In a message dated 10/5/02 8:25:21 PM, jwetzel@EPHARMALEARNING.COM writes:

<< I read Tom Carrington's

description of how to remove the upper ball joints and performed the

procedure as he described. >>

Jim,

You can tell what kind of a mechanic a man is just by looking at his pickle
fork.  If it is burnished from being handled thousand of times and the edges
of the fork are slightly eased, the guy knows what he is doing.  However, if
the shank is curved and the fork is all boogered up, its owner subscribes to
the get-me-a-bigger-hammer school of mechanical arts.

I just looked at the procedure which you mentioned.  It errors in saying to
slug away at the pickle fork with impunity.  Rather than brute force, try
some finesse.  First make sure the fork you are using is sized to the ball
joint.  Also make sure the faces of the working end are in good trim; if not,
dress them.  Tap the pickle fork into place until it has a purchase.  Then,
while levering the fork, rap the knuckle smartly with a hard-faced hammer
right along side of the tapered hole.  The impulse and vibration of this
well-placed smack should cause the socket to release its grasp.

George