Thrust block removal

If I go that route, what is the best way to shorten the axles? Can it be done at home, or do I need to take it to a machine shop?
You can cut them with an abrasive wheel, but it'll be slow going. Then grind a chamfer back on the cut edge. Have to deburr each spline too, or they will never go back into the splines. There is nothing overly fussy about this, all you're doing is creating clearance.