In the end we had to take the half shaft out. This was facilitated by drilling a hole the middle of an old hexagonal spinner and bolting a slide-hammer to it. It came out really easily. For the press we needed a couple of pieces of metal small enough to go between the back plate and the hub yet sturdy enough to withstand the force of the press: landrover half shafts proved to be perfect. The hub let go at about ten tons with, as somebody said up thread, the sound of a gun shot.
