OK the bearing and axle saga continues

[Trey T]

Why not get stock replacement nut/bolt?

"regular" stainless sounds too ambiguous; a certain type can be pretty brittle when heat/cool. I would get the ones that's designed for high temp or exhaust steel or SS.

Since you're in a southern state, I would go w/ exhaust steel bolts.

[AaronPDX]

I was able to get my axles out with a combination of techniques I found online. Once you've unbolted the transmission side, you can put a jack under the wheel carrier and raise it until it almost lifts the car. Then, you can slide the axle out under the transmission. This works by itself on the passenger side. On the driver's side it's a bit tighter and you need to drop the exhaust manifold. This gives you just enough room to remove the axle and joints without having to drop the whole exhaust. Just be careful with the exhaust manifold bolts. They're notorious for snapping off, so be sure to use some PB blaster on them.

Hope this helps.