most, if not all, of my torx bits have 6 points. at least thats how they were sold to me. The article seems to put a lot of emphasis on care not to damage slpine ends. Unless a hammer blow is administered, these areas are fairly secure. How is it that you use the home made PVC tool to apply torque? I don't think that using a torch to heat the axle yoke is a good idea from a safety point of view. You have a lot of grease to set afire, and unless the person using the torch has a lot of experience, damage to the yoke may result. The extra cost of getting to a press is wortha bit less than an axel shaft. (most home mechanics simply use a hammer, and an old socket) Not that I recommend this.