Drive Shaft Mounting Bolts on TCASE ; WTF

So I’m in the process of re conditioning my drive shaft and as I went to take it off today I ran into some serious bs. Found that my rear drive shaft flange connection to the diff is stuck on even after hitting it with a mallet, and I also found that my front drive shaft bolts have a splined bolt (which prevents it from coming loose). Never heard of such a bolt like this on a driveshaft and after getting two bolts out by hammering and rounding out a couple wrenches I think I’m going to get some PB Blaster and a butane torch and so if I can get them off that way. Any suggestions

 

Hmm... Pics of the bolts in question?

 

Compress the front drive shaft with a prybar.

Soak the other end and hit it harder.

 

Just changed mine recently. Take off nuts on xfer case, and use a mini sledgehammer to persuade the rear, then slide it back. Mine was rusted together. Actually drove truck backwards a few feet with no bolts holding it to the rear diff.

 

Never had a problem separating mine, like others have said you have to compress the slip yoke. I've had better luck wiggling it back and forth vs outright beating on it if it gets fussy as there's a hub on the input and output flanges the shaft yokes slip over, it's about 1/4" proud and fits snug, if you try to beat on it you're likely to tweak an end cap and heating it up is just going to have the yoke bite harder on the hub.

Soaked mine with Boe-Sheild T-9 and now I take the nuts off and the drive shafts practically fall out.

T-9 Works better than PB blaster as a penetrant in my experience as well.

I've also driven mine in FWD when trying to diagnose a shimmy and I gotta tell y'all it PULLS HARD to the side.