I have a '04 R/T Coupe (120K miles) that I'm trying to replace the front hub bearings on. I took off the caliper, rotor, and axle nut but cannot get to the bolts of the hub. The CV Joint is in the way. Everything I've seen says that I need to beat the axle out of the way (without damaging the end of the stem). So ok, an half hour later after using a 3lb hand sledge I've up graded to a 12lb sledge for a long while. I think it budged, but can't be sure. I'm not going to keep pounding on my car with a sledge until I'm sure this is the right method.

What am I doing wrong or is there any trick that can help me? I put everything back together for now... but I need to get this done soon. Please Help!