haven't got a spanner that'll grab it inside the freehub body
Once you have the driveside lock nut off, the one should only be finger tight. If you can't get a wrenching there, pliers should provide enough grip on the cone flats to allow you to spin the axle out.
I think there should be wrench flats on the NDS cone, it's possible that the dust shield has become dislodged and is obscuring them.
Tried with pliers but no dice. It seems to have been over tightened so perhaps that’s why. Do you reckon if I get a big washer and a nut on the drive side for counter pressure it could work?
Once you have the driveside lock nut off, the one should only be finger tight. If you can't get a wrenching there, pliers should provide enough grip on the cone flats to allow you to spin the axle out.
I think there should be wrench flats on the NDS cone, it's possible that the dust shield has become dislodged and is obscuring them.