Drive shaft almost out, but stuck at the rear—how can it be leveraged

[iPhoneEngineer]

Hey all,

I'm reading the DIY here and also the service manual to get the driveshaft out, but honestly see no point where a crowbar or screwdriver can get a grip on the rear connection to the differential and leverage it out. In trying to do so, I popped off the cap that seems to contain a sealed bearing (beautiful black goo inside, yay.) I've inspected the replacement part and it seems to simply fit inside the differential connection like a sleeve, with no junction point that can be leveraged apart.

How the heck is it possible to get this thing out?

[JFP in PA]

They sometimes can be a major league pain to pull loose, some have resorted to using an axle bearing press tool and bolts to push it loose:

[iPhoneEngineer]

Wow, that's pretty unbelievable, haha. And I thought the 8hrs of labor changing S54 headers was involved—I've spent all day on this and am completely stuck.

Currently have the exhaust system disconnected but am having an impossible time actually removing it because of the way the tips fit into the bumper. There are clamps back there, a short distance from the tips where they connect to the silencer, but even after removing the clamp it doesn't look like the tips can disconnect from the silencer?! I have no idea what the clamp could possibly be for.

Any other tips to get the rear driveshaft connection separated would be appreciated, as at this point I literally don't see this car getting back on the road for an indefinite period of time. I could hardly imagine the frustration of putting everything back on without actually changing the driveshaft, especially since I've screwed up the rear joint trying to get it off and it would probably be dangerous to drive now.

[iPhoneEngineer]

I got it out! No special technique, just continuing to bang the shaft forward repeatedly. Probably not going to be able to get a core credit :(. Thanks for the input :)

Has anyone installed a Vertex replacement driveshaft? It is not clear to me where the alignment marker (colored dot) is on the replacement shaft, though it is clearly marked on the differential flange. Does it matter to align that with a replacement shaft, since it is not balanced against any residual vibration on the differential side?

[iPhoneEngineer]

Install was done an hour or two ago—drivability is much better at city speeds, but unfortunately there is a slight but noticeable vibration at highway speeds (75-80MPH). Not sure what can be done about it; I guess it's time to admit defeat and shell out at the dealership. :(