need to replace the axle on my old rear bulb hub and can't get the drive side spacer off (the one 'inside' the freehub). Tried prising with two screwdrivers either side, holding it in a vice, swearing at it etc..

Have just sprayed with WD40 and hoping that will loosen it up.

Any other good ideas?

Vice can deform the axle if you're not careful… Persevere with the 2 screwdrivewrs & wd40, eventaully you should strip the perishing rubber O ring and it'll come off.

Mine was a royal pain in the Ar5e and then I had to use a lump hammer to bounce the axle and bearing out of the non-drive side as it just wouldn't budge by reasonable means! Turned a 20 min job into a lot of swearing over a couple of hours.

All happy again now though 🙂

If we're talking about the cap on the end of the axle, and you're replacing the axle anyway, then why not just support the non drive side flange on the vice and tap the axle through the spacer from the drive side.

Its the spacer on the drive side I can't get off. Which means I can't get the freehub off. I had thought of trying to tap the whole axle and freehub off by tapping the axle from the non-drive side.

Dave

If you've got a vice (sounds like you have), put the top sprocket and lockring back on and hook them in the vice. Drop a small bolt into the end of the axle to protect it. Now smack the head of the small bolt. This will drift the whole freehub off the axle with the endcap. The obly tricky bit is that with the wheel built around it, you'll not fit it in the vice so it needs to be done upside down. Remember, don't clamp the freehub body, just hook it wih the sprocket and lockring. If you find you're smacking it stoopid hard, keep an eye on the sprocket for damage or maybe use an old one if you can.