Séparateur de joint

It is very difficult to separate a suspension or steering ball joint without a ball-joint separator; there are two types. Fork separators have two wedge-shaped prongs that can be hammered between the joint and arm to prise out the joint. Their disadvantage is that the rubber gaiter covering the joint may be split, or the joint damaged, so that the joint has to be renewed.

More satisfactory is the screw-operated scissor-type separator. It has a fork opening that fits round the arm above the ball joint, and a lever arm that is tightened until it presses the joint out of its tapered seat.