Change Lower Ball Joint on 97 4wd Dakota?

I am trying to change the lower ball joint on my 97 Dakota. The only problem I am having is that it is 4wd. I have the brake caliper and rotor off but i can't separate the control arms. I'm not positive what the part is called but it is what turns the front wheel when you put it in 4wd. I cannot get this off and this is the only problem I am having. I have soaked it in wd40 and heated it up. Any ideas?
Change Lower Ball Joint on 97 4wd Dakota?
I'm not real familiar with Dakota's, but it sounds like it has an independent front suspension with CV shafts? A lot of those, you need a special puller to push them out of the hub. I can't find anything that quite covers that here, but if you click this link, and then enter your Year, Make, Model and Engine, it will take you to a repair guide that might be of some help.



http://www.autozone.com/shopping/repairG鈥?/a>



Here's the tool I'm talking about. Most AutoZones will loan you one for free with a deposit.



http://www.autozone.com/in_our_stores/lo鈥?/a>



Be careful too, when you get the ball joint loose, that you have the coil spring compressed, or the control arms will spring apart rather violently. (I thought most Chrysler's used Torsion Bars actually, but same thing applies either way) If you're in the way, it could break some bones.