So... I'm now working on removing my control arms with the help of the how-to page at VClassics and some comments in another thread I started earlier.

I got pretty far today in the project, except that I am now halted at getting
the tie-rod (steering-rod?) to separate from the end connected to the backing-plate of the wheel. I bought a tie-rod fork thing... but I must say I lack the confidence in what I'm doing to proceed to forcefully with it. I pounded it in between the rubber-boot and the end of the threaded bolt thing... but considerable pounding did no separate anything. I was afraid to continue pounding for fear of tearing the boot or somehow damaging something. Can somebody describe to me what I'm looking to do here? Is the objective to pop the actual ball out of the joint, or just loosen the threaded bolt out of the hole it is in?

This goes the same for the lower ball joint as per the v-classics instructions (http://www.vclassics.com/archive/bushings.htm)... it says to "Use the splitter to pry the joint loose from the casting."... So does this mean pry the ball out of the joint it is in? Another related question in regards to this is... if I'm supporting the weight of lower control-arm with a jack.. it seems to be kind of pushing up with force on the lower ball-joint... so how will it get clearance to separate?... I hope I'm being clear enough.

Oh... and one poster said to just release the upper-ball joint, then lower jack placed under the lower control-arm to release the spring tension and let it all loose... This seems like an easier approach than trying to split the lower ball joint and then lowering... doesn't this ruin the lower ball joint also when you "split it"?

Can anybody help me out with clear descriptions of what I need to do? I don't quite understand why when you take the nuts of the threaded posts of these joints, these posts don't just come out of the hole they are passed through?...