Right all, I'm stuck.

I'm in the middle of changing my rear bearings and i cannot for the LOVE of me get the lock ring off. I've tried wd-40, drilling it, using a chisel, swearing at it and at one point, setting it on fire. It still will not budge.

Any other suggestions? My handy socket for removing the rings is useless on the rear because of the stub axle coming out through the middle of it...

Can you get the hub off and split the locking ring. By the sound of it the ring is knackered so cannot be used again. Try the new ring into the threads before you place the new bearing in to see if the thread is OK.

I've had the drum off and rilled 4 holes in the ring so far, thinking i could collapse it in, but no joy. I have 2 new rings, so i'm not afraid to destroy the ones on it now, but i AM worried about killing the threads.

there's pictures on here somewhere - drill down the cut outs then increase the drill size till youre about to break into the threads (even if you did nick some of the threads itll be fine there's plenty meat there ) then punch the ring inwards to collapse it a bit at that point it'll start to unscrew.

As Sean says or use a Dremel and cut from outside of ring into 2 oposite holes and then hit the other holes to break it.