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It is a bit missleading when you read about "separating ball joints". Really that is the last thing you want to do. The ball stays in it's socket (or it should). The separation you are trying to achieve is to pop the tapered shaft out from the hole that it is stuck in. You start by loosening the nut. The tapered shaft doesn't fall free at this stage because the taper would have been pulled up tight by the nut when it was installed. Tapers are a great way of joining steering parts together because you want them to stay joined with no relative motion. The down side of tapers is that they can be difficult to separate. There are two commonly used tools for separating these joints - the pickle fork type and the screw/lever type. I prefer the latter because the pickle fork invariably buggers the rubber boot. This is not a problem if you are replacing the part but it is a hassle if you want to re-use it. Either way it can help to start by getting a couple of big hammers and smacking either side of the housing that the taper is mounted into (hold one hammer against one side and hit opposite with the other).
This is the sort of tool I prefer for the job:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-BENZ-Ball-Joint-Tie-Rod-End-Separator-Remover-Tool_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3a599cedb3QQitemZ250611559859QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
You should be able to pick one up at your local auto parts store.
Just for interest, tapers with an included angle of greater than 16 degrees will self separate. Less than 16 degrees and you need to resort to force.
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