Where am I going wrong?
 

I'm tearing down my 1984 w126 parts car and harvesting everything usable. I am can not get the left axle to release and come out of the hub. The right wasn't too bad but this one is a bear.

There was no bolt, washer or spacer on this axle and it appears there is some rust in there. What to do?

Your favorite penetrating oil is you friend in this case. You could actually take some epoxy putty and make a little troth attacked to the hub so that you could create a pool of penetrating oil and let it sold for a few days. That would work better then just spraying it. I am not sure how beneficial heat would be because there is not a good area to apply the flame to.

Another method would be to remove the Axle and Trailing Arm as a unit and then you can stand the Axle on end and get a nice pool of penetrating oil in the hub/axles recess area.

The typical method is to use a aluminum or better a brass punch and pound it out. But that could damage the wheel bearings.

On W123's the Factory Service Manual shows a tool that bolts onto the hub to press stuck axles out.

They have generic hub pullers but I have no idea if they would be able to bolt onto a W124 hub or the threaded shaft would bee to fat to do the job.

No bolt, washer, or spacer...but some rust??
Are you sure that a PO did not use a spot of weld in there to retain the axle? Not likely as it would be difficult to do, but check it to be sure.

When you re-assemble one put some never-sieze type compound in the hub bore and axle splines or at least some grease so it won't rust up again.

Glued it in is another possibility. Check to see if the threads on that side for the bolt are bad or a broken part of the bolt is in there. That would indicate some other option was used to retain the stub.

OK, I used a sledge hammer...
 

with a thick rod which works to hold the platform which supports the jack on my 20 ton press. I taped a copper washer about the same diameter as the rod on the end of the rod and wrapped duct tape around the rod to keep it aligned correctly with the splined end of the axle.

I had used a 50/50 ATF/acetone solution to soak into the splines the day before. I was just hesitant to 'lay into it,' with the sledge. The entire body is stiripped of everything usable including the fuel tank so I expected to knock it off the jack stands.

Basically, it had no choice but to move. I've had the 84 SD for 10 years, bought from my brother who got it from an old MB guy who worked at the Chatt dealership. I'd like to know who took that bolt, washer and spacer sleeve out of that axle, why they did it and how the bearing remained fully functional without problems for over a decade.

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen, I'm looking forward to finishing the conversion project and posting photographs and engage in discussions about this fool's 3 year folly.

It Never Ends
 

I'm laughing, thinking about you saying "finish this conversion"... :P .

As long as you're still enjoying it that's all that matters .