Let me start by saying that I do not give up easily. When I start something, I want to finish it. My CV joint, left front, started making that tell tale "ping" when I went from forward to reverse ("09 Automatic, R56 Clubman S). I bought new axles- yes, both- and started on the left side first. All was a piece of cake until I tried to pry the axle stub out of the differential, per the factory manual. I pried, I put a bolt behind the pry bar for more leverage, I used a ratchet strap to pull the bar, I tried everything I could think of to pop that circlip down and under the splines of the spider gear. No luck. Does ANYONE have a trick to remove the damn thing? I ended up putting it back together just so I could drive to work tomorrow. ANYONE?.........

 

in my case i used this https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tool...tor/555664_0_0 and with rotate-hit-rotate-hit, it came out..it wasnt easy, i can tell you that.

 

Thanks for the tip. I did talk to a Dealer service rep and he said sometimes they put pressure on the axle and then hit the side of the outer race/ housing with an air chisel to vibrate the circlip to the center of the groove. That will be my next attempt. He did warn that some people have cracked the trans housing by prying too hard. Ouch.... Thanks again.

 

Some axles require the use of a bar about as tall as I am, with all of me on it to pop thm out, and they all seem to be automatics.