Considering the degree of difficulty in changing an axle, make sure it's not a bent wheel. With rearend jacked up, remove the wheel then observe the hub and drum for runout. If that's O.K. it's the wheel. If the hub & drum run out, then it's time for axle extraction. That involves removing one axle housing trumpet and removing the assy of the differential carrier and the two axles. This requires removal of both wheel/hub/drum combos and disconnecting the spring from the driver side axle trumpet. Brake backing plate should be removed from axle housing and swung out of the way. Remove the housing from the center section and pull it off the axle. The entire axle shaft/differential assembly should now pull out. You'll be looking at both axle shafts and the differential. Now disassemble the differential so you can extract the bad axle shaft. Find a replacement and put it all back together and hope you NEVER have to go through that again. (And to think that, in the good old days, Ford drivers would do that in a day and repeatedly so they could get right back in action)
