I'm not sure what he means by "a good press to get the axle out" but there is a thread or two on here describing the process and tools that make it easier. I have noticed they sell the tool to pull the axle back in through the hub on Ebay and Amazon now so that's a bonus.

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1988 325is (purchased new) sold
2004 X5 3.0 2005 X3 2.5
2008 X5 3.0 (new to me)