M37 Broken Axle Stub Retrieval

[maxim]

While evaluating a new project, I found the right rear axle, (passenger short shaft) side was broken and the stub way up in the differential. The shaft was quite peened up really no way to retrieve the stub. I removed the differential which is quite heavy after draining and removing the drive shaft. The splines in the broken side were ok , but the stub too was peened up. I did not want to take the entire differential apart, but how to get the stub out? Making witness marks on each side back lash adjusters, took out the differential from the housing as a unit. There was some metal in the bottom of the housing so it had to come out just to get the metal out anyway. Fortunately, the stub had a protruding burr I could get a hold of with a needle nose and pull the stub out. Checked the bearings and races, cleaned the housing and carefully cleaned the female splines of the differential. re-assembled back to the witness marks, and put back into the axle pig. There was metal in the bottom of the pig too so it was cleaned. This took me about 5 hours, some of it in contemplation of how to remove without total dis-assembly.
Remember the other side shaft has to come out before the differential can come out. I wondered if one could weld a rod to the broken stub with a stick welder some how protecting the splines from spatter with an old bronze bushing if the situation was desperate, to pull the stub out