I took the axle off because I was having trouble swinging a hammer inside the wheelwell. I assume that everyone pulls the brake hub & backing plate off the spindle when removing kingpins. If so, the only thing left attached to the axle is 4 u-bolts holding it to the springs. The axle weighs less than 100lbs & having it on a bench makes working a whole lot easier. Then if you can't get the pins out, take it to a shop & they should only charge $20-$40 to press them out.
