Bought this ball joint separator:
3/4" Forged Ball Joint Separator (harborfreight.com)
With this separator torqued to 30 ft-lbs, which pushed down on the ball joint taper pin at 11,000 LBS (yes , 11 thousands pounds!) and it still didn't pop, then I swing the 4lb hammer on the knuckle and it popped.
30 ft-lbs = 40.6745 Nm
The pushing force by the threaded bolt = T/(K*d*(1-lube factor) . I lubed the tool bolt threads with grease. The bolt diameter = 0.545" = 0.0138m
Force = 40.6745 Nm / (0.2 * 0.0138 * (1 - 40%) = 24,562 N = 5,500 LBS
But since the separator has the distance from bolt to pivot is twice the distance of ball joint pin to pivot, therefore the net force pushing on the taper pin is
2 x 5,500 = 11,000 LBS.
Each E46 Coupe is 3400 LBS, so more than 3 cars stack up on that ball joint pin to have 11,000 lbs pushing on it and the pin still didn't pop out!!!!
One can see the 11,000 LBS force pushing on the hex end of the ball joint taper pin, causing the hex end deformed as in the pic below. Even at 11,000 lbs the taper pin didn't pop, and only by swinging the 4lb hammer on the knuckle that the pin finally popped loose.
The beefy tool was flexed under the 11,000 pushing force: I loosen the 19mm ball joint nut to about 5mm gap before applied the tool, but after the joint popped, the tool was still under tension and I had to torque the tool bolt back out. This proves that the tool was stress or flexed under the tremendous force.
For the inner ball joint, it was easier: hammerer in the chisel (same as a fork) and it popped right away.
As most people already know that the inner ball joints are perfect most of the time, and mine was perfect also, but I cut the dust boot off to get the chisel closer to the pin.
There is no need to remove the reinforcement plate, as there is plenty of room at the rear of the wheel to swing the hammer on the fork or chisel for the inner ball joint.
If I ever do this again for the bad outer ball joint, I will not remove and replace the whole LCA, but only press out and replace the outer ball joint with a rented big C clamp with a torch. This is much quicker and easier than remove/replace the whole LCA.
