end, draw back til you find bearing race and tap away. Push through pipe and do other side.

 

Which axle do you have? Did you take out the C-lock?

 

I just done the axle bearings on my Dana 35 rear. I had to use a die grinder and cut the bearing outer casing to get it out. It bent the slide hammer parts I tried. This was all with the axle still on the Jeep.

 

I got it free. I had to use a couple clamps to hold it in place. Maybe it would have come out anyway, but it felt like even the little but of movement was acting as a shock absorber keeping the hammer from doing it's job.

Thanks for the encouragement that it was possible to do. I would have given up if I hadn't heard that.