I've often read about people using a "ball joint splitter." Usually, people use a large pickle fork to separate the joints. Someone on SwedishBricks years ago mentioned the ball joint splitter from J.C. Whitney. I bought one, as I had fought with a tie rod end trying to use the pickle fork to separate the joint. It is a much better tool that allows you to separate tie-rod ends and other joints without damaging the grease boots. The lever type separator allows you easy access to joints that are obstructed. I think one of the Volvo SVO tools works on the same principle.

The item is "Deluxe Heavy-Duty Lever-Type Ball Joint and Tie Rod End Remover," part number 81ZX2149N, price $15.99. It can be ordered from the J.C. Whitney web site or catalog. Shipping is awful at $8.95 for orders up to $125, so you may want to order several things to lower the per-unit effective cost. They also have a decent three-leg hub puller for the rear drums. It goes for $26, part number 51ZX0236Y.