How do you remove the spindle on an E-4WD Aerostar van?

Well had the axle on the right front passengers side go over the weekend, so I figured no problem, pick up a CV axle, zip the old one out, put the new one in! Ya right, I jack her up, pull the wheel, dismount the caliper, darn rotor won't come off the spindle, so I take the three bolts holding the spindle on, mount the slide hammer and start banging away.

Well ended up pulling the spindle apart and the back half of the spindle is stuck in the mounting surface. Sprayed it down with PB Blaster, rigged up the slide hammer and still can't get that sucker out!

Anybody have any good ideas on getting this thing out? I have ordered a new spindle, they are actually not to expensive, but man, I need to get this thing off. I have done this job a few times on other Aerostars that I have owned, and never ran into this problem.

By the way, this is an E-4WD version.

I don't own any E-4WD versions, but I know that FWD & 4WD vehicles have a large nut & cotter pin connecting the CV axle to the spindle & rotor assembly. There is an axle press / hub puller which attaches to three wheel studs to press the axle out of the center of the hub. Do you have a large socket & hub puller? Could you tell us what the year of the van is?

Oh, I have the nut off and the axle is loose, the only thing that is stuck is the back half of the spindle, which is the sealed bearing housing that also has the lug studs in it, looks like this image in this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171241319859?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

As I said, I removed the bolts that hold the spindle to the steering knuckle and in trying to take it loose, proceeded to separate the sealed housing that the bearings are in. The rotor was froze to the spindle, and the half of the spindle is froze to the steering knuckle, so I am trying to figure out how to get it loose, so when my new spindle gets here I can put it back together!

I sure don't remember this being so hard in the past two units I did, by the way the vehicle is a 96.

Thanks for any suggestions, I am thinking I might try to heat it tomorrow. By the way, on the 96 there is no cotter pin.

This post has some information: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2176632&postcount=19

Thanks, I have that image, but what it does not show, is the rotor and the lug/hub assembly are actually two separate parts, I was able to remove the rotor finally from the front half of the hub assembly, but I have not been able to remove the back half of the hub assembly from the steering knuckle.

Well I was finally able to get it off this morning, talk about a mass of rust welded metal, I finally got it to budge then had to use the air chisel behind the lip to drive it off, now I have to take the wire brush to everything and clean it up and put rust inhibitor on it so I don't have to go through this again. Thanks for the help.

Did you take any pictures?

I will take some pics tomorrow before I put it back together, that will show what I have been talking about.

Well sometimes messing up is a blessing in disguise, the axle was not bad, not the one that I worked on, the spindle was bad, so my pulling apart by mistake, actually showed the bearings were dry and ready to turn into dust. Working on getting it back together right now, will take some pictures and post them when I am done. Thanks for the help.