I've pulled both without dropping the stiffener. In fact I changed the right one last month. I have found that it can be pretty easily popped out by opening the access cover in the stiffening plate and using a pry bar and a hammer. Put the pry bar on the edge of the inside CV and whack the end of the pry bar. I put the open end of the clip facing down when I put the new axle in as that puts most of the clip in the slot in the axle and only the two sides need to be compressed.