I've got a King Quad 700 ATV on which I need to replace the rear bearings and the seals. I've already replaced the front drive shaft with no problem. The rear shafts, however, are another story. I have to remove them to pull the rear differential out. I yanked on both, just like I did on the front, several times, and finally, the c ring gave way. The only problem is that the wrong ring gave out. On both shafts, the ring that holds the CV joint together popped off, leaving the hub still stuck in the rear end. The rear end is probably rusted - there was rusty, oily water pouring out while I was doing this.

How can I get those hubs out? Preferably non-destructively, but at this point, I will settle for any method.

 

Never had any problem getting the rear shafts out, but never had one with water in the rear diff either, how did it get in? On really reluctant front shafts, I have put a pry bar between case and CV joint but the rears have metal shields which would be bent by this. If you can knock it outwards with a drift, the shock often pops a spring ring's hold, I have put hose clips on car driveshafts to give me something to knock or pry against. If you can get one out, the other will drift out through the crownwheel, it is getting the first one out that is the problem.

 

Not sure how the water got in. I could guess that once the seals were shot and all of the oil drained out, maybe they ran it through water and it got in through the bad seals?

It's hard to get to these things since I can't get the differential out with them in, but I have tried prying on one side of (let's say) the left shaft while hammering on the right side with another pry bar. I have done that before and it's worked - although yeah, it does bend the metal flange. Even doing that, these things are not budging!

I can try the clamp method - with a muffler clamp, maybe.. At this point, I don't think they are coming out reusable...