I tried every other method to separate the control arm from the inner ball joint: small hammers, big hammers, small pry bars, 4 ft pry bars, and wedges . The very last thing I tried was a MAPP torch, and it worked very effectively with no damage to the ball joint boot.
This is in process of replacing the control arm bushing.
Ignore the oil leaks. In process of doing this whole job. I have replaced pretty much every gasket and seal (except the head gasket).
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jcvftZBTtNo/maxresdefault.jpg)