How the $%^& do you remove ball joints from strut housing?

[Michael Spiers <mikes@specnet.com>]

Started the tear-down of the steering parts (anything that isn't worn out is
bent) on the TQ last night and tried my damndest to remove the ball joint
(which is connected to the control arm which is bolted to the sway bar) from
the strut tower, according to Bentley's directions.  According to Mr. Bentley
(who's apparently never actually tried to get a ball joint out of a '87 TQ
before) ya first remove both front swaybar supports, (and all the
wheel/brake/tie rod end stuff) then insert a five foot bar between the rear
sub-frame mount and the swaybar, and pry the unit out.  Well, doing this just
caused the now unsupported sway bar to drop in the front, allowing the pry bar
to slide off.  Tried this excercise a few times, then put a hydraulic jack
under the middle of the sway bar & jacked it back up to the subframe.  Reinsert
jack handle between subframe & sway bar, jumped up & down (all 190 pounds of
me) on the end of my jack-handle, and got no more than a bent jack handle.
 Re-insert jack handle the other way, jump on it a few more times to bend it
back into shape, consulted my liquid mechanic (Pete's Wicked for the
interested...) then it was time to try something bigger.  7 foot tamper bar was
sitting in the corner of the garage, that looked fun.  Thing weighs 30 pounds,
it's gotta do the trick!  Nope, jumped on it a few times, bent it too.  Argh!
 More liquid mechanic, out comes the pickle fork (what do I care, I'm replacing
the whole control arm anyhow) and off she comes.  So, tonight I gotta get the
other one off.  Anyone with ideas/suggestions?  Yes, I removed the balljoint
bolt before I started any of this...  Any reason not to just start off with the
pickle fork & forget the pry-bar idea?

-- 
-Mike
mikes@specnet.com
mks107@psuvm.psu.edu
87 5000CS TQ - Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (but not for long...)
84 5000S - Boulder, Colorado
90 80 - Bethesda, Maryland
(hunting for the elusive Lago Blue '91 200Q)