First job is to remove the brake caliper and hub from the leg. Then remove leg from the car by separating the joints on the steering rod arm, the top and bottom ball joints.

There are special tools for separating the joints, however sometimes you can manage with generic tools. The Special Tools are pictured to the left. In picture one

The top ball joint can be extracted using a punch or chisel. There are three bolts which need to be removed then, the joint can be tapped out using the flange lip which surrounds it.

Both top and bottom ball joints are an interference fit which is why the extraction of the bottom joint is more difficult.

Firstly remove the rubber boot and then the spring clip which is fitted into the recess around the joint that secures the joint into the leg. Once out and cleaned, we normally weld the ball into the socket, see picture 2 on the left. This has two purposes. One it secures the ball ready for it to be pulled out and two, the heat from the weld helps to break the corrosion which no doubt has built up over many years.

Picture 3 on the right shows the Special Tool fitted to the pin of the joint using the nut which held it on the car. At this point we normally weld this nut onto the top of the pin, because again when pulling the joint we have found that the nut can be pulled off the thread sometimes. If using the Special Tool, the two bolts are wound down and the  joint is pulled out see picture 4.

Picture 5 below shows the bottom of the leg after the bottom ball joint has been extracted and it also shows just how much corrosion builds up between it and the joint.