No way! Even I have removed my axle, and my Post Count is waaay lower. 😛
I would’ve benefited from Doug’s post when I took mine out, but I just took my time, made sure everything was loose before I got the hammer out, and used plenty of good ol’ PB Blaster Penetrating Magnetic Lubricant (As Seen On Tee Vee!). Having a purpose-made axle removal tool helps a ton and prevents damage to the end of the axle.
The main problem I faced was that, before I bought the kart, one of the collar set screws had managed to “walk” all the way around the axle. This left a really rough ring that was a pain to drive through the bearings and other items. If I’d had a clue, I would’ve smoothed out that area with emery cloth as soon as it was exposed instead of driving it through. Live and learn… 😳