sounds like a nice job for a sawsall to me.

if american size nut - sounds like it's a 11/16's.
Assembled in Mexico , that car, I believe.
Should be metric you'd think, unless the part has been changed.
I have read about aftermarket ball joints that don't last too well at all -
like ones that go south in as little as under 20,000 miles.
One BMW shop had trouble with Meyle brand ball joints that way, and stopped
using them. .
- just thinking maybe if your ball joint is original or it's been replaced
once already.
Perhaps it's a TRW brand with amercian size nut on it.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Morse" <andysings@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:49 AM
Subject: removing ball joint nut?

> Ok so it's on my 99 turbo beetle but this list has been so helpful for my
> Vanagon.
>
> I need to remove the ball joint, problem is the nut is right under under
> the CV joint and I can only use an open ended wrench, second problem is
> the nut is between a 17 mm (too small) and 18 mm (too big) anyone know
> what american size may between the two? If it winds up being stripped
> wha'st the best way to get the nut off, hack saw, saws all, I do have a
> small air hammer that I've never used not sure if that would work with a
> chisel end?
>
> Thanks, Andy