The ball joint is separate from the knuckle but is really tight in there. You need a ball joint tool to pop it out or a ball joint fork (but these usually destroy the boot which is okay if you are replacing the ball joint).
Or, you could take off the knuckle and take it to a machine shop and have it pressed out.
The question is, are you replacing the ball joints or are you trying to separate the ball joint so you can remove the knuckle to have a bearing replaced or something? If you are replacing the ball joints, no need to remove the knuckle. Invest in a good repair manual if you don't already have one and then, get the right tools for the job. If you have the right tools and understand the task at hand, it's not really too awful bad. Maybe a 3 or 4 on your scale.
You might check w/ some of the parts dealers because some of them rent tools. Good luck!
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Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 AT 6:51 PM
