shredded wheel bearing, stuck axle......help?

I have a 2003 tacoma sr5 4x4 that this winter I slid off the ice into a ditch into an iron gate. it miraculously appeared to have no damage but shortly after the rear started clunking and then there swas diff fluid coming out at the wheel. I got a bearing and seal hoping that will fix it. so far i have the drum and brakes off, and the ebrake off. I plugged the abs to look in there and inside the hollow of the axle is tons of metal chunks, i guess this could be the remnants of the bearing , since there is not bearing in there now. anyway, the axle is STUCK on there, wont budge. is there something i missed that i need to do to get it out? or did it weld itself on?

 

Chances are that those metal chunks are jamming against the abs tone ring or one of the retainers and preventing the axle from coming out. You could try to rotate it as it comes out, or get a magnet and pull metal pieces out of the abs hole.

I'm assuming you have unbolted the 4 bolts holding the backing plate/axle assembly on to the axle tube.

 

Yes i've removed the 4 bolts. I even tried shoving a scissor jack betwwn the leaf spring and the dust plate, but it looked like the leaf spring wopuld give first

 

Sounds like you could use a slide hammer style of axle puller but I don't know if auto parts stores rent something like that for free. Maybe visit your local O'Reilly or Auto Zone and see if they rent something like that so you can get the axle shaft out. If there was enough force to destroy the bearing, you may be in the market for a whole new axle shaft because there's a very good chance it's bent. Something to consider once you get it out.

 

Your best bet might be to pull the other axle shaft, the third member, and try and push it out from the other side. HOWEVER, if the axle shaft is seized because of the bearing fragments, the axle housing might be dead

Only one way to find out though, and atleast your other axle shaft and third member are still good :fingerscrossed