How do I remove left axle??? HELP!!!!!
 

My son and I replaced the axles on his 2002 Accent (Auto Trans). The right side was easy to put a pry bar between the axle and the trans housing and pop the axle free.

The left side of the trans housing has a flange surrounding the axle that makes it impossible to get a pry bar in place, and that makes it enormously difficult to remove the axle.

Anyway, we managed to get the left out and replaced it, but it was really ugly. We ended up breaking off the axle, put a big vice grips in the out canister that holds the cv joint, tied a rope to it to get better leverage and pulled like H*ll.

But the axle is leaking trans fluid so I assume the seal was damaged or not seated right, and we need to replace it. Does anyone know the RIGHT way to get that left axle out? We don't want to damage the new axle trying to remove it.